B28 bullet train explained: Speed, seats and when India’s first one runs

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday (1 November) reviewed the manufacturing of India’s first home-built bullet train, the B28 or “Bharat Bullet Train”, at BEML’s Aditya plant in Bengaluru, and shared the first look of the trainset. Here is what the B28 bullet train is, what it will offer and when it may run.

“The Making of Bharat’s First Bullet Train,” Vaishnaw wrote on X, sharing a video from the BEML factory in Bengaluru.

What is the B28? It is a high-speed trainset being built in India for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor. The Ministry of Railways says the name reflects its design speed of 280 kmph. “We face certain challenges in obtaining the rolling stock from Japan. We are manufacturing the B28 right here in India,” the Ministry of Railways has said, according to The Indian Express. BEML won the contract in October 2024 from Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory to design, build and commission two trainsets, at ₹27.86 crore per car and ₹866.87 crore in all.

How fast will it go? The train has a maximum test speed of 280 kmph and will run at around 250 kmph in service.

How many people can it carry? The eight-coach train, about 202 metres long, has four motor cars and four trailer cars and seats around 557 passengers, with dedicated spaces for persons with reduced mobility. Seven standard-class coaches have 3×2 seating and one executive-class coach has 2×2 seating. Two trainsets can be coupled to form a 16-coach train.

What is on board? Displays with information in English, Hindi and regional languages, automated announcements, emergency talk-back units and a Wi-Fi infotainment system with preloaded content. There will be ergonomic seats, wide windows, charging points, overhead luggage racks and bio-digester toilets. For Divyangjan passengers, the floor is level with the platform, with retractable footsteps, wheelchair-friendly doors and Braille signage. The train runs on 25 kV AC traction, uses regenerative braking and has an aerodynamic design meant to cut noise.

What did Vaishnaw see? He reviewed carbody fabrication, underframe, sidewall and roof assembly, and watched a “squeeze test”, in which the carbody is subjected to controlled compressive and tensile forces to check its strength and rigidity. He also inspected the seats, air-conditioning system and couplers, according to an official release.

When will it run? BEML aims to roll out the prototype by early next year, and the ministry has said the first train is likely to be ready in the first quarter of 2027. It will then be tested at the Surat depot. The Railways plan to start India’s first bullet train service on the 97-km Surat–Vapi stretch, targeted for August 2027.