Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during a visit to the under-construction bullet train station, in Surat, Gujarat.
Credit: PTI
New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that India’s first bullet train will now cover a 100 km distance between Surat and Vapi in Gujarat during its inaugural run in August 2027.
“The bullet train, in its inaugural run, will now cover 100 km between Surat and Vapi in August 2027,” Vaishnaw told reporters at the Rail Bhawan here. Earlier, the inaugural run was planned on a 50 km stretch between Surat and Billimora within the same deadline.
The country’s first 508-km long high-speed rail corridor is being constructed between Sabarmati (Ahmedabad) and Mumbai to operate a bullet train at 320 kmph, covering the entire distance in 2 hours and 17 minutes.
Its foundation stone was laid in 2017 and the entire project was initially proposed to be ready by December 2023. However, land acquisition and other issues delayed the ambitious project.
“The bullet train will cover the distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in 1 hour 58 minutes while stopping at four stations. However, if it stops at all 12 stations, the entire distance will be covered in 2 hours and 17 minutes,” he added.
Speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to upcoming Surat station, Vaishnaw said “The PM said that whatever we have learnt from the project must be used elsewhere, not only in Railways and other high speed projects, but in other different sectors as well.”