New Delhi, July 12 -- Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday announced that the Surat-Bilimora stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor is expected to become operational next year, marking a major milestone in India's first high-speed rail project.

Speaking at the HYSEA GCCS & IT Roundtable in Hyderabad, Vaishnaw said construction work on the country's first bullet train corridor is progressing at a fast pace. He added that the remaining sections of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will be opened gradually in a phased manner after completion.

"The first bullet train project is right now under construction between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and the progress is immense. Next year, we will start the first ...