India’s Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that the inaugural section of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail service is scheduled to begin in August 2027.
This first stretch will cover 100 kilometres, running between Surat and Vapi in Gujarat. The initial plan had envisaged a 50-kilometre stretch between Surat and Bilimora, but the extension to Vapi reflects the rapid pace of construction.
Once the entire 508-kilometre Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor is operational, trains are expected to run at up to 320 km/h. The full journey time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is projected to take 1 hour 58 minutes with four stops, or about 2 hours 17 minutes if the train stops at all 12 planned stations.
Vaishnaw noted that while the first section will open in 2027, commercial operations along the entire corridor are expected by December 2029.
The minister did not clarify whether the first 100-kilometre service will use Japanese-built trains or an Indian-developed fleet.
