Bullet Trains in India – Routes, Projects, Status & Future Plans

Bullet trains in India are still in the project and construction stage, with the country’s first high-speed rail (HSR) line—Mumbai–Ahmedabad—currently under construction.

Several other high-speed corridors such as Delhi–Varanasi, Delhi–Ahmedabad, Chennai–Bengaluru–Mysuru, Mumbai–Nagpur, and Hyderabad–Bengaluru are under planning via Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).

These bullet trains in India are being designed for 320–350 km/h, following global benchmarks like Japan’s Shinkansen.

What is Bullet Train Project?

Across the world, “bullet trains” refer to high-speed trains running above 300 km/h on specially built tracks. In India, all bullet train corridors follow:

• Standard gauge (1,435 mm) tracks
• Dedicated elevated / underground rail lines
• Design speed of 320–350 km/h
• Advanced signaling and automatic train control
• Full fencing and zero level crossings

This is very different from upgraded fast trains like Vande Bharat Express, which operate on the existing broad-gauge network at 130–160 km/h.

History & Timeline of Bullet Trains in India

• 2009–2014: India identifies major high-speed corridors under the High-Speed Rail vision.
• 2016: Formation of NHSRCL – National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited.
• 2017: Groundbreaking of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train by PM Narendra Modi & Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe.
• 2018–2025: Land acquisition, viaduct construction, and tunnel works progress.
• 2025: 300+ km of viaduct and multiple station structures completed.

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad project is the first Indian bullet train corridor to enter the construction phase.

Full List of Bullet Trains in India (Planned + Under Construction)

Current Status of Bullet Trains Project – Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) is India’s first operational bullet train corridor.

Key Highlights

• Length: 508 km
• Design Speed: 320 km/h
• Technology: Japanese Shinkansen
• Stations: 12
• Construction:
  • 300+ km viaduct completed
  • Work progressing on India’s first undersea HSR tunnel
• Expected Opening:
  • 2027: Surat–Bilimora section
  • 2029: Full corridor

This project will cut Mumbai–Ahmedabad travel time from 7–8 hours to ~3 hours.

Read: Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains in India – Routes, Launch Date, Ticket Price, and Coach Design

Proposed Routes for Bullet Trains in India

India plans more than a dozen high-speed rail corridors as part of the National Rail Plan 2030–2050.

Key corridors include:

• Delhi–Varanasi HSR (865 km)
• Delhi–Ahmedabad HSR (886 km)
• Varanasi–Howrah HSR (711–760 km)
• Delhi–Amritsar HSR (480 km)
• Mumbai–Nagpur HSR (742 km)
• Mumbai–Hyderabad HSR (711–747 km)
• Chennai–Bengaluru–Mysuru HSR (435 km)
• Hyderabad–Bengaluru HSR (618 km)
• Patna–Guwahati HSR (850 km)
• Nagpur–Varanasi HSR (855 km)
• Amritsar–Jammu HSR (190 km)

Bullet Trains in India – Challenges

• High project cost (Mumbai–Ahmedabad: ₹1.6+ lakh crore)
• Land acquisition hurdles
• Urban tunnelling complexities
• Higher ticket pricing concerns
• Dependence on foreign technology initially

Future of Bullet Trains in India

India is already developing indigenous high-speed trainsets and working on domestic capabilities for:

• Rolling stock
• Signalling
• Track systems
• Construction engineering

As the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train becomes operational, more HSR corridors are expected to move into the execution phase.

Interesting Reads

• NaMo Bharat (Vande Metro) and Rapid Rail – Full List of Operational, Under-Construction & Proposed Corridors
• Amrit Bharat Station Scheme – Full List Of State-Wise Stations

Vande Bharat Express Trains

• Vande Bharat Kerala
• Vande Bharat Train Delhi To Katra
• Delhi To Bhopal Vande Bharat Express 
• Bhopal To Delhi Vande Bharat Express 

Vistadome Trains In India

• Vistadome Train Mumbai To Pune Via Lonavala
• Vistadome Train Mumbai To Goa
• Vistadome Train Bangalore To Mangalore