Significant progress has been made in the construction of various stations for India’s first bullet train and we are geared up to run the first train in one section in 2026, Union Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.
In an interview with IANS, the Union Minister said the work on bullet trains is progressing very well on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai route.
“More than 290 kms of work has already been done. Bridges have been built over eight rivers. Work is going on at 12 stations. The stations have also come at the same level so that the work is nearing completion,” Ashwini Vaishnaw informed.
“The work is going on at two depots. The work is going on at a very fast pace with the complete target of opening its first section in 2026,” the Union Minister told IANS.
The Bullet Train is a very complex project. The work on it started in 2017 and it took almost two-and-a-half years to complete the design.
“Its design is very complex because the vibrations are very strong at the speed at which the train has to run,” informed the Union Minister.
“How to manage those vibrations? If we have to take current from above electricity, then how to take that current? Everything like speed, aerodynamics etc. has to be looked at very carefully and the work started immediately after that,” Ashwini Vaishnaw elaborated.
In between, there was a little setback due to the Covid pandemic.
“In Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray's government had refused to give permission which delayed the project. But the work is progressing very well now,” the Union Minister noted.
The bullet train corridor has a 21-km-long tunnel, including a 7-km undersea stretch. The deepest point of the tunnel is 56 metres.
Inside the tunnel, the bullet trains will run at the speed of 300-320 kmph.
The objective is to develop a high-frequency mass transportation system by constructing the High-Speed Rail between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, using Japan's Shinkansen technology (also known as the bullet train).
Four held in Tripura for social media posts relating to Pahalgam terror attack
Police arrested four people including two retired teachers in the past 24 hours from Tripura’s three districts for making controversial posts on social media relating to the Pahalgam terror attack, officials said on Saturday.
Indian Army responds firmly to ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along LoC
In the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Pakistan has resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC). Over the past two days, Pakistani military posts have been targeting Indian positions with small-arms fire. The Indian Army has given a strong and appropriate response to these provocations, official sources said.
US religious freedom body finds conditions for Pakistan minorities 'worsening', urges strong action
Finding "a worsening religious and political climate of fear, intolerance, and violence" for minorities in Pakistan, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has asked President Donald Trump's administration to take strong measures against the Islamic Republic.
Residences of LeT commanders, Pahalgam attack suspects demolished across Kashmir
Security forces have intensified their crackdown on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives and suspects linked to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives on April 22.
India, Pakistan will 'get it figured out,' says Trump on border tensions
US President Donald Trump refused to be drawn into India-Pakistan border tensions in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, stating that the two countries will "get it figured out one way or the other."
CM stresses scientific drain construction to combat flood
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today emphasized the need to construct drains in a scientific manner to quickly drain the water accumulated in the city during heavy rains.
Bangladeshi man, drug smuggler held at Agartala Railway Station
In a significant development, two separate operations at Agartala Railway Station led to the arrest of a Bangladeshi national for illegal entry into India and a local individual involved in attempting to smuggle ganja to Assam.
Suspected Bangladeshi flag on Rickshaw, two detained
Tension flared in the Joynagar area of Agartala on Thursday late night after locals detained two individuals in connection with a rickshaw allegedly bearing the national flag of Bangladesh.