After B28, Railways plans ‘B35 bullet train’ for high speed corridor: All about the upgrade

In a statement, the Ministry of Railways said: “Bullet train is a very ambitious project. We face certain challenges in obtaining the rolling stock from Japan. We are manufacturing the B28 right here in India. This signifies that it has been designed to operate at a speed of 280 kmph. In the initial phase, however, it will run at 250 kmph. We need to conduct the first commercial run in Surat in August 2027.”

It further stated that the tender for the signalling system – ETCS Level 2, designed to operate at speeds of 250 to 280 kmph, has been awarded.

“In this regard, the signalling system – specifically ETCS Level 2 – which is designed to operate at speeds of 250 to 280 kmph, has already had its tender awarded. We are currently in the process of installing it,” the Ministry said.

On the other hand, ‘B35’ refers to a Bharat-made bullet trainset with a design speed of 350 kmph and an operational speed of 320 kmph. “First, we will undertake the B28 project, followed by the B-35. The B35 will have a maximum speed of 350, with an operating speed of 320.

Work on this is currently underway. Wherever we have received technology transfers from Japan, we are adapting and manufacturing them indigenously,” it said.

Commenting on the development of seven new bullet train corridors, the Ministry stated: “In the current budget, sanctions have been granted for a network spanning 4,000 km. We anticipate being able to complete the construction of this infrastructure ahead of schedule.

It is our firm belief that Indian-manufactured rolling stock will be deployed across all these new routes. In this context, the Ministry of Railways is working very earnestly in collaboration with its Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). The entire system is being developed from scratch.”