First Bullet train ride between Surat to Bilimora in 2027: Check routes, fares & other details

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Surat to Bilimora section of India's first bullet train will be inaugurated first.

Updated on: Jan 1, 2026, 19:21:05 IST

By HT News Desk

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Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that India’s first bullet train project is on track for completion in phases, with the initial operational stretch expected to open by August 15, 2027.

Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. (PTI)

Giving an update on the rollout plan, Vaishnaw said the very first section to become operational will be the Surat-Bilimora corridor, marking the country’s maiden experience of high-speed rail travel, according to news agency ANI.

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He explained that once this initial segment is opened, services will be extended sequentially, starting with the Vapi to Surat stretch, followed by Vapi to Ahmedabad, then Thane to Ahmedabad, and finally the full Mumbai to Ahmedabad route.

“The bullet train will be ready in 2027, August 15th, 2027. The first section to open will be from Surat to Bilimora. After that, Vapi to Surat will open. Then Vapi to Ahmedabad will open, and after that, Thane to Ahmedabad will open, and then Mumbai to Ahmedabad will open,” Vaishnaw said, as per the agency.

ALSO READ | Bullet train operations to begin by August 2027: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Separately, Vaishnaw had earlier told reporters that the bullet train’s inaugural run would cover a longer 100-km stretch between Ahmedabad and Vapi by August 2027, reflecting faster-than-expected construction progress.

He clarified that while partial operations will begin in 2027, the entire 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed corridor is expected to be fully operational by 2029.

According to the minister, once completed, the bullet train will cover the distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in just 1 hour and 58 minutes, operating at speeds of up to 320 kmph.

The announcement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent review of the project during a site visit to Surat, after which Vaishnaw said the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the pace of work.

ALSO READ | PM Modi reviews under-construction bullet train station in Surat

The Railways Ministry had earlier planned the inaugural run on a shorter 50-km Surat to Bilimora section, but rapid progress led to the decision to launch services on a longer Ahmedabad to Vapi stretch instead, Hindustan Times earlier reported.

(With ANI inputs)

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