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DELHI (Metro Rail News): India will develop its own bullet train with a design speed of 350 kmph by 2030, according to the Railway Ministry’s proposal to the Union Cabinet. The plan is designed to bring India’s proposed train in a similar speed category to Japan’s next-generation E10 series Shinkansen,which Japan also plans to put into production around the same time.
This is the second step in India’s high-speed rail programme. The first step is a 280-kmph train called the B28, which is already being built. The upcoming 350-kmph train is called the B35.
India’s first Indigenous Bullet Train
The B28 will be India’s first home-made bullet train. It will be developed by BEML Limited, a state-owned company based in Bengaluru, together with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. The B28 has a design speed of 280 kmph, but when services begin it will initially run at 249 kmph. BEML has received contracts for 47 of these trains. Two prototypes are expected to be ready for trials in the first quarter of 2027.
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The B35 will be a more advanced train, its design speed of 350 kmph matches the top design speed of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which manages India’s first bullet train project, has already started assessing the capability of train manufacturers to build a 350 kmph train. The 350 kmph will match the top design speed set for India’s high-speed rail network. The B35 is proposed for future high-speed rail corridors. The B35 is intended to become the standard train for a group of seven additional high-speed rail corridors, covering close to 4,000 km across the country.
Japan’s next-generation E10 Bullet Train
Japan’s E10 series is the next model in its famous Shinkansen bullet train family, built by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is still under development and is scheduled to enter production in 2030. The E10 could be considered for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor once it becomes available, but only in the early 2030’s, because the train will not be ready before then.
B28 Bullet Train set for 2027, B35 targets 2020
The two bullet train programmes are moving on similar timelines but at different stages. India’s B28 programme is already underway, with manufacturing of the B28 prototype underway and trials are planned for 2027. The B35 is targeted for 2030, and its development is still at the capability-assessment stage. Japan is also planning to begin the production of its E10 bullet train in 2030, while the trains are expected to start services by 2034 as reported by Economic Times.
There is also a sequencing difference. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor will be opened first, in 2027, using India’s own B28 trains, because the E10 will not enter production until the early 2030s. Japan’s trains will join the corridor later. In effect, India’s home-grown programme fills the gap left by the E10’s development timeline, while Japan’s newest train remains part of the project’s long term plan.
From assembly to design
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor has received Union Cabinet approval for its revised cost. The first section, between Surat and Bilimora, is expected to open in 2027. The Railways also plans to start B28 bullet train operations on the Surat-Vapi section in August 2027.
If the project progresses as planned, this section could give India’s B28 its first commercial run. The government plans to open the remaining sections in phases. This phased opening will also support India’s plans to develop 350-kmph high-speed trains under the B35 programme by 2030.
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