<p>The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project—a dream undertaking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi—got a much-needed push from the new Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra.</p>.<p>After Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, took over as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, they decided to move forward with the high-speed railway corridor.</p>.<p>The project came up for discussion at the ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi - New India, New Resolve Conference’ held in Mumbai on Friday, and organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and India@75 Foundation, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Culture.</p>.<p>“For certain reasons, Maharashtra remained behind while Gujarat worked swiftly for the bullet train. But we have decided to catch up because it is not just a bullet train, but the beginning of a new phase of transportation,” Fadnavis said at the conference.</p>.<p>Shinde said the Maharashtra government was focused on creating 15 industrial corridors in the state, and promised to work with the Centre to create a pro-industry ecosystem. The conference was presided over by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.</p>.<p>In his address, Gadkari said big infrastructure projects to connect Mumbai with Delhi, Pune and Bangalore were in the pipeline.</p>.<p>Gadkari informed that 70 per cent work on the ambitious Rs 1 lakh-crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway was completed and that it would reduce the travel time between the national capital and the commercial capital to 12 hours. </p>.<p>“It is my dream to establish seamless connectivity from Nariman Point in Mumbai to Delhi through a network of coastal road and sea-link up to Vasai-Virar and beyond, with a project outlay of Rs 50,000 crores,” Gadkari announced.</p>.<p>The Union minister also requested the Government of Maharashtra to waive off the state goods and services tax on steel and cement required for the project.</p>.<p>Gadkari also informed the conference attendees about the plans to build direct road connection from Mumbai to Bangalore through Westerly By-Pass of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Pune Ring Road. </p>.<p>He said its road alignment plan has already been prepared and the work is expected to begin soon. He also informed that a new Pune-Aurangabad road alignment has been planned, which will reduce the travel time between the two cities to just two hours.</p>.<p>Gadkari also announced that the new road alignment connecting Surat – Nashik – Ahmednagar – Solapur, would divert 50 per cent of the south-bound traffic coming from north India and would help in substantial reduction of air pollution in Thane, Mumbai and Pune.</p>
<p>The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project—a dream undertaking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi—got a much-needed push from the new Shinde-Fadnavis government in Maharashtra.</p>.<p>After Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, took over as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, they decided to move forward with the high-speed railway corridor.</p>.<p>The project came up for discussion at the ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi - New India, New Resolve Conference’ held in Mumbai on Friday, and organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and India@75 Foundation, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Culture.</p>.<p>“For certain reasons, Maharashtra remained behind while Gujarat worked swiftly for the bullet train. But we have decided to catch up because it is not just a bullet train, but the beginning of a new phase of transportation,” Fadnavis said at the conference.</p>.<p>Shinde said the Maharashtra government was focused on creating 15 industrial corridors in the state, and promised to work with the Centre to create a pro-industry ecosystem. The conference was presided over by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.</p>.<p>In his address, Gadkari said big infrastructure projects to connect Mumbai with Delhi, Pune and Bangalore were in the pipeline.</p>.<p>Gadkari informed that 70 per cent work on the ambitious Rs 1 lakh-crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway was completed and that it would reduce the travel time between the national capital and the commercial capital to 12 hours. </p>.<p>“It is my dream to establish seamless connectivity from Nariman Point in Mumbai to Delhi through a network of coastal road and sea-link up to Vasai-Virar and beyond, with a project outlay of Rs 50,000 crores,” Gadkari announced.</p>.<p>The Union minister also requested the Government of Maharashtra to waive off the state goods and services tax on steel and cement required for the project.</p>.<p>Gadkari also informed the conference attendees about the plans to build direct road connection from Mumbai to Bangalore through Westerly By-Pass of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Pune Ring Road. </p>.<p>He said its road alignment plan has already been prepared and the work is expected to begin soon. He also informed that a new Pune-Aurangabad road alignment has been planned, which will reduce the travel time between the two cities to just two hours.</p>.<p>Gadkari also announced that the new road alignment connecting Surat – Nashik – Ahmednagar – Solapur, would divert 50 per cent of the south-bound traffic coming from north India and would help in substantial reduction of air pollution in Thane, Mumbai and Pune.</p>
