Mumbai may get maglev

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Mumbai, Dec 17: Mumbaikars, who have to endure an agonising commute in crowded suburban trains every day, could soon find relief in the form of state-of-the-art magnetic levitation (or, maglev) trains running at speeds of up to 300 kmph.

As a first step, six bidders on Monday filed expressions of interest with the Maharashtra government for appointment as consultants for the mega project. The bidders are: Louis Berger Group in association with Reliance Industries Ltd-promoted Urban Infrastructure Development Company; KPMG; Vossing (Germany); TÜV SÜD South Asia; Rohit Gupta & Associates; and Bhobe & Associates.

The consultants will be appointed to carry out a feasibility study and help the state government prepare the bidding document for the project, the cost for which has been varyingly estimated at Rs 8,000-30,000 crore.

A senior state government official told FE: “The state government intends to develop a high-speed rail system in the state. The state is spread over 3 lakh sq km. The proposed high-speed rail is for six routes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), including potential maglev lines. The distances for each route would be between 20 km and 50 km. Besides, a passenger-cum-freight railway corridor between Mumbai and Nagpur, a distance of 1,000 km, is also part of the project.

Government officials, however, emphasise these cost figures are just estimates. The consultants would furnish the final cost estimates and submit a feasibility report. The project will be developed on a build-operate-transfer basis.

“The Mumbai-Nagpur corridor is being planned because at Nagpur, the state government has undertaken the development of a multi-crore, multi-cargo hub,” the official said. He added that state finance minister Jayant Patil conceived the original plan and, subsequently, the state Cabinet had given its clearance for the project to be taken forward.

Experts say a maglev train would typically cost Rs 100-300 crore per km. In China, a maglev train operates on a 30-km line that connects Pudong Shanghai International Airport with the Shanghai Lujiazui financial district. The five-section train achieves a top speed of 501 kmph. The Transrapid test facility in Germany is designed for 550 kmph.