India's First Bullet Train Reaches Major Milestone
India's Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project reached a major breakthrough after completing more than 300 kilometers of viaducts.
The MAHSR corridor, spanning 508 kilometers (315 miles), utilizes Shinkansen bullet trains from Japan as part of a testing partnership between the two nations.
Newsweek reached out to Indian Railway, the corridor's owner, via email for comment.
The MAHSR bullet train is India's largest transportation infrastructure project, and would reduce travel time from up to seven hours to just two hours between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, two of the most important cities in the Indian economy. India's success in high-speed rail, if realized, could signal an increase in competitiveness and the adoption of green mobility in large emerging economies.
The NHSRCL reported that as of June 2025, more than 300 kilometers of elevated viaduct structures had been completed, using Full Span Launching Method and Span-by-Span engineering techniques.
Fourteen river bridges, seven steel bridges, and five prestressed concrete bridges have now been completed. As a result, the project has entered a critical testing phase, with Japan beginning trials of the first Shinkansen bullet trains built for India.
Indian-made trains, developed under the "Make in India" initiative, are currently undergoing initial tests at speeds up to 280 km/h, though the operational target upon project completion is 320 km/h (about 199 mph).
The rolling stock is designed with reclining and swiveling seats, air conditioning, modern entertainment systems, and facilities for passengers with disabilities.
The MAHSR was designed to be environmentally conscious, and it features over 300,000 noise barriers along its route. The initial cost per bullet train is estimated at Rs 27.86 crore, equivalent to approximately $3.2 million.
Civil work has finished at six out of eight stations in Gujarat, while Mumbai's underground terminus at Bandra Kurla Complex is 75 percent excavated. Gujarat's component of the corridor is nearing operational readiness, though delays around Mumbai may halt future progress.
An NHSRCL official, in a statement to TheTimes of India: "This project has pioneered the use of indigenously designed and manufactured equipment such as straddle carriers, launching gantries, bridge gantries, and girder transporters.
"It marks a first for Indian infrastructure and reflects growing domestic expertise in high-speed rail construction, supported by technical collaboration with Japan."
The MAHSR project is expected to commence partial operations in 2026 and launch the first passenger service in Gujarat by 2028, with full connectivity to Mumbai anticipated by 2030.
Once completed, it is expected to contribute to India's climate goals by providing large-scale public transit capacity with zero direct emissions.
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