Ahmedabad, (Gujarat) [India], March 1 (ANI): Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the Ahmedabad Railway Station Redevelopment Project on Saturday and announced that 360 km of the Bullet Train project has been completed, with the Maharashtra section making significant progress.

He mentioned that the two-and-a-half-year delay caused by permission issues with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is being addressed.

'The work of almost 360 km of the Bullet Train has been completed, and the loss of two and a half years that we had due to the permission denied by (Uddhav) Thackeray, we are trying to make up that as well,' said Vaishnaw.

He further added that the Maharashtra section of the Bullet Train is progressing well, with 'almost 2 km of the undersea tunnel ready'.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, on Saturday, inspected the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project for the 'first time' and praised the initiative as a key step toward India's infrastructural development.

Bittu said the project, part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a modern railway network, has employed nearly one lakh people.

Speaking to the media, Bittu expressed admiration for the project's execution. 'I am visiting here for the first time. This is PM Modi's vision. The idea that he has is great, and the vision that he has made is very good.... One lakh people have got employment...This is a great project...'

'High-speed rail is needed for the world, and this project is leading India towards 'Vikshit Bharat, ' aligning with the vision of PM Modi. The work pace in Gujarat is good however, in Maharashtra, it is taking some extra time because some works of land acquisition are to be done.'

Further praising the officials for the fast pace of work they are doing, Bittu said, 'A span of 40 meters of the bridge is being constructed in just 16 hours, so with this, you can imagine the pace of the construction works.

The Bullet Train project, developed in partnership with Japan, is a major step towards the country's infrastructure development. It is expected to boost regional connectivity, economic development, and employment in the western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The MAHSR project, connecting business hubs such as Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad, passes through high-growth regions in Gujarat and Maharashtra. The total sanctioned cost of the project is Rs 1,08,000 crore. (ANI)