Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism H.E. Hiromasa Nakano visited High-Speed Rail (HSR) construction sites of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project in Surat and Mumbai today.

H.E. Nakano was welcomed at Surat international airport with traditional Garba. Surat’s MP Shri Mukesh Dalal, Mayor Shri Daxesh Mavani, Chairman Railway Board, senior officials of Railways, NHSRCL and the district administration were also present at the Japanese Minister’s reception.

Visit to the Track Slab Laying Site at Surat: The Ministers visited the track construction base at the Surat High-Speed Rail site, where they witnessed the installation of the J-slab ballast-less track system on the viaduct. Track slab installation and permanent rail laying are progressing rapidly.

Recently, Union Minister Shri Vaishnaw also witnessed the first track turnout installation near Surat HSR station.

Visit to BKC HSR Station, Mumbai: The Ministers travelled from Surat to Mumbai via Vande Bharat Express. They reviewed the progress of the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) bullet train station in Mumbai. Minister Nakano and the Japanese team expressed happiness at the quality of Vande Bharat train.

Key Features of the BKC Bullet Train Station, Mumbai: The Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station will be an underground facility on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor. Excavation has reached a depth of over 30 metres, equivalent to a 10-storey building, with approximately 84% of the work already completed. The station will feature three levels: platform, concourse, and service floor, and will offer both road and metro connectivity. Two entry and exit points are planned—one near the Metro station and another near the MTNL building. Designed for passenger comfort, the station will provide spacious areas and modern amenities, along with skylights to allow natural lighting.

Bullet train project progress (September, 2025): The Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor is 508 km long. Of the total viaduct, 323 km has been completed, along with 399 km of pier work. Key bridge construction milestones include the completion of 17 river bridges, 5 PSC bridges, and 9 steel bridges. A total of 211 km of track bed has been laid, and over 4 lakh noise barriers have been installed along the corridor. Excavation is underway for seven mountain tunnels in Palghar, while 5 km of the 21 km NATM tunnel between BKC and Shilphata has achieved breakthrough. Rolling stock depots at Surat and Ahmedabad are under construction. Superstructure work on all Gujarat stations is at an advanced stage. Work has begun on all three elevated stations in Maharashtra.

The Japanese Minister’s visit reflects strong collaboration between India and Japan in implementing India’s first High-Speed Rail corridor.

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Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki/ Manik Sharma