Sarkhej-Dholera high speed rail project to cost less than half of Delhi-Meerut RRTS despite higher speed

Sarkhej-Dholera semi high-speed rail corridor in Gujarat will operate at speeds up to 220 kmph while costing far less per kilometre than the Delhi-Meerut RRTS, officials said.

Written by Shubham Chhabra

Updated: May 26, 2026 19:14 IST

Sarkhej-Dholera semi high-speed rail project

The Sarkhej-Dholera semi high-speed rail corrido will be Indian Railways’ first 220 kmph semi high-speed project.

India’s first semi high-speed railway corridor between Sarkhej and Dholera will cost less than half per kilometre compared to the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat RRTS, even though it is designed for higher speeds, railway officials have said.

Earlier this month, on May 13, the Union Cabinet approved the 134-km double-line Sarkhej-Dholera rail corridor at an estimated cost of around Rs 20,667 crore. The project will allow trains to run at an operational speed of 200 kmph, with a design capability of up to 220 kmph.

How Sarkhej-Dholera compares with other rail projects

Officials said the new Gujarat corridor sits between conventional railway lines and ultra-expensive high-speed systems in terms of cost. While it will be costlier than a standard railway line, it will still be much cheaper than both the Delhi-Meerut RRTS and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

Unlike the Delhi-Meerut RRTS and Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor, which use the globally common 1435 mm standard gauge tracks, the Sarkhej-Dholera corridor will run on India’s traditional 1676 mm broad gauge system.

“The construction of a conventional railway line capable of supporting speeds up to 160 kmph on 1676 mm broad gauge costs around Rs 50 crore per kilometre, including signalling systems but excluding rolling stock,” a railway official said.

“In comparison, the Ahmedabad-Dholera semi high-speed double line, designed for speeds up to 220 kmph and operating speed of 200 kmph on 1676 mm broad gauge, will cost approximately Rs 154 crore per kilometre,” the official added.

Why the Gujarat corridor is cheaper than Delhi-Meerut RRTS

According to officials, the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat RRTS corridor costs roughly Rs 336 crore per kilometre to build. Although its design speed is 180 kmph, trains operate at 160 kmph.

By contrast, the Sarkhej-Dholera line will support faster train movement at a significantly lower construction cost. Officials say the difference comes down to technology choices, land costs and engineering complexity.

“The Ahmedabad-Dholera semi high-speed corridor costs less than half of the Delhiâ€-Meerut RRTS despite offering higher speed capability because it will not require tunnels and will use the indigenous Kavach automatic train protection system, among other differences,” another official said.

“Lower land acquisition costs for the semi high-speed corridor will also contribute significantly to reducing overall expenditure,” the official added.

Officials also highlighted the role of signalling systems in pushing up costs. The Delhi-Meerut corridor uses the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level-II signalling and protection technology, which costs nearly Rs 17.74 crore per kilometre.

In comparison, India’s homegrown Kavach safety system — planned for the Sarkhej-Dholera route — costs about Rs 4.53 crore per kilometre, making it a much cheaper alternative.

Bullet train project remains India’s most expensive rail venture

Even with its higher speed capability, the Gujarat semi high-speed corridor will remain far cheaper than the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, currently India’s most expensive railway infrastructure venture.

Officials said the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor costs around Rs 358 crore per kilometre. The line is being built for trains with a design speed of 350 kmph and an operational speed of 320 kmph.