The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) is an under-construction, 508.17 km long high-speed rail line, which will be India's first "bullet train" corridor. It is a major infrastructure project designed to connect the financial hub of Mumbai, Maharashtra, with Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat. The project's origin is rooted in an international collaboration established in 2017 between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The primary problem it solves is the significant travel time between the two major economic hubs, aiming to reduce the current six-hour rail journey to approximately 2 hours and 7 minutes for the 'rapid high speed' service.
The project is managed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a 'Special Purpose Vehicle' (SPV) incorporated on February 12, 2016, under the Companies Act, 2013. NHSRCL is a joint sector company with equity participation from the Ministry of Railways, the Government of India, and the State Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The mechanism of the MAHSR involves the adoption of Japan's proven Shinkansen technology, including the use of E5 Series train sets, with a maximum operational speed of 320 km/h. The corridor, which passes through Maharashtra, Gujarat, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, will feature 12 stations. Key engineering provisions include a 21 km tunnel, of which 7 km will be India's first undersea rail tunnel beneath Thane Creek near Mumbai, and the use of the Full Span Girder Launching Technique for viaduct construction. The project is being developed with technical and financial assistance from Japan, including a 50-year loan at an interest rate of 0.1%. The MAHSR connects to the broader concept of India's railway modernization efforts and is intended to serve as a foundation for a wider national high-speed rail network, sometimes referred to as the Diamond Quadrilateral. While the initial deadline was set for August 15, 2022, the project has been amended due to delays, with the first section between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat now targeted to open in 2027, and the entire line expected to be fully operational by 2029.