Bhubaneswar to New Delhi in under six hours, Vizag under five? Indian Railways’ bullet train push brings new hope for Odisha

India is gearing up for a major shift in how the nation moves. With the first Shinkansen bullet trains now undergoing trials in Japan for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, a future of rapid rail travel seems more tangible than ever. While Odisha isn’t part of the inaugural corridor, the ripple effect of this breakthrough could soon place cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Puri on India’s high-speed rail map.

India’s First Bullet Train Takes Shape in Japan

The bullet trains, part of the India-Japan collaboration under the MAHSR project, mark a historic first for Indian Railways.

🚨 India's first-ever bullet train, Shinkansen, is undergoing trials in Japan. pic.twitter.com/k4hf82Vepb

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Trial runs of two Shinkansen train sets, one each from Japan’s E5 and E3 series, are underway in Japan to test their performance under various climate and terrain conditions. These trains are capable of speeds up to 320 km/h and are expected to arrive in India by early 2026 for further testing on Indian soil.

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A Glimpse into Odisha’s High-Speed Future

While the current project is limited to western India, success there is expected to accelerate the nationwide expansion of bullet train corridors. If Odisha is included in future phases, the implications would be profound.

The travel time between Bhubaneswar and New Delhi, currently 27 to 30 hours by conventional train, could be reduced to under six hours. Similarly, the journey to Visakhapatnam could come down from nearly seven hours to less than five.

A high-speed rail link to Kolkata could bring down the travel duration to around two hours and forty-five minutes. Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru, which currently takes over 24 hours, could become a manageable five-and-a-half-hour ride. Reaching Hyderabad may take just over four hours, and Chennai around four and a half.

Transforming Odisha’s Regional Mobility

Within Odisha, the impact would be just as revolutionary. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack could become a single, hyper-connected urban zone, with travel between the two cities taking no more than fifteen minutes. Reaching Puri from Bhubaneswar could take just twenty minutes, making religious, cultural, and beach tourism far more accessible. Journeys to Balasore might take just over an hour, while Berhampur could be reached in under fifty minutes.

This level of connectivity would reshape not just travel but daily life. Professionals and students could easily commute across cities.

Local tourism would see an unprecedented boom, especially for pilgrim hubs like Puri and architectural marvels like Konark. Industries and exporters would benefit from faster freight movements, and Odisha’s IT and service sectors could attract talent from across India without relocation barriers.

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Though Odisha’s bullet train dreams remain hypothetical for now, the progress made with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor sets a solid precedent. With trials underway and India expected to receive the first trainsets in 2026, the groundwork is being laid not just in concrete and steel, but in policy and vision.