Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently made an exciting announcement regarding the future of bullet trains in India in the near future, saying that India would be expected to try out its first bullet train service. The direct indication of this is his statement referring to the project Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail, for which work is currently in process after the foundation-laying ceremony performed in the September 2017 visit by the former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe. It will start initially from Gujarat and continue further through the state of Maharashtra from the following years beginning in 2027.
Transformation of Railways in India into Modern Railway
The introduction of bullet trains in India is part of a larger vision for the modernization of Indian Railways, which is already being symbolized by innovations like Vande Bharat trains, Amrit Bharat stations, and Namo Bharat Rail. Vande Bharat trains, designed for semi-high-speed operations, are already undergoing upgrades to achieve full high-speed status. Indian Railways’ Integral Coach Factory and state-owned BEML will work together to create two prototype trainsets, which can potentially travel at 280 km/h. The two trains will be put through extensive testing on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed corridor. The first prototype is expected to be ready in the next two years.
Improvements on Vande Bharat Train and its Maximum Speed
The Vande Bharat train has already shown very impressive performance. Its new sleeper version, for example, touched a speed of 180 km/h during the trial runs. The upgraded version capable of reaching 280 km/h will be based on the model of the success story of Japan’s Shinkansen. The first Shinkansen, which was started in 1964, began at 210 km/h and eventually achieved 320 km/h.
In it is envisioned the journey toward a high-speed train that forms the crux of the vision of the prime minister for national “diamond quadrilateral” networks of bullet trains connecting major metropolitan cities. Additionally, this network includes dedicated freight corridors, development of industrial hubs, and creation of smart cities. Japan is one of the most crucial proponents of this project because it utilizes a vast amount of resources-it utilizes national as well as private funds-and disburses Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). India is among the largest receivers of ODA, which basically means its significance in terms of international value for this railway line.
Cost-Effectiveness and Funding Problem
India’s bullet train is said to be one of the cost-effective projects around the world. While it has been priced considerably lower than Shinkansen for India’s own bullet trains at Rs 28 crore per car, which is nearly half of the Japanese variant, the same has made the stretch of high-speed rail from Mumbai to Ahmedabad far more feasible for India. Still, it remains a question of how one will finance a nationwide expansion. Soft loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have been extended to the MAHSR project, which is based on the economic advantages that will return to Japan through large contracts to be executed by domestic companies such as Siemens.
Mass adoption of indigenous bullet trains would call for innovative funding models. Models should include both global patient capital and private sector funds to make this vision of connecting cities through a high-speed rail diamond quadrilateral a reality.
Economic and Environmental Advantages
High-speed rail systems like Shinkansen in Japan and the indigenous bullet trains in India are going to completely change the economic landscape as major metropolitan cities become more interconnected with easier access to jobs and services. Kyle Chan from Princeton University has discussed regional city clusters that could become Hyderabad-Bengaluru-Chennai corridor. All these would come together and turn into one single commuting zone if bullet trains arrived. This connectivity will add value to the worth of every rail line – both in towns and in country areas.
It has a massive environmental advantage. Bullet trains do not burn fossil fuel, unlike cars, airplanes, and diesel trains. It uses electricity to generate power, reducing dependence on imported oil, and lessening CO2 emissions. The energy generated will contribute significantly to making India’s future greener and more sustainable.
Conclusion: Future of India’s Bullet Train Network
This will change how India travels across the country, after all at much higher speeds. In harmony with successful deployments to begin with in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor and expansion of the indigenous bullet train network, the economic and environmental impacts as well as benefiting society will be profound. This not only makes India’s railways a global benchmark but also sets it on the pace toward a more connected and sustainable future: a reduction in CO2, more jobs, and integration of urban centers.
The bullet train across India will be a reality through this project. Eventually, it will make India one of the leading countries when it comes to high-speed rails.
Refer :
Financial Express, Link to article
For more updates on the latest developments in the Bullet train sector, check out our article on High-Speed Rail: India-Japan Collaboration to Finalize Bullet Train Design for Corridor