New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Indian Railways on Monday unveiled the design of India’s first bullet train, which will operate on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.

The Ministry of Railways showcased an image of the proposed bullet train at its office in New Delhi. In a statement, the ministry said, “A picture of the country’s first proposed bullet train has been displayed at the Ministry of Railways. The picture has been installed at Gate Number 4.”

Earlier in February, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha that the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor will pass through Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

The corridor will include 12 stations — Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.

According to the ministry, foundation work has already been completed at eight stations in Gujarat, including Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.

Construction work is currently underway at Thane, Virar and Boisar in Maharashtra, while excavation work at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station is nearing completion.

The project has also made significant progress on bridge infrastructure. Seventeen river bridges have already been completed, while work continues on four major bridges in Gujarat over the Narmada, Mahi, Tapti and Sabarmati rivers. In Maharashtra, construction is underway on four additional river bridges.

At the underground BKC station, excavation work is around 91 per cent complete. The 4.8-km under-sea tunnel section between Ghansoli and Shilphata has also been constructed.

The MAHSR project is being developed under the government’s Make in India initiative, with Integral Coach Factory in Chennai and BEML Limited in Bengaluru jointly developing train sets capable of achieving a design speed of 280 kmph.

Vaishnaw had earlier stated that the entire 1,389.5 hectares of land required for the project has been acquired in accordance with applicable laws.

Compensation has been provided to affected families under state laws and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act.

The government said rehabilitation and resettlement measures were undertaken in coordination with the governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra, along with additional benefits and solatium for affected people.

–IANS

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