Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav clarified on Friday that Vande Bharat trains will not run on the 508-kilometer Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor. Speaking to the media in Thane, the minister said that Vande Bharat and bullet train technologies are completely different. He was there to celebrate the completion of a 21-kilometer tunnel section of the bullet train project.
Vaishnav said, “Bullet trains and Vande Bharat trains operate on two different platforms.” This dismissed reports that the high-speed Vande Bharat train being developed by Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) would operate on this route.
In September 2024, the Ministry of Railways commissioned BEML to design and build India’s first Vande Bharat train, capable of speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. Many experts had predicted that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor would be suitable for this train, as this corridor is India’s only high-speed rail corridor. Bullet train being built with Japanese technology Vaishnav dismissed these speculations, stating that the bullet train project would use Japan’s E5 series Shinkansen model (known as E-10). This model would be imported under an India-Japan bilateral agreement.
The Minister stated, “A team from Japan
visited Delhi to review the project’s progress. They expressed satisfaction with the progress.”
Addressing local concerns,
Vaishnav stated that complaints of damage to some homes due to the construction work had been received. A comprehensive survey was conducted in collaboration with experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
He stated that structural cracks were observed in 78 homes, which were independently evaluated. He added, “The team has suggested several precautions for homes located within a 30-meter radius of the project.” Vaishnav stated that steps are being taken to educate local residents on safe construction practices.
The Minister stated, “I have asked the team to prepare a standard document so that people living near the tunnel have clear information about the precautions to be taken while constructing their homes.” This document will be sent to the state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat for approval and implementation.
