India's Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train cost nearly doubles, first run slated for 2027

India’s inaugural bullet-train line linking Mumbai and Ahmedabad was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2017, yet nine years later the project’s price tag has surged from roughly Rs 1.1 lakh crore to about Rs 2.1 lakh crore. The railway ministry attributes the escalation to prolonged land-acquisition processes in Maharashtra and postponed receipt of Shinkansen-type trainsets from Japan. A cabinet proposal to endorse the higher budget was submitted, with most extra funding expected from the central budget.

Physical work has progressed, including viaducts across Gujarat and Maharashtra, a 7-km under-sea tunnel near Thane Creek, and multiple bridges and mountain tunnels. Meanwhile, BEML Limited secured an Rs 866.87 crore contract with the Integral Coach Factory to design and build two eight-coach, 280 km/h trainsets slated for delivery in 2027. The corridor will feature 12 stations, operate at speeds up to 320 km/h, and use Japan’s J-Slab ballastless track system. The government is also evaluating seven additional high-speed routes such as Bengaluru-Chennai and Bengaluru-Hyderabad.