The much anticipated Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project is nearly midway mark—48.5 per cent. Of the total estimated cost of over ₹ 1 lakh crore, the railways have already spent nearly ₹ 71,000 crores so far. The overall cost may escalate further after all the projects are awarded, a parliamentary panel noted, asking the ministry to address “potential bottlenecks to avoid cost overruns and ensure the project stays on track.”
The parliament standing committee asked the railways to expand the indigenous manufacturing of Shinkansen technology components under the Make-in-India initiative to support the long-term sustainability of the high-speed rail operations.
The deadline for completing the project is 2030.
The standing committee on railways headed by Lok Sabha MP CM Ramesh said that the railway ministry should focus on completing the MAHSR Project as a benchmark for future high-speed rail initiatives in India. Currently, the detailed project reports of seven more such high speed corridors have been prepared.
"The total cost of MAHSR project was estimated at ₹ 1,08,000 crores and an expenditure of ₹ 71,116 crores has been incurred so far on the project as in January 2025 and the overall physical progress stands at 48.55 per cent," the panel reported tabled in the parliament on Monday said.
The committee recommended that feasibility studies be conducted, and “innovative financing models may be explored, and funding may be secured” before sanctioning new corridors.
Giving details of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad project, the committee noted that the project has achieved significant progress, with 100% land acquisition completed and all civil contracts awarded. The railways officials informed the committee that the workforce training was underway, with core staff training in Japan and additional training at the HighSpeed Rail Training Institute in Vadodara. “Shinkansen is a specialized technology of Japan and some components under Make-in-India Policy are also being utilized.”
The committee recommended the Ministry expedite the finalization of remaining contract packages and associated works to ensure timely completion of the MAHSR Project.
The panel also noted that the Railways' net earnings have remained marginal for the last three years, with a projected net revenue of ₹ 3,041.31 crore for 2025-26 and lower passenger revenue (₹ 92,800 crore) compared to freight revenue (₹ 1,88,000 crore).
To boost passenger earnings, the committee urged the railways ministry to explore “alternative avenues to boost passenger revenues by including service-based revenue generation, improved onboard amenities” thereby increasing of passenger base by allowing passenger transition from road and air transport to more sustainable railway alternatives.
As the railways ‘operating ratio’ has continuously been above 98 per cent, the committee also asked the ministry to take proactive measures to improve the operating ratio by enhancing revenue generation and controlling working expenses.
The panel also took stock of the redevelopment of railway stations. The committee observed that 1,337 stations have been identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and out of these, tenders for development works have been awarded and works are in progress at 1,202 stations. However, the committee expressed concern that only one station had been upgraded against the target of 453 stations during 2024-25 (as of December 2024).
To address delays, the committee “desired” the ministry to establish a dedicated task force for better project oversight and coordination among stakeholders and early engagement with local representatives and state governments to reduce bureaucratic delays.
The committee further recommended that the redevelopment of stations under the scheme should focus on improving crowd management to prevent any untoward incidents.
