Ahmedabad-Dholera Rail & Expressway: Latest Progress Update

The Ahmedabad-Dholera growth corridor has just cleared two of its biggest infrastructure milestones. The Union Cabinet has approved a ₹20,667 crore semi-high-speed rail line, while the parallel expressway connecting the two regions is in its final stretch of construction. Together, these projects are set to redefine how quickly Ahmedabad, Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), and Bhavnagar are connected.

On May 13, 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Ahmedabad (Sarkhej)-Dholera Semi High-Speed Double Line rail project. The corridor will run roughly 134 km and is being built with indigenous technology, making it India's first project of its kind. Trains are designed to touch 220 kmph, with operational speeds expected around 200 kmph, cutting the Sabarmati-Dholera travel time to about 48 minutes. The line will connect Ahmedabad to the Dholera SIR, the upcoming Dholera International Airport, and the Lothal National Maritime Heritage Complex, with a completion target of 2030-31.

The scale of impact goes beyond travel time. According to project details, the new railway line will directly connect 284 villages, with around 5 lakh people expected to benefit from the improved transport access. The corridor has been planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, positioning it as a logistics-efficiency project as much as a passenger one.

While the rail line is still years from completion, the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway is nearly there. The 108-109 km, four-lane greenfield expressway (expandable to 12 lanes) links Sardar Patel Ring Road near Sarkhej to Adhelai village in Bhavnagar district, passing directly through Dholera SIR. As of December 2025, work was reported at approximately 98% completion, with finishing activities such as bitumen laying, lane marking, and signage underway across most stretches. Key interchanges, including the Pipli (Diamond) Interchange that will serve as the access point for the upcoming Dholera International Airport, have already been completed.

A Press Information Bureau report notes that the expressway has been opened to the public for testing purposes, allowing commuters to experience faster travel while final operational readiness is assessed. One frequent traveller between Gandhinagar and Bhavnagar said, "Reaching Dholera from Ahmedabad now takes just 45 minutes, which is extremely important." A resident of Pipli village near the corridor added that the expressway has changed how his family relates to the city, since the drive that once felt distant now feels local.

The expressway's near-completion and the rail project's Cabinet approval arrive at a time when Dholera SIR is scaling up rapidly on the industrial side, anchored by large investments including Tata Group's semiconductor plant. The Dholera International Airport is also progressing in parallel, with construction reported at around 80% completion and operations targeted for later in 2026.

For homebuyers and investors tracking this corridor, the message is consistent: connectivity that once existed only on paper is now visibly under construction on the ground. Mahindra has an established footprint in the wider Ahmedabad industrial ecosystem through Origins by Mahindra World City, an industrial park off the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway within the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor influence zone, reflecting the group's long-term confidence in Gujarat's growth corridors.