Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train to Be Operational by 2028, Says Fadnavis; Maharashtra Eyes $50 Billion for Infra Push

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, India’s first high-speed rail project, is expected to be operational by 2028. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Fadnavis acknowledged that while Gujarat has made faster progress, Maharashtra has now accelerated its efforts.

“By 2028, we will be able to travel on the bullet train,” said Fadnavis, adding that project work was delayed during the previous two-year government but has since regained momentum.

The 508-kilometre corridor will feature 12 stations, with the Mumbai station—located at the Bandra Kurla Complex—being the only underground one. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) recently reported that around 75 per cent of the excavation work for the 15 billion dollars underground station is complete. So far, 14 lakh cubic metres of earthwork have been excavated out of the 18.7 lakh cubic metres required.

Other stations in the corridor—spanning from Thane to Sabarmati—will be elevated. The bullet train project is a major part of India's push toward high-speed connectivity and infrastructure modernisation.

During the same event, focused on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) project, the Chief Minister revealed Maharashtra's ambitious plan to raise 50 billion dollars from global investors for infrastructure development. He said key announcements regarding this funding would be made in the next four months.

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Fadnavis also shared updates on the upcoming Vadhavan port, stating that it is expected to be operational within the next 3–4 years. The port will help reduce logistics costs and will feature an adjoining airport built on reclaimed land from the sea. He noted that the new port would address inefficiencies at JNPA, India’s largest container port, particularly its higher turnaround time.

Highlighting state-wide infrastructure connectivity, the CM said a new highway linking Nashik to the upcoming Vadhavan port is under construction. Once completed, it will connect 17 districts of Maharashtra to the modern port facility. Additionally, the state is building the Shaktipeeth highway to connect Nagpur with Goa and further improve intra-state logistics and travel.