Bullet Train Delayed to 2030; Vande Bharat Trains to Hit 250 km/h by 2026
India’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, initially set to revolutionise rail travel by 2026, now faces delays that could push its launch to 2030. However, to fill the gap, the Indian Railways plans to introduce high-speed Vande Bharat trains, capable of reaching speeds of 250 km/h, by 2026.
This marks a significant leap from the current Vande Bharat trains, which operate at a maximum speed of 180 km/h. Two advanced Vande Bharat trains are already under development, offering a practical alternative to bullet trains in the short term. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, with an estimated cost of Rs 1 lakh crore, is being funded largely by Japan through an Rs 88,000 crore loan at a concessional 0.1% interest rate over 50 years. Despite the cost, officials stress the project’s long-term economic benefits, such as creating production hubs, logistics centres, and industrial units along the corridor, particularly in Maharashtra’s Palghar and Gujarat’s Valsad districts. While bullet trains are designed to run at 350 km/h, their initial operational speed in India will be capped at 250 km/h.
For now, the focus is on completing the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor while other proposed routes, such as Delhi-Amritsar and Howrah-Varanasi-Patna, remain in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) or feasibility study stages. Officials have faced setbacks on routes like Delhi-Varanasi due to technical challenges, including sharp curves. These hurdles suggest that the rollout of bullet trains on additional corridors will take significantly longer. The high-speed Vande Bharat trains, debuting in 2026, aim to provide an interim solution, bridging the gap and improving travel speeds on one of India’s busiest routes. This step reflects India’s commitment to modernising its rail network while awaiting the long-term benefits of bullet train technology.