India is hoping to launch its first bullet train service within ‘a few years’ with planning currently underway for a 7,000 kilometer-long network. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared details about the project during his ongoing visit to Japan on Friday — welcoming ‘active participation’ from Japanese companies for the massive undertaking. The remarks came even as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu vowed on Friday that bullet train connectivity would soon connect key cities in south India.
‘Within a few years…’
“The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project is a flagship project between India and Japan. We are aiming to have the passenger services start in a few years’ time. While the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project is on its way, we have unveiled a bigger ambition: to have a 7,000-kilometer-long network of high-speed rail in our country,” Modi told Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.
He had also made note of the project while addressing the India-Japan Economic Forum in Tokyo — hailing the unprecedented progress made by India in next generation mobility, and logistics infrastructure. Modi noted that Indian ports had doubled their capacity over the past decade while the number of airports crossed 160 and metro lines of a 1,000 km were built. The Prime Minister added that work also remains underway on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail in cooperation with Japan.
Survey launched as locals flag ‘cracks’
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited executing the multi-billion dollar Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project on Friday said a survey has begun after cracks were reported in certain structures along the construction route in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.The NHSRCL said “controlled blasting” was underway in the area under the supervision of district authorities and in the presence of local villagers to ensure transparency and safety.
According to an official statement from the NHSRCL, a technical team has been mobilised to assess the situation and determine the cause of the damage. The survey team has already scrutinised nearly 300 structures and its findings will inform the subsequent course of action. The 508-kilometre Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project involves extensive tunnelling, blasting, and advanced civil engineering works.
New bullet train corridors being planned?
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed last month that the NHSRCL had started preparing Detailed Project Reports for expanding the Indian bullet train network. The National Rail Plan had also mentioned several tentative routes where such a rail network could be developed — including Delhi-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Varanasi, Mumbai-Nagpur, Mumbai-Hyderabad, Chennai-Mysore, Delhi-Amritsar and Varanasi-Howrah.
“Very soon bullet train is going to come to South India. That is going to happen. Survey has been ordered. From Hyderabad, Chennai, Amaravati, Bangalore, all four cities, more than five crore population and the biggest market in the world,” said Naidu added on Friday.
(With inputs from agencies)