Bullet train to run in India by 2023: Prabhu

He added: “Recently a delegation, headed by deputy chairman of Niti Aayog Dr Arvind Panagariya, went to Japan to study the bullet train project there. We will be completing this project by 2023.” 

The delegation, led by Pangariya, had visited Japan on Friday to discuss a way forward for the realisation of bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The delegation also comprised top bureaucrats from the departments of economic affairs, industrial policy and promotion, and external affairs, said a Railway Ministry official.

The government has floated the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC) with a paid capital of Rs 200 crore to complete the project.  Prabhu had informed Parliament about the bullet train project this Budget Session. He had wondered in Lok Sabha if there was a “deliberate misinformation” campaign against the introduction of bullet trains, saying these were not in conflict with the ‘normal’ trains. 

The mega project is being financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is providing a loan of about Rs 79,380 crore, which amounts to 81percent of the total project cost. Japan has given the soft loan at an interest of 0.1 percent, with tenure of 50 years and a moratorium of 15 years.

He suggested that the technology to be used for bullet trains will come in handy for improving the services of normal trains and that the integration of signalling, tracks and availability of rolling stock would help enhance the speed of trains.

As per reports, the Indian delegation had visited Japan to explore the possibilities of participation by Japanese companies in the project under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.  The team also discussed the finalisation of the general consultant for the Rs 98,000 crore flagship project.  India will get the latest version of the Sinkansen, the Japanese bullet train. 

The bullet train is expected to cover 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in two hours, running at a maximum speed of 350 kmph and operating speed of 320 kmph.  At present, the fastest train between the two metropolis takes around seven hours.

Last year in December India and Japan had signed a deal to build a high-speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, implementing the Shinkansen technology of Japan for the first time. Construction on the high-speed network between Mumbai Central station and Ahmedabad Junction is slated to begin in 2017 and expected to be completed in early 2023.