The hurdles faced by India’s bullet train project have now eased as the tunnel boring machine stuck in a Chinese port has been cleared to be shipped and will arrive in India on September 24. As per reports, the tunnelling work for the underground stretch will now begin in January 2026.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated that the first phase on the Surat-Billimora section up to Thane will be completed in 2027 while the section upto BKC is expected to be ready by 2028.
India’s ambitious bullet train project has been facing hurdles for months as three TBMs were stuck in Chinese ports due to lack of customs clearance from authorities in China.
These machines, crafted specifically for India, were constructed in Guangzhou by German tunnelling expert Herrenknecht and are crucial to the 21-kilometre subterranean portion of the route from Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Shilphata. China signalled the shipment clearance before PM Modi’s visit to China for the SCO summit earlier in August.
