Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Japanese Counterpart Hiromasa Nakano inspect Bullet Train Sites

October 3, 2025 Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, alongside Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism, H.E. Hiromasa Nakano, inspected key construction sites of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (HSR) project in Surat and Mumbai today, showcasing the robust Indo-Japanese partnership.

H.E. Nakano received a warm welcome at Surat International Airport with a traditional Garba performance. Joining the reception were Surat MP Shri Mukesh Dalal, Mayor Shri Daxesh Mavani, the Railway Board Chairman, and senior officials from Railways, NHSRCL, and the district administration.

Inspection at Surat Track Site

The ministers toured the Surat HSR construction hub, observing the deployment of the innovative J-slab ballast-less track system on the elevated viaduct. Progress on track slab placement and permanent rail installation is accelerating. Recently, Shri Vaishnaw also oversaw the first track turnout assembly near Surat HSR station, a significant milestone.

Review at BKC Station, Mumbai

Traveling from Surat to Mumbai on the Vande Bharat Express, the duo assessed the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) underground station’s development. Minister Nakano and his team commended the Vande Bharat’s quality, reflecting satisfaction with the project’s standards.

Highlights of BKC Bullet Train Station

The BKC station, a subterranean hub on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR route, has excavation work completed to over 30 meters—akin to a 10-storey structure—with 84% of the task done. It will feature three tiers: platform, concourse, and service levels, with seamless road and metro links. Entry points are planned near the Metro station and MTNL building, offering spacious, modern facilities and natural light through skylights.

Project Update (September 2025)

The 508-km corridor has 323 km of viaduct and 399 km of pier work finished. Notable achievements include 17 river bridges, 5 PSC bridges, and 9 steel bridges, with 211 km of track bed laid and over 400,000 noise barriers installed. Excavation progresses on seven Palghar tunnels, with a 5-km breakthrough in the 21-km NATM tunnel between BKC and Shilphata. Depots in Surat and Ahmedabad are under construction, and superstructure work advances at all Gujarat stations, with Maharashtra’s elevated stations also underway.

This visit underscores the deepening India-Japan collaboration on this pioneering rail venture.