Proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train to have 2 speed options, fare likely between Rs 3,000-5,000

The proposed Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will come with two speed options for the passengers—high-speed and rapid high-speed—and its fare could be in the range of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be laying the foundation stone of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, on September 14. To fund the ambitious Rs1,10,000-crore project, a loan of Rs88,000 crore will be taken from Japan.

The details of the train are being worked out by officials from the ministry of Railways. According to sources, the Railways has planned to run two types of bullet trains on the basis of their speed. The high-speed train will halt at all ten stations on the proposed high-speed corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, while the rapid high-speed train will halt only at major stations.

According to the initial proposal, the high-speed train will take 2.58 hours to reach the destination, and the rapid high-speed will cover the distance in 2.07 hours, said an official.

The fare structure of the bullet train is yet to be finalised, but according to officials from the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC), it will be 1.5 times the first class AC fare of trains running on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. The fare of a first class ticket between Mumbai to Ahmedabad ranges between Rs1,800 to Rs3,000.

Thus, the fare structure of the bullet train is expected to range anywhere between Rs3,000 and Rs5,000, depending on their speed, said officials.

Talking about the expected fare structure of the bullet train, a railway board official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “It is too early to decide the fare structure, but the fares will definitely be higher than the first AC fare of mail express. Fare structure of Rajdhani and Duronto is also being considered.”

Significantly, the fare could be close to what airlines charge for flights between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Currently, the air fare between the two cities ranges between Rs1,500 to Rs5,000 depending on the time of booking.