Pune, 18th June 2026: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said that the first phase of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is expected to become operational next year and will significantly reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune to just 48 minutes.
He added that India now possesses the capability and expertise to build world-class bullet train infrastructure.
The minister was in Pune to inaugurate the Pune–Shirdi Express at Pune Railway Station and the Hadapsar–Danapur train service at Hadapsar Railway Station. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, MLA Vivek Kolhe, and Central Railway General Manager Rajiv Srivastava were among those present. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other dignitaries joined the event virtually.
Speaking on Pune’s railway development plans, Vaishnaw said the Railway Ministry is not only expanding Pune Railway Station but is also increasing the capacity of nearby stations. As part of this effort, a Mega Coaching Terminal costing around ₹700 crore will be built at Alandi.
The project is expected to increase the number of trains originating from Pune while reducing pressure on the city’s main railway station.
He said modernization work at Pune Railway Station and suburban stations is progressing on a war footing, with a target to complete the projects within the next 1,000 days. The redevelopment plan includes the construction of six new platforms, a third entry gate for passengers, and the replacement of the old Route Relay Interlocking (RRI) system with an advanced digital control system.
Highlighting the impact of high-speed rail, Vaishnaw said the Mumbai–Pune Bullet Train corridor would effectively transform the two cities into twin urban centres by bringing them within 48 minutes of each other. Initially, bullet train services are expected to operate once every hour, with the frequency later increasing to every 15 to 30 minutes.
He also said that future high-speed rail connectivity could reduce travel time between Pune and Hyderabad to just over two hours. Meanwhile, work on the third and fourth railway lines between Pune and Lonavala and between Karjat and Mumbai is expected to begin soon, further strengthening rail connectivity in the region.
