Surat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his one-day visit to Home-State Gujarat on 15th of November met the core engineering and technical team of India’s first bullet train project during his recent visit to Surat, taking stock of the project’s progress and urging the creation of a comprehensive “blue book” to chronicle the innovations and lessons learned.

During his interaction, the Prime Minister opened the discussion with a direct question about project speed, timelines, and challenges. Team members assured him that the work was progressing smoothly and on schedule, with one member stating that they were facing “no difficulties”.

The session brought forward the diverse backgrounds and contributions of the team. A woman engineer, originally from Kerala and currently posted in Navsari, described her role in the Section Two Noise Barrier Factory. She explained that she oversees a robotic unit where rebar for the noise barriers is welded using fully automated systems. Calling the experience “a dream”, she said the work “will be very useful” for the country and is a proud moment for her family.

Prime Minister Modi praised such commitment, noting that the pride felt by engineers building India’s first bullet train is akin to the emotions experienced during the launch of India’s early space missions. He remarked that true dedication comes from the feeling, “I am working for my country” and “I am giving the country something new.”

Shruti, a Lead Engineering Manager responsible for Design and Engineering Control, outlined the project’s methodical approach. She said the team evaluates “pros and cons” at every stage of execution. If a step does not yield the expected results, they first attempt a fix, and if that does not work, they explore an “alternate solution”. This step-by-step problem-solving process, she added, ensures that the project progresses without compromise.

Impressed by the team’s experiences, PM Modi directed the creation of a detailed “blue book” capturing every major decision, challenge, solution, and alternative considered during the project. He said this record would be vital as India prepares to take bullet train technology nationwide. “We will not want every person to experiment anew,” he emphasized, adding that future projects must benefit from the knowledge gained in Gujarat. The document, he noted, would be equally valuable for students and young engineers.

The team expressed enthusiasm for the Prime Minister’s vision, responding with heartfelt messages such as, “May your every dream come true,” and “May the name of the country remain high again and again.” They described the bullet train as both their identity and an achievement shared with the Prime Minister.

Concluding the interaction, the team reiterated their commitment: they neither seek fame nor reward — only the satisfaction of seeing India progress. DeshGujarat