NEW DELHI (Agencies): India is set to commence the production of bullet trains, a significant step towards developing its own high-speed rail technology and reducing dependence on foreign technology, as reported by the media.
The country is in the process of constructing its inaugural bullet trains, which are expected to surpass speeds of 250 kilometers per hour (kmph), according to a government official cited by The Economic Times. These new trains will be developed on the same platform as India’s indigenous ‘Vande Bharat’ semi-high-speed trains, which can achieve speeds of up to 180 kmph. The design for this ambitious bullet train project is currently being prepared at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) of Indian Railways in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
This initiative aligns with New Delhi’s intensified focus on introducing high-speed trains. Railways serve as a crucial mode of transportation in India, with over 12,000 trains operating daily, transporting approximately 24 million passengers.
Recently, the Times of India reported that India is close to finalizing a deal with Japan for 24 E5 series Shinkansen high-speed trains, manufactured by Hitachi Rail and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. These trains are expected to operate on India’s first high-speed rail line, a 508km route connecting Ahmedabad in Gujarat with Mumbai in Maharashtra, the country’s financial capital. This bullet train is projected to cut down the travel time between these two significant economic centers to just two hours, a significant reduction from the current travel time of over eight hours.
According to Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, the project is slated for completion within the next two years, with a substantial portion of it already finished. In its manifesto for the forthcoming general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pledged to establish more bullet train corridors if it secures a third term. Leveraging the experience gained from constructing the first corridor, the party plans to conduct “feasibility studies” for additional corridors in North, South, and East India. This is indeed a significant stride for India in the realm of high-speed rail technology.