New Delhi, Aug. 29 -- India's dream bullet train project is finally preparing for launch almost a decade after its foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India's first bullet train, which will run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is expected become operational from the later half of this year, Times of India reported.

As authorities prepare to launch the first leg of this project between Surat and Bilimora, the full project is expected to be completed in 2030. With train sets arriving from Japan, the project's Rs.1.1 lakh crore funding has come from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Indian Railways plans to produce the bullet trains indigenously using stainless steel as the Integral Coach Factory (ICF),...