26 September,2025 07:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Underground station work in progress
In a move that could boost regional connectivity, there is buzz that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project may get a spur line to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). According to highly placed sources, a proposal has reportedly been submitted to the Railway Board for consideration. If approved, the spur would connect the country's first bullet train corridor with the new international airport, potentially reducing travel time for passengers travelling between Navi Mumbai and Gujarat. Railway officials, however, have not issued any formal confirmation.
Bandra Kurla Complex station excavation work being carried out. Pics/By Special Arrangement
The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL), the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up to develop and manage high-speed rail corridors in India, is currently focused on completing civil works on the main corridor, which is targeted to start partial operations in Gujarat by 2027.
If cleared, this spur could make NMIA a major intermodal transport hub, integrating air, rail, and road travel for faster passenger movement. Work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor is progressing steadily, with several key milestones achieved in recent months. In Maharashtra, excavation for the Bandra Kurla Complex station - the only underground station on the 508 km route - is nearly 75 per cent complete.
In Gujarat, construction of viaducts and steel bridges continues at pace, with nine of 17 major bridges already launched, and noise barriers being installed along long stretches of the alignment. The project, estimated at over Rs 1.08 lakh cr and funded by Japan through JICA, has already seen over R78,000 crore spent.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the first phase - between Vapi and Sabarmati - is on track to open by December 2027, with the full corridor from Mumbai to Ahmedabad expected to be commissioned by December 2029.
