Vadodara Bullet Train Station (Via: NHSRCL)
India’s first bullet train project is entering a more advanced stage, with construction progressing across viaducts, tracks, bridges, tunnels and electrification.
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor has now seen 453 km of pier construction and 359 km of viaduct construction completed, according to the latest July 2026 progress update.
Much of the 508-km corridor is being constructed on elevated viaducts, making pier and viaduct construction central to the project’s civil works.
Track construction moves ahead
Work has also progressed from basic civil structures to the track infrastructure required for high-speed operations.
The latest update shows that 215 km of reinforced-concrete track bed has been completed, while 91 km of track slab and CAM (cement-asphalt mortar) work has been completed.
The corridor will use a Japanese Shinkansen-based J-slab ballastless track system. Track installation on the viaduct began in 2026, marking an important shift from structural construction towards railway systems.
Electrification work gathers pace
Electrification is also progressing along the corridor.
More than 9,000 overhead equipment (OHE) masts have been installed across about 200 km of the alignment. These structures will support the overhead traction system that will supply electricity to the high-speed trains.
The project has also seen the installation of about 297 km of noise barriers along the elevated alignment. These are designed to reduce noise generated by high-speed trains reaching surrounding areas.
Bridges and tunnels take shape
Bridge construction has reached another major milestone, with 17 river bridges and 15 steel bridges completed, according to the latest project update.
The corridor also involves some of India’s most challenging railway tunnelling work.
In Maharashtra, four mountain tunnels have been excavated, while around 5 km of tunnelling has been completed using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM).
The Mumbai section includes a 21-km underground stretch between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata. Around 16 km is being constructed using tunnel boring machines (TBMs), while about 5 km has been excavated using NATM.
The underground section also includes the country’s first undersea rail tunnel beneath Thane Creek, making the Mumbai portion one of the technically demanding parts of the corridor.
Surat-Vapi section is ahead
The Gujarat portion of the corridor is considerably ahead of the Maharashtra section.
Civil works on the approximately 97-km Surat-Vapi section have been completed, including river bridges, while track-bed construction had reached about 86% in the latest reported update.
Several stations in Gujarat have also moved into structural and finishing stages, while track work has started at locations including Surat, Bilimora and Bharuch.
First bullet train service planned for 2027
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said the first section of India’s bullet train network will begin operations on August 15, 2027, with the Surat-Bilimora section opening first. The Vapi-Surat section is expected to follow, with the remaining sections to be commissioned in phases.
The corridor will therefore be commissioned in phases rather than waiting for the entire 508-km route to be completed.
The 508-km corridor has a target of being completed by December 2029.
12 stations to connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad
The corridor will have 12 stations across Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
These are Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand/Nadiad, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.
The Mumbai station at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) is being built underground, while Thane, Virar and Boisar are among the elevated stations under construction.
NHSRCL says the project is designed for a maximum operating speed of 320 kmph. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad journey is expected to take around two hours on limited-stop services once the full corridor is operational.
A project moving from civil works to systems
The latest figures show how far the project has moved since construction began.
With 453 km of piers and 359 km of viaducts completed, the focus is increasingly shifting towards track installation, electrification, signalling, stations and testing.
At the same time, the remaining work in Mumbai—including the underground and undersea sections—will remain among the project’s biggest engineering challenges.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is therefore no longer only a large civil-construction project. With tracks, OHE, stations and tunnels now progressing alongside viaduct construction, India is moving closer to putting its first high-speed rail service into operation.
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