Introducing India's First High-Speed Bullet Train. Is it a boon or bane for the Economy?
by Divya Anjali
The National High-Speed Rail Corporation is all set to begin the construction works for India's first high-speed bullet train which will run connecting the cities Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The construction for India's first high-speed rail line was expected to begin by April 2020 but due to the issues related to land acquisition for construction there was a delay.
As of now, 60% of land acquisition for construction is completed. The rail corridor will be using the Japanese Railways Shinkansen E5 series.
The rail corridor will be running through the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra and also the union territory Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The cost for the whole project is estimated to be Rs. 1.1 lakh crore in which there will also be the costs which will be shared by the state governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Ahmedabad on 14th September 2017.
The civil construction was expected to be begun by 2018 and the project was expected to complete by 2023 but due to the delays in the land acquisition the works were kept on hold and it was planned that the advanced bullet train would have its first run on the August 15th on the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day.
The train coaches are designed in such a way that they can accommodate 1300 – 1600 passengers and the trains would operate at a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour (220mph) and the operational speed would be 320 kilometers per hour (200mph). The trains would also be equipped with multi-purpose rooms with baggage racks.
Running the bullet trains in the country would have both advantages and disadvantages. This project may put the country ahead in the race of becoming a developed country but what about the costs? The main advantage of running these trains would be the time factor.
They would save a lot of time in traveling and reduce the commuting time which would result in works getting done faster.
Also, at the same time introducing such vast technology would also come with huge costs included. Since the technology adapted in these rail corridors is a very complicated one the costs involved initially and later for the maintenance would be a burden for the government.
The fares would also be high for the commuters.
But this would also attract a lot of investors to the country for its modernized infrastructure. Yet everybody's in the wait to watch if this project would justify on the grounds of economic viability as a part of the public service.
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