NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): On Wednesday, the railways minister announced that the Surat-Bilmora stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train will be commissioned by August 2026.Â
Announcement
The announcement was made while the railways minister addressed the plans to overhaul the country’s rail network and services. The railways minister also briefed about the latest technologies being developed by Indian Railways: the Kavach System, Gajaraj System, etc.Â
Latest Updates on MAHSR Corridor
As per the latest reports, the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) Station has already achieved nearly 15% development, with NHSRCL deploying nearly six bridges in Gujarat. Bridges have been built over six rivers of Gujarat:
- Par River (Valsad District)
- Purna River (Navsari District)
- Mindhola River (Navsari District)
- Ambika River (Navsari District)
- Auranga River (Valsad District)
- Venganiya River (Navsari District)
NHSRCL has already completed 100 Km of Viaducts & 250 km (s) of pier erection for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project. The reinforced concrete (RC) track bed laying has already begun in Surat.  Â
Major Development in Railways
The railways minister also touched upon various developments that the railways have made in 2-3 years, particularly after the COVID outbreak. Railways is undergoing a massive transformation that has paved the way for the Amrit Bharat stations scheme and the development of state-of-the-art technologies like the Kavach & Gjaraj System.
Kavach System: A safety system for trains that automatically applies brakes if the driver doesn’t, ensuring the train stays within set speed limits. It’s designed to enhance safety by taking action when needed.
Gajaraj System: A system that alerts the loco pilot of any suspicious activity on or near the rail track to prevent collision with animals.
Moreover, the number of new trains in India has increased since the pandemic as
- Mail/express services- from 1,768 to 2,124
- Suburban services – from 5,626 to 5,77
- Passenger trains- from 2,792 to 2,856
Cumulatively, the Railways has served nearly 640 Crore Passengers in 2022-23, while it aims to serve 750 Crore passengers in 2023-24.
MAHSR Corridor
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway (MAHSR) is India’s initial high-speed train route connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad. It is expected to cost around 1.08 lakh crore. The central government has agreed to contribute ₹10,000 crore, and Gujarat and Maharashtra will contribute ₹5,000 crore each. The remaining funds will be obtained through a loan from Japan at a meagre 0.1% interest rate.
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