India’s high-speed rail (HSR) programme, better known as the bullet train project, is building a national network of dedicated corridors for trains running at up to 320 km/h. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) leads the work. It starts with the Mumbai to Ahmedabad corridor and grows into a planned web of routes linking India’s major economic centres. This page tracks every HSR corridor, with what is under construction, what is approved and what is proposed, plus the news as it lands.
High-speed rail corridors at a glance
Each corridor links to its full Metro Rail News profile with route, alignment, cost and current status.
Mumbai–Ahmedabad HSR
ProposedDelhi–Ahmedabad HSR
ProposedDelhi–Varanasi HSR
ProposedDelhi–Amritsar HSR
ProposedMumbai–Nagpur HSR
ProposedMumbai–Hyderabad HSR
ProposedChennai–Mysore HSR
ProposedVaranasi–Howrah HSR
ProposedHyderabad–Bangalore HSR
ProposedNagpur–Varanasi HSR
ProposedPatna–Guwahati HSR
ProposedAmritsar–Jammu HSR
What counts as high-speed rail
High-speed rail means dedicated, fully grade-separated corridors engineered for sustained speeds of 250 km/h and above. That puts it in a different class from conventional railways, from metro, and even from the 160 km/h Regional Rapid Transit System. India’s corridors are designed for an operating speed of 320 km/h and a maximum design speed of 350 km/h, on standard-gauge ballastless slab track, using Japanese Shinkansen technology transferred through an India and Japan partnership.
Mumbai to Ahmedabad: India’s first bullet train
The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor is the flagship. It is a 508 km line connecting Mumbai, Thane, Vapi, Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad, with an undersea tunnel section near Mumbai and elevated viaducts across Gujarat and Maharashtra. Built on Shinkansen E-series trainset technology, it will cut the Mumbai to Ahmedabad journey from more than six hours to around two. Viaducts, stations and track works are progressing, and the corridor sets the template for everything that follows.
The wider HSR network
Detailed project reports cover a series of corridors radiating from Delhi, Mumbai and other hubs. They include Delhi–Varanasi, Delhi–Ahmedabad, Delhi–Amritsar, Mumbai–Nagpur, Mumbai–Hyderabad, Chennai–Mysore and Varanasi–Howrah. Taken together, they would join India’s largest cities into a single high-speed grid over the coming decades.
Who is building it
NHSRCL runs the programme. It is a special purpose vehicle jointly owned by the Government of India, through the Ministry of Railways, and the participating state governments. Its remit covers land acquisition, civil works, systems, rolling stock and eventual operations, with Japanese technical and financial support.
Latest high-speed rail news
The stories below refresh on their own as we publish: contract awards, viaduct and tunnel milestones, station progress, and rolling-stock and technology decisions across the corridors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the status of India’s bullet train?
The Mumbai to Ahmedabad corridor is India’s first bullet train and is under construction, with viaducts, stations and track works progressing. It is the first of several planned HSR corridors.
How fast will Indian high-speed trains run?
The corridors are designed for an operating speed of 320 km/h, with a maximum design speed of 350 km/h.
Who is building India’s high-speed rail?
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), using Japanese Shinkansen technology on the Mumbai to Ahmedabad line.
How is HSR different from RRTS and Namo Bharat?
HSR is intercity rail at 320 km/h on dedicated corridors. RRTS, branded Namo Bharat, is regional rail at 160 km/h connecting a city with its surrounding region. See our Namo Bharat and RRTS guide.