Ahmedabad-Rajkot new rail link approved; to help Saurashtra region avail Bullet Train services

Indian Railways will set up a new Ahmedabad-Rajkot Railway Link that will allow a seamless passage for high-speed trains. The proposed rail link will also connect to the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, a report by news agency PTI citing a senior official said. Additional Chief Secretary in Gujarat Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), M K Das said approvals for the project have been granted by the Central government as well as the state government. In the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Das made an announcement regarding the new railway line project at the virtual ASSOCHAM Foundation Week programme.

According to Das, unlike Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, the new railway line will not be for a bullet train but support a significantly high-speed train in the state and allow passengers from Ahmedabad to reach Rajkot or vice-versa quickly. “This project has got in-principle approval of the Gujarat government and 10 days back, the Centre gave the same,” the report quoted Das as saying. After a virtual meeting with Piyush Goyal, the project was finalised.

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When the new railway line will be laid down, people will be able to leverage the services and avail the bullet train services from Saurashtra region in Gujarat. With the introduction of the double-track railway lines between Rajkot and Ahmedabad, the new high-speed line will allow a reduction in the travel time between the two cities. People coming from Mumbai via bullet train will also find travelling convenient. While the plans to set up Ahmedabad-Rajkot Railway Link have been finalised, Das did not discuss the cost of the project, or how much state or Central governments will contribute, or timeline for the project.

Meanwhile, work on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project has started and the railway lines for the bullet train are expected to be laid in the next three years.