In an RTI reply, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said that the completion date of the entire 508 km-long bullet train project can be assessed only after all work tenders have been awarded. NHSRCL is constructing the corridor.
However, an official associated with the ambitious project said that the Bullet Train project is on track. The official informed that construction of 163 km of viaduct, 302 km of piers, and 323 km of foundations has taken place.
According to NHSRCL sources, in March 2023, the first civil contract for the Maharashtra portion was awarded as a significant portion of the land required for the project in Maharashtra was unavailable.
In his application under the Right to Information Act, Madhya Pradesh-based Chandra Shekhar Gaur sought to know if the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited is in a position to give a final date for the completion of the bullet train project.
Responding to the same, the NHSRCL said, “Completion date for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project (MAHSRP) can be assessed after award of all tenders/packages.”
Bullet train project was launched in 2017
In 2017, the project was launched and initially, it was scheduled to be ready by December 2023. However, land acquisition issues as well as Covid slowed its progress significantly.
The Railways Ministry has officially declared the completion of the first phase (a 50-km-long section between Surat and Bilimora) by August 2026. In January 2024, it also announced that 100 per cent of the land was acquired for the project.
(With PTI inputs)