Maharashtra lagging behind in Bullet train progress, Gujarat frontrunner. See pics

The Ministry of Railways on Tuesday shared the progress of the Bullet Train project and informed that the overall project has progressed by 26.33%. The ministry also shared additional details about the project like a state-wise progress report, an update on the pile and pier work, trees and samplings planted in the process, etc. 

According to the ministry as of 28/02/2023, the overall Gujarat leg of the project has completed 32.93% while the Civil Works around the project in the state has progressed around 54.74%. When it comes to the Maharashtra leg of the Bullet Train project, the ministry just shared the information about the overall progress which was just 13.72%, which was considerably less than Gujarat. 

Under the project, 257.06 km of Pile Work is complete as of 28 February and 155.48 Km of Pire work is complete, according to the ministry. The progress update added that 37.64 Km of Girders were launched during the project. Ministry of Railways also planted 8,003 trees and 83,600 saplings under the Bullet Train project.

In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe initiated India's inaugural bullet train project, connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

This high-speed train will traverse the 508-kilometer route in under three hours, with a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour. The project will be financed by Japan, who will provide India with a loan of ₹88,000 crore at a negligible interest rate of 0.1%. The colossal venture is slated to be finalized by 2026.

The introduction of the bullet train is expected to have a significant positive impact on the Indian economy, contributing to the country's growing economic influence in Asia and beyond. Furthermore, over time, the technology is likely to reduce India's reliance on other countries for oil and other fuel products, thus bolstering the nation's long-term energy independence.