How India’s bullet train project took a long detour
It started as a Japanese high-speed rail project. After friction, it has evolved into a hybrid model: Japanese infra, European signal systems, Indian trains
Labourers work inside a shaft where a Tunnel Boring Machine will be installed soon to make way for the Bullet train tracks, at Vikhroli in Mumbai in March 2026. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)
9 min readOct 24, 2026 07:06 AM IST First published on: Oct 24, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST
In September 2017, work began on one of India’s most ambitious and technologically advanced transportation projects — a 508-km high-speed railway line between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, popularly known as the bullet train project.
A joint-venture with Japan, known for its iconic 300 kmph Shinkansen trains, the project was initially estimated to be completed by 2022.
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