New Delhi: A report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways stated that India’s first bullet train project, the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor will begin operations using indigenously developed Bharat-made trainsets (B28).

According to the report, the 508-km high-speed rail corridor will start services with India-manufactured bullet trains, in line with the Centre’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and reducing dependence on imports.

The first operational stretch of about 97 km between Surat and Vapi is expected to open by August 2027, with services running on locally built high-speed trains. The B28 trainsets are being designed for speeds of up to 280 kmph, and two eight-coach trainsets are currently under development by BEML in Bengaluru.

The ministry stated that development of the E10 series Shinkansen is currently underway in Japan, and therefore detailed specifications are not yet available. However, a decision has been taken to begin operations with the B28 Bharat-made trainset during the initial phase.

On the issue of cost escalation, the ministry informed the committee that the original project cost was estimated at ₹97,636 crore in December 2015, based on the feasibility report, when construction was planned largely on embankments with some viaduct sections.

However, the cost has increased due to several factors not included in the initial estimate. These include taxes and cess (₹29,330 crore), utility shifting (₹2,625 crore), station approach development (₹2,195 crore), power sourcing arrangements (₹1,250 crore), indigenous trainsets and ETCS signalling system (₹16,500 crore), ticketing systems (₹283 crore), and statutory charges related to forest clearances (₹400 crore).

The ministry also cited inflation and a rise in input costs, which have added about ₹19,084 crore since the project was sanctioned in 2015. In addition, a sharp increase in land prices, particularly in urban areas including Mumbai, has pushed the cost of land acquisition, resettlement, and rehabilitation to ₹16,695 crore.

The ministry informed the panel that the revised cost estimate of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project is currently under approval.