"First Bullet Train Section In India By": Railway Minister's Big Update

Mr Vaishnaw also provided updates on the Gajraj system - a technology to stop collisions between elephants and trains.

The first bullet train section in India - a 50km stretch between Bilimora and Surat in Gujarat - will be completed in August 2026, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Wednesday, as he announced multiple plans to overhaul the country's rail network and services. Mr Vaishnaw also spoke about the Kavach system - an indigenously developed warning system to guard against on-track collisions that made headlines after a horrific accident in Odisha's Balasore in June killed nearly 300 people. Progress of Bullet Train project:Till date: 21.11.2023Pillars: 251.40 KmElevated super-structure: 103.24 Km pic.twitter.com/SKc8xmGnq2 #MAHSR River Bridges are in various stages of construction. Have a look at bullet speed. pic.twitter.com/qZW8EYb1JD

Mr Vaishnaw also provided updates on technology - the Gajraj system - to stop collisions between elephants and trains, and building more tracks to better connect different parts of the country.

The Railways Minister also said the number of new trains in India had increased from before the pandemic - from 1,768 mail/express services to 2,124 now, and from 5,626 suburban services to 5,774 now. Passenger trains, he said had increased from 2,792 to 2,856 in the same period.