On Monday, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology said that India is expected to have its first-ever high-speed bullet train operating between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat by 2026. Bilimora is a town in the Navsari district of south Gujarat.
The project aims at forming a route between Ahmedabad and Mumbai which operates at the speed of 320 km/ph, encompassing a distance of 508 km and 12 stations. It is expected that the train shall reduce the time from 6 hours to nearly 3 hours.
National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), has joined forces with Japan Railway Track Consultant Company (JRTC) to bring the bullet train to India. There were differences in the approach to work as apparently, the Japanese want to have everything before they begin to work. This was a hurdle to the work process.
119 pillars have been cast up till now and it is calculated that the number shall extend to another 50 km in the next 6 months.
The work is particularly slow in Maharashtra due to land acquisition processes. Till then, the focus remains on Gujarat. Vaishnaw said he believes that the Maharashtra state should work with the spirit of cooperation and teamwork as this is a national project which is beyond any petty politics. The work should be exemplary.
