Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Achieves Major Tunnel Breakthrough; 'To Have 12 Stations, 3 Depots,' Says Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Mumbai: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project will have a total of 12 stations and three depots, instead of the usual two, attributing the additional depot to delays caused by prolonged approval issues in Maharashtra in the past.

The minister was addressing a press conference after attending the breakthrough event of Mountain Tunnel-5 via video conference from Delhi. Calling it a major milestone, Vaishnaw said the development has cleared almost the entire alignment between Thane and Ahmedabad.

“This is a very big milestone for the project. With this tunnel breakthrough, everything between Thane and Ahmedabad is now clear. Only the Mumbai–Thane undersea stretch remains a constraint; the rest of the project is clear,” he said.

Vaishnaw said the bullet train corridor includes seven mountain tunnels and one undersea tunnel. “Today, a major milestone has been achieved with the breakthrough of Mountain Tunnel-5. The entire Bullet Train Project includes seven mountain tunnels and one undersea tunnel. Full details of all tunnels from Mountain Tunnel-1 to Mountain Tunnel-7 will be shared,” he added.

Giving an overview of the project’s infrastructure, the minister said there will be 12 stations along the corridor, with Sabarmati as the terminal station in Gujarat and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) as the terminal station in Mumbai.

Explaining the decision to build three depots, Vaishnaw said a 508-km corridor would normally require only two depots. “However, three depots had to be planned because, for a long period, the then Maharashtra government under Uddhav Thackeray withheld permissions and approvals. Due to this delay, additional arrangements became necessary,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Railway Minister announced that India’s first bullet train will begin operations on August 15, 2027. The Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail project is expected to majorly reduce travel time between the two cities and introduce global standards of rail infrastructure and passenger services in the country.

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