The bullet train authorities may have scored a major victory by finally getting the Palghar villagers to give their land for the project, but this triumph has come late in the day. Due to delays in land acquisition in Maharashtra, the first trial run may only take place on a 50-km stretch between Surat and Bilimora.

Trial runs usually happen in longer distances, but due to the delays, the state might not be ready in time for the test runs in 2022. However, officials have said that this is only the worst case scenario, in case of any further delay. "We are sure that we will be able to acquire all the required land by December 2019, and that there will no more delays," said Dhananjay Kumar, spokesperson of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).