This is a major boost for India and a setback for China. With this development, India is now more attractive for global companies looking to set up factories or outsource production.

The stations will be equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. Track works over viaducts have also started, and around 157 track km of RC track bed construction has been achieved so far in Gujarat.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of more heavy rainfall in the coming days. Red and orange alerts have been issued for parts of Assam, while other northeastern states remain under orange and yellow alerts.