India’s first ‘swadeshi’ bullet train to roll out by April 2027

BENGALURU: India's first indigenously designed ‘bullet train' or high-speed train is set to be rolled out by April 2027 and will serve the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.On Saturday, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated ‘Aditya', a dedicated high-speed rail manufacturing complex at BEML's Tippasandra campus in Bengaluru. The facility is purpose-built to support production of the B-28 trainsets, which form the backbone of India's "swadeshi" high-speed rakes. The ‘Aditya' manufacturing facility will have an annual capacity of around 100 coaches. Speaking to TOI after inspecting the facility, Vaishnaw said B-28 trainsets are being jointly designed by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and BEML, with the design now completed and validated."The facility is ready, and manufacturing will commence shortly," he said, adding that the first trainset is expected to be rolled out around March-April 2027. Vaishnaw said detailed project report (DPR) for the Bengaluru-Chennai High-Speed Rail Corridor is almost complete, marking significant progress in India's next phase of ‘bullet train' expansion, after the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor. Vaishnaw said the Bengaluru-Chennai high-speed route is expected to cut travel time to just 73 minutes, while the Bengaluru-Hyderabad corridor could reduce travel time to around two hours. The minister said the BEML project marks a significant technological leap for India. "We are steadily moving up the learning curve. High-speed rail involves highly complex construction technology and demands extremely high precision in manufacturing. Safety requirements have to be very strong, too," he noted. The minister said the first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor is nearing completion, with nearly 80% of the work already done. "Work will be completed by the end of this year, and the stretch is expected to be commissioned in 2027," he said. He added that one more trainset will come from Japan. BEML Limited was awarded a contract worth Rs 866.9 crore by ICF for the design, manufacture, and commissioning of two indigenous high-speed trainsets. The trainsets will feature a fully air-conditioned chair-car configuration, equipped with modern passenger amenities, including reclining and rotatable seats, onboard infotainment systems and other facilities. Bengaluru-Pune-Mumbai Link Responding to demand for a Bengaluru-Pune-Mumbai high-speed rail link, Vaishnaw said it is also under consideration. "At present, one high-speed rail project is under construction, while seven more are planned. In the long term, we are targeting a network of about 7,000 km," he said. The minister said building an indigenous, "Atmanirbhar" ‘bullet train' ecosystem is central to this expansion. He noted that India has developed its own intellectual property for the B-28 trainset and is working to establish a domestic supply chain for such complex systems.