The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Corridor is an under-construction, 508-kilometer-long high-speed rail line, which will be India's first "bullet train" project, connecting Mumbai, Maharashtra, with Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is a major infrastructure scheme designed to drastically reduce the travel time between the two economic hubs from the current six to eight hours to approximately 2 hours and 7 minutes for the rapid service.
The project's origin traces back to a joint feasibility study agreed upon in September 2013 between India and Japan. The foundation stone was laid on September 14, 2017, by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe. The problem it solves is the need for faster, safer, and more efficient inter-city connectivity to boost regional economic growth.
The mechanism involves the use of Japan's Shinkansen technology, including the E5 Series rolling stock, with a design speed of 350 km/h and an operational speed of 320 km/h. The route, which passes through 12 stations, is largely elevated, with a unique 21 km tunnel section near Mumbai, including a 7 km undersea segment beneath Thane Creek. The project is being implemented by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) incorporated in January 2016 with equity participation from the Ministry of Railways and the state governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The MAHSR connects to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is providing a substantial loan for the project, covering about 81 percent of the estimated ₹1.1 lakh crore cost. The project also connects to the "Make in India" initiative through technology transfer and is intended to serve as a template for a future national high-speed rail network. The original completion deadline of August 15, 2022, was not met due to land acquisition and other hurdles. The project has changed recently, with the first operational section between Surat and Vapi/Bilimora now targeted to open in August 2027, and the full line expected to be operational by 2029.