India’s bullet train ambitions have been in the pipeline since 2015. However, after facing several hurdles including the Covid-19 pandemic, the project initially slated to be complete in 2022, will now be partially operational next year and is eyeing the finish line in 2028, explains Anvitii Rai
Status of Indian high-speed rail (HSR) project
India has one HSR corridor under construction, which will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad, proposed to be 508-km-long with a top speed of 320 kmph. Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that 300 km of viaducts for the project had been completed. According to the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd, which is executing the project, 383 km of pier work, 401 km of foundation, and 326 km of girder casting had also been completed. In March, Vaishnaw had highlighted delays caused by denial of permission under former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure but assured that efforts were being made to compensate for the lost time. The progress thus far has cost Rs 67,486 crore. The projected cost has escalated to Rs 2 lakh crore, and completion, earlier estimated by 2022, has been pushed further and expected by 2028. A 50-km stretch in Gujarat is slated to host the first trial run in 2026. This is the only officially sanctioned HSR project as of now, with corridors like Delhi-Varanasi and Chennai-Mysuru being studied for viability and Mumbai-Hyderabad and Delhi-Ahmedabad awaiting approval.
What is considered as HSR?
To be considered high-speed, trains need an operating speed of over 250 kmph on tracks dedicated to them. On non-dedicated tracks (which are shared with conventional railway networks), speeds typically need to exceed 200 kmph. Tracks like these must be smooth and straight with gentle curves and slopes to maintain high speeds. They usually require new, specially designed routes.
Some HSR systems do use existing tracks in parts of their network, but these must be upgraded to allow for higher speeds (such as by straightening the tracks and improving signalling). Other than that, requirements include adherence to rigorous safety standards, ensuring sufficient power supply, having trained operating personnel, and maintenance.
Hurdles faced by the project
As mentioned by Vaishnaw, one of the key factors that delayed the project was land acquisition in Maharashtra, which pushed the timeline back by two years. According to the minister, “The loss of two-and-a-half years due to permission delays is being addressed, and work is now progressing rapidly.” Other aspects that caused delays were challenges including infrastructural (such as the mid-project switch to build only on viaducts) and financial (high acquisition cost of rolling stock from the Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA] or the high price of the signalling system for the trains). Meanwhile, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, who too had laid the foundation stone for the project in 2017, was assassinated in 2022, a loss also felt in India. In an article for a newspaper, Sudhanshu Mani, the head of the Vande Bharat project, also suggested that the “never-ending” surveys along different routes tend to obstruct decisiveness, and at least a couple of shorter stretches must be sanctioned and completed in six-seven years to get the ball rolling.
How has India addressed them?
The most evident solution adopted to offset the heavy financial load of the project is sanctioning Indian Railways’ own Integral Coach Factory and state-run BEML to jointly design and manufacture two prototype train sets (of eight cars each) with a speed of 280 kmph. Additionally, aid is being provided by JICA, which will supply India with two Shinkansen trains (Japan’s signature bullet trains) free of cost by 2026 for data collection and testing in Indian conditions. Additionally, alternatives to the signalling system are being considered, with Alstom-L&T and DRA-Siemens joint ventures bidding for tenders for this project. However, Mani cautions that these solutions come with their own setbacks — the indigenous trains would only reach speeds of 280 kmph as opposed to the 320 kmph capacity, the provision of two trains for data collection “adds confusion instead of offering any hope of resolution”, and that concerns about negotiations should have been addressed previously.
Lessons from other nations
Developed nations — including Japan (the pioneer of these trains), France, and Germany — have HSR networks, while China has the largest such network in the world. However, middle-income countries such as Indonesia and Uzbekistan also operate such networks. Vietnam is also in the process of building its own HSR network. If the cases of the latter three are considered, the common factors that emerge are clear plans for financing the projects and the utilisation of foreign assistance from nations that already have HSR networks. Additionally, India can also take note of the criticism that these networks have faced — such as low benefit to taxpayers (as is the case in Uzbekistan, where reservations are hard to come by owing to low capacity and pre-booking by local resellers and foreign travel agencies), noise pollution (a issue highlighted in Japan), high maintenance costs (which could possibly push operators into losses, as is the case with China), and more.