New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday said the entire Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project is likely to be completed by Dec 2029, with the section falling in Gujarat to be completed by Dec 2027.This comes months after Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that he expected the entire bullet train corridor to be operational by 2028. Interestingly, while the Centre has maintained that the timeline for the country’s first high-speed train project has been pushed back due to delay in land acquisition and forest clearance for the Maharashtra section, there is delay in work on the Gujarat portion as well.In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the railway ministry submitted that the Vapi-Sabarmati section in Gujarat is “planned to be completed by Dec, 2027” and the entire Maharashtra to Sabarmati section “is expected to be completed by Dec, 2029”. The foundation stone for the project was laid in Sep 2017.It added that since the project is very complex and technology-intensive, “Exact timelines for the completion of the project can be reasonably ascertained after the completion of all associated works of civil structures, track, electrical, signaling and telecommunication and supply of trainsets”.The 508-km corridor with 12 stations is being executed with technical and financial assistance from the Japanese govt. Though the project cost has increased significantly due to the delay, the ministry told the lower House that the total estimated cost is around Rs 1.1 lakh crore. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 81% of the project cost and the balance 19% is being funded through equity contribution from railways (50%) and the two states of Maharashtra and Gujarat (50%).Till June end, around Rs 78,839 crore had been spent on the project. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHRSCL) is yet to bid out two of the 28 tender packages.The ministry said that 392 km of pier construction, 329 km of girder casting and 308 km of girder launching have been completed so far. Work on the undersea tunnel (21 km) has also started.
