Bullet Train, is a network of high-speed railway lines operating at a maximum speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).The foundation stone for Bullet train in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway Project (MAHSR), laid on September 14 by the two prime ministers, Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe, is a huge leap towards India and Japan converging and integrating themselves in a long-term sustainable economic relationship.
All the major suppliers of High Speed Rail (HSR) technology — Japan, China and European countries — were willing to share it with us. But the crucial factor that convinced the CoIC to choose Japan was that it was the only country that offered both technology as well as a unique funding package for the HSR project. The concessional funding proposed by the government of Japan for HSR was specific to the project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad and was not available for strengthening the existing rail network.
The Shinkansen, connecting the largest cities of Tokyo and Osaka, is the world’s busiest high-speed rail line. Carrying 151 million passengers per year, and at over 5 billion total passengers it has transported more passengers than any other high-speed line in the world.
TOP TEN FASTEST BULLET TRAINS
TRAIN | KMPH | COUNTRY |
---|---|---|
SHanghai maglev | 429.7 | China,Shanghai Pudong Int Air port to Longyand Metro station |
Harmony CRH380A | 379.8 | China,Shanghai to Nanjing |
Trenitalia Frecciarossa 1000 | 354.1 | Italy to Milan to Rome |
Renfe AVE | 349.2 | Spain,Barcelona to Paris |
DeutsheBahn ICE | 329.9 | Germany |
Eurostar e320 and TGV | 321.9 | Brussels,Paris and London |
Hayabusa Shinkasen E5 | 321.9 | Japan,Tokyo to Shin-Aomori |
Thalys | 299.3 | Connects Amsterdam,Brussels,Paris and cologne |
Hokuriku Shinkasen E7 | 259.1 | Japan,Tokyo to Toyama and kanazawa |
Amtrak Acela Express | 241.4 | US-Connects Philadelphia,Baltimore and Washington DC |
COST FOR BULLET TRAIN
The project is estimated to cost ₹1.1 lakh crore (US$17 billion). The cost includes interest during construction and import duties.JICA agreed to fund 81% of the total project cost ₹88,087 crore (US$14 billion), through a 50-year loan at an interest rate of 0.1% with a moratorium on repayments up to 15 years and the remaining cost will be borne by the state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat.20% of the components used on the corridor will be supplied by Japan, and manufactured in India.
Most of the line will be constructed on an elevated corridor to avoid land acquisitions and the need to build underpasses. It will also enhance safety by eliminating the need for level crossings. The decision to construct an elevated line raised the cost for the project by an additional ₹10,000 crore (US$1.6 billion)
You may like : Daily mains answer writing series MASTER 2017 free
Bullet train-Infrastructure and operations
Trains are proposed to have length of between 10 and 16 coaches. Each train will have a passenger capacity between 1,300 and 1,600 passengers. The system will be designed to operate trains at a maximum speed of 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph), while operational speed would be 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph). When traveling at 350 kilometres per hour (220 mph) a train will be able to travel end-to-end on the 508 kilometres (316 mi) line in 2 hours and 8 minutes. Currently, a train journey from Mumbai to Ahmedabad takes 7 hours.
Indian Railways proposes to operate two types of services on the corridor. A “Rapid Train” service with only two stops at Surat and Vadodara, and a slower service that halts at all stations. The “Rapid Train” would complete the journey in 2 hours and 7 minutes, while the slower service would take 2 hours and 58 minutes. In total, 35 daily services will be operated on the line, with 3 services per hour during peak hours and 2 services per hour during off-peak hours. The Railways estimates that the high speed rail corridor will have a daily ridership of around 36,000 in 2023.
On 9 January 2017 at Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the Gujarat Government and the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRC) signed an MoU worth ₹67,000 crore(US$10 billion) for component manufacturing for the high speed rail corridor. The Gujarat Government will bear 25% of the total project cost and provide land for the project
Have some queries? Comments are open below..