Mumbai Ahmedabad: Under the ongoing Mission Raftar, Mumbai-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat and Shatabdi class trains are all set to achieve a speed of upto 160kmph in March 2024, following which the journey time of the train between two cities will be reduced by 30 minutes.

The initiative is part of the ongoing Mission Raftar, which is majorly focused on enhancing train speed, but Mumbai Suburban is excluded from this due to local traffic considerations and challenges in the Godhra-Ratlam Ghat section.

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Mission Raftar: A speed enhancement project

Mission Raftar aims to double the average speed of freight trains and increase the average speed of superfast, mail, and express trains by 25kmph. However, it is not pursued as a standalone project and includes comprehensive upgrades in tracks, bridges, signalling, and train collision avoidance systems.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad trains: Current scenario and length of Mumbai-Ahmedabad route

Currently, the speed between Virar and Churchgate is 100-110kmph. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad route covers a length of 491km, with travel times for Vande Bharat at 5.15 hours and Shatabdi at 6.35 hours. Through this initiative the travel time will be reduced by  nearly 30 minutes.

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Mumbai-Ahmedabad: Significant works undertaken

Several upgrades have been executed as part of the plan, including the installation of signalling and overhead equipment, replacing 52kg rails with 62kg of 90 ultimate tensile strength, increased sleeper density for track stability at higher speeds, and the replacement of manned level crossing gates with rail over bridges or subways. Additionally, all bridges have been strengthened, and there is an upgrade of signalling and traction power systems, along with the implementation of a train collision avoidance system in trains.