Overview

• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw oversaw the breakthrough between Ghansoli and Shilphata, a segment within a 21 km underground stretch that includes a 7 km section beneath Thane Creek.
• Officials reiterated the phased timeline: Surat–Bilimora service by December 2027, extension to Thane in 2028, and full operations to Mumbai’s BKC by 2029.
• Initial services are planned every 30 minutes, moving to 20 minutes and then 10 minutes at maturity, with end‑to‑end travel time targeted at about two hours seven minutes.
• Vaishnaw said Vande Bharat trains will not run on the corridor and that imported next‑generation E10 Shinkansen sets are planned for operations.
• Indian crews are undergoing hands‑on Shinkansen training in Japan, while TBMs are being readied for the remaining tunnelling and project officials report extensive viaducts, bridges and noise barriers already in place.