WATCH: Ahmedabad to Mumbai bullet train route

The preparations to inaugurate the bullet train project are going on in full swing in Ahmedabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Japanese counterpart  Shinzo Abe will commence the project on Thursday(September 14).

The bullet train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai will cover a 508km long route with around 11 stops when it is finally completed.

The project is being funded by the Japanese government for a loan at 0.1 per cent interest that will be recovered over a period of 50 years.

According to the plan, 92 per cent of the route will be on elevated land, 6 per cent will be underground and only 2 per cent will be on the ground.

The government intends to complete the first leg on August 15, 2022. However, it may take as long as 2023 for the train to start.

The expenditure for the project is 1.08 lakh crore ($17 billion) and it will employ a total of 24,000 people, reports say. Nearly 20,000 people will be temporarily involved while 4,000 people will get permanent employment through the project.

The travel time for the bullet train between Mumbai to Ahmedabad is said to be 3 hours if the train halts at all designated stations. In the other route, where the train will not stop at all stations, the bullet train is expected to cover the distance in 2 hours.

A flight from Ahmedabad to Mumbai takes about one hour. Including the check-in and check-out process, that takes roughly about one hour, the bullet train will be able to compete with flights.

It is expected to ease travel hassles, especially for business travellers. An estimated 5,000 business travellers take the route between the two cities everyday.

The bullet train, with 20 coaches, will have a capacity to carry 750 people. The fare is expected to be between Rs 3000-3500.

If the construction is timely completed and the project proves to be a success, the government intends to implement similar bullet trains connecting Delhi with Kolkata, Haridwar, Varanasi, and Agra.