India's First 220-kmph Ahmedabad Dholera Rail Corridor Approved
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

India's First 220-kmph Ahmedabad Dholera Rail Corridor Approved

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved India’s first semi-high-speed railway corridor capable of running at 220 kmph, linking Sarkhej in Ahmedabad with the Dholera Special Investment Region. The double-line project, cleared at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, covers 134 km and is estimated to cost Rs 206,670 million (mn).

Railways officials indicated that services on the corridor will cut travel time between Sarkhej and Dholera to around 34 minutes and that the alignment is intended to provide faster commuter and freight connectivity. The route will be broad gauge and fully double tracked to support frequent operations.

The alignment has been designed for a maximum speed of 220 kmph and an operational speed of 200 kmph to allow sustained higher velocity travel than on current mixed-traffic routes. The new section will link Ahmedabad, Dholera SIR, the planned Dholera Airport and the Lothal National Maritime Heritage Complex, improving direct rail access to logistics and tourism nodes.

Dholera SIR is a greenfield industrial smart city intended as a global manufacturing and innovation hub, and the corridor forms part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. Authorities have set a target of completion within four years to integrate Dholera with the wider railway network at Sarkhej and to support planned airport and port infrastructure.

Railway sources said the corridor will be the first developed entirely with indigenously developed technology and may serve as a benchmark for similar projects. The scheme was placed alongside existing semi-high-speed ambitions driven by the Vande Bharat services, with over 100 trainsets operational by early 2026 running at speeds of 160–180 kmph. Planners indicated that a dedicated corridor should allow design speeds to be realised more consistently than on mixed-traffic routes.

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved India’s first semi-high-speed railway corridor capable of running at 220 kmph, linking Sarkhej in Ahmedabad with the Dholera Special Investment Region. The double-line project, cleared at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, covers 134 km and is estimated to cost Rs 206,670 million (mn). Railways officials indicated that services on the corridor will cut travel time between Sarkhej and Dholera to around 34 minutes and that the alignment is intended to provide faster commuter and freight connectivity. The route will be broad gauge and fully double tracked to support frequent operations. The alignment has been designed for a maximum speed of 220 kmph and an operational speed of 200 kmph to allow sustained higher velocity travel than on current mixed-traffic routes. The new section will link Ahmedabad, Dholera SIR, the planned Dholera Airport and the Lothal National Maritime Heritage Complex, improving direct rail access to logistics and tourism nodes. Dholera SIR is a greenfield industrial smart city intended as a global manufacturing and innovation hub, and the corridor forms part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. Authorities have set a target of completion within four years to integrate Dholera with the wider railway network at Sarkhej and to support planned airport and port infrastructure. Railway sources said the corridor will be the first developed entirely with indigenously developed technology and may serve as a benchmark for similar projects. The scheme was placed alongside existing semi-high-speed ambitions driven by the Vande Bharat services, with over 100 trainsets operational by early 2026 running at speeds of 160–180 kmph. Planners indicated that a dedicated corridor should allow design speeds to be realised more consistently than on mixed-traffic routes.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code