Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train to be operational by 2028, says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
NEW DELHI: The much-awaited
Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train
project will be ready for operations by 2028, Maharashtra chief minister
Devendra Fadnavis
announced on Monday, while also revealing that the state aims to raise $50 billion from
international investors
to accelerate infrastructure development.
'By 2028, we will be able to travel in the bullet train,' Fadnavis said while speaking at an event on the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) project.
He acknowledged that Gujarat has made faster progress on the project and attributed delays in Maharashtra to the previous state government.
Without naming Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis said the project had suffered during the two-year rule until 2022.
'After the new government came to power, we gave necessary approvals and work started rapidly,' he added.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad
high-speed rail corridor
is being built with Japanese assistance at an estimated cost of $15 billion.
Fadnavis criticised the earlier
Maha Vikas Aghadi
(MVA) government, claiming the bullet train project was halted for two and a half years under their leadership. 'If we are investing Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000 crore on bullet trains and stopping the work for 2.5 years, who will have to bear the cost of the interest that is incurred?' he questioned.
Highlighting the state's infrastructure goals, Fadnavis said Maharashtra is targeting a $1 trillion Gross State Domestic Product (
GSDP
), and infrastructure development is crucial to achieving that. He said $30 billion was invested during his earlier term (2014–19) and larger amounts are now being deployed in key projects.
Among the major developments planned is the
Vadhavan port
, which is expected to be operational within the next 3–4 years.
Built on reclaimed land, the port will also feature an adjoining airport developed through land reclamation in the sea.
'Many major cities in the world have such airports,' Fadnavis said, asserting that the infrastructure will significantly reduce logistics costs. The port will also include a halt for the bullet train.
Fadnavis further announced that a highway from Nashik to the Vadhavan port is underway, connecting 17 districts to the new maritime hub. He also spoke about the
Shaktipeeth highway
, which aims to link Nagpur to Goa via backward regions of the state, thereby giving a push to regional economic development.
Reinforcing Maharashtra's role in the
IMEEC project
, Fadnavis assured that Mumbai and the state would create a strong enabling ecosystem. Speaking at the same event, PwC India chairperson Sanjeev Krishan said the IMEEC, when integrated with existing trade corridors, will create a 'multiplier effect' on the global economy.
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