India's first bullet train to start soon, will cut Mumbai-Ahmedabad travel time to just over 2 hours: Vaishnaw

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said that India’s first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will commence operations "very soon," and it will reduce travel time between the two cities to just 2 hours and 7 minutes.

Talking to reporters at the Bhavnagar terminus in Gujarat, after virtually flagging off three trains: the Ayodhya Express, Rewa-Pune Express, and Jabalpur-Raipur Express, Vaishnaw stated that the bullet train project is moving quickly.

Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) will be connected to major cities of Gujarat, such as Vapi, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad, via a 508-kilometre high-speed rail corridor.

According to the minister, trains will travel at a speed of up to 320 km/h.

A new train between Porbandar and Rajkot, a Rs 135-crore coach maintenance facility at Ranavav station, a railway flyover in Porbandar, two Gati Shakti cargo terminals, and a container terminal at a port under development in Bhavnagar are just a few of the forthcoming railway projects in Gujarat that Vaishnaw also listed.

He highlighted the nation's progress, saying that during the last 11 years, 34,000 km of new railway tracks have been installed under the PM Narendra Modi administration, averaging almost 12 km per day.

He described the 1,300 railway stations undergoing renovation as an unprecedented endeavour in the history of Indian Railways.

Vaishnaw pointed out that India is implementing this change while maintaining train operations and keeping stations operational, which reflects the scope of PM Modi's vision, in contrast to developed nations, where station redevelopment entails completely stopping services.

Additionally, he cited the introduction of contemporary trains such as the Vande Bharat Express, the Amrit Bharat Express, and the Namo Bharat Express.

Eight Amrit Bharat trains with high-class amenities and reasonably priced tickets have been introduced thus far.

According to the minister, passengers have responded favorably to these new trains, which were constructed using cutting-edge technology.

With the help of double-engine governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, significant railway projects are also progressing in those states, in addition to Gujarat, the minister highlighted.

--IANS

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