FM: Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train to be actively pursued

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Parliament before presenting the Union Budget 2020-21 in the Lok Sabha, in New Delhi. Picture/ PTI

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday that high-speed trains between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will be actively pursued.

There is also a proposal to set up large solar panel capacities alongside railway tracks, she said while presenting the Union Budget for 2020-21. "More Tejas type trains will connect iconic destinations," she added.

Sitharaman said the government will undertake redevelopment of stations and trains through public-private partnerships. Besides, another project to connect Bengaluru and Chennai by train is underway.

In July last year, the government had informed Rajya Sabha that Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR), also known as Bullet Train Project, has been sanctioned with a target to be completed by 2023.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates