High-speed rail in India
Encyclopedia
India
has one of the largest rail networks in the world. As of 2011, India does not have any high-speed rail lines capable of supporting speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph) or more, and none is under construction or subject to definite plans, only of longer-term proposals.
Fast express trains
such as the Shatabdi and Duronto are often referred to as "high-speed" trains by government officials and Indian media, and trains with speed of 250 to 350 km/h (155.3 to 217.5 ) are often referred to as "bullet-trains". However, periodically interest is expressed by the Government and media in introducing high-speed rail in India.
Mr KH Muniyappa minister of state for railways informed the Lok Sabha that Dedicated Freight Corridors on Eastern (Dankuni-Ludhiana) and Western (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal to Tughlakabad/Dadri) routes have been sanctioned. The status in respect of both the Corridors is as under:
Eastern Corridor
Construction work is in progress in 66 kilometres of Sonnagar-Mughalsarai portion of the corridor. The work on the Mughalsarai-Ludhiana portion (1183 kms) of the corridor is being funded through World Bank loan. The loan agreement for the Phase-I (Khurja-Kanpur, 343 kms. Section) has been signed with the World Bank and process for finalization of tender for civil works of this section has commenced.
Western Corridor
Work on 54 major and important bridges between Vaitarna and Surat is in progress.
Loan Agreement with Japan International cooperation Agency which is funding the entire Western Freight Corridor work, has been signed for Phase-I of the work between Rewari and Vadodara.
Tendering process for execution of civil work on the 625 kms Rewari-Iqbalgarh portion has also commenced.
Expenditure till March 31st 2011 on Eastern and Western DFC Project is INR 2026.41 crore. Budget allotment for 2011-12 is INR 2956 crore and expenditure till September 2011 is INR 315.8 crore.
Approach to high-speed:
Indian Railways' approach to high-speed is incremental improvement on existing conventional lines for up to 200 km/h, with a forward vision of speed above 250 km/h on new tracks with state-of-the-art technology, such as Shinkansen/TGV/etc. While they do not define high-speed, Indian Railways' approach matches the high-speed definitions of the Trans-European high-speed rail network
, for upgraded lines and new lines built for high-speed.
Dedicate tracks to passenger trains:
Dedicate tracks on existing trunk lines to passenger trains, by building separate corridors for freight trains
, and build separate tracks for busy suburban traffic in Mumbai and other cities where traffic is equally busy. Without slower freight and suburban traffic, fast-express trains can run at the speed limit of rolling stock, the track or railroad switch, whichever is lowest among those that apply.
Upgrade tracks for 160-200 km/h:
Upgrade the dedicated passenger tracks with heavier rails, and build the tracks to a close tolerance geometry fit for 160-200 km/h. High-speed tracks to be maintained and inspected using automation to ensure required track geometry. Perform more frequent inspection to ensure high confidence of safety at high-speed.
Design, manufacture and deploy railroad switches, with thick web construction and movable crossings that permit 50 km/h to alleviate this bottleneck to speed.
Upgrade locomotives and coaches:
Improve coaches, which can support 200 km/h, with stainless steel bodies and crash-worthy designs, incorporating passenger and crew protection, and fire-retardant materials. Equip coaches with electro-pneumatic brake systems to enhance safe operations at 160-200 km/h.
Develop locomotives with output of 9000 to 12000 hp for hauling of 24-26 coach long passenger trains to 160-200 km/h.
The Indian Ministry of Railways
' white-paper Vision 2020 submitted to Indian Parliament by Railway Minister
Mamata Banerjee
on December 18 2009 envisages the implementation of regional high-speed rail projects to provide services at 250-350 km/h, and planning for corridors connecting commercial, tourist and pilgrimage hubs. Six corridors have already been identified for technical studies on setting up of high-speed rail corridors: Delhi
-Chandigarh
-Amritsar
, Pune
-Mumbai
-Ahmedabad
, Hyderabad-Dornakal
-Vijayawada
-Chennai
, Howrah-Haldia
, Chennai
-Bangalore
-Coimbatore
-Ernakulam
-Trivandrum, Delhi
-Agra
-Lucknow
-Varanasi
-Patna
. These high-speed rail corridors will be built as elevated corridors in keeping with the pattern of habitation and the constraint of land.
During Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
's visit to Tokyo in December 2006, Japan assured cooperation with India in creating a high speed link between New Delhi and Mumbai. In January 2009, the then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad expressed keen interest in introducing bullet-trains
in India. "The day is not far off when the bullet train will run in the country" Prasad had said after getting a first-hand feel of the superfast trains travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto at a speed of about 300 km/h. On a visit to India in December 2009, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama
offered bullet-train technology to India. "Since its inception (in Japan), there has been no accidents. We will like to see this technology being used in India”, said Hatoyama. The proposal is under discussion, according to official sources.
Not everyone in India is equally keen on introducing high-speed rail as the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or the former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad with some leaders expressing apprehension that regional biases might creep in in the absence of a comprehensive national policy vis-a-vis high speed railways.
Two new routes were later proposed by Indian Railways
, namely Ahmedabad
- Dwarka
, via Rajkot, Jamnagar
and other from Rajkot to Veraval
via Junagadh
Estimated cost:
In a feasibility study published in 1987, RDSO and JICA
estimated the construction cost to be Rs 49 million per km, for a line dedicated to 250-300 km/h trains. In 2010, that 1987-estimated cost, inflated at 10% a year, would be Rs 439 million per km (US$ 9.5 million/km). RITES is currently performing a feasibility study.
According to news media, the costs for constructing such rail lines in India are estimated to be Rs 700-1000 million per km (US$ 15-22 million/km). Therefore the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route of 500 km, will cost Rs 370 billion (US$ 8.04 billion) to build and to make a profit, passengers will have to be charged Rs 5 per km (US$ 0.11/km). Delhi to Amritsar one-way, a distance of 450 km, will cost about Rs 2000 (US$ 43.48). At US$ 15-22 million per km, cost estimates are in line with US$ 18 million per km of the recently completed Wu-Guang HSR line in China
.
Likely initial lines:
In India, trains in the future with speed of 250-350 km/h, are envisaged to run on elevated corridors, to prevent trespassing by animals and people. This is an excellent way to isolate high-speed train tracks. The TGV tracks are completely fenced in and has no road crossing them at the same level. Wu-Guang’s 2-tracks line is laid, 468 km on bridges, 177 km in tunnels, and 323 km on embankments. The 336 km THSR tracks are 91% on bridges, flyover, or tunnels.
The current conventional lines between Amritsar-New Delhi, and Ahmedabad-Mumbai runs through suburban and rural areas, which are flat, therefore have no tunnel. Ahmedabad-Mumbai line runs near the coast therefore have more bridges, and parts of it are in backwaters or forest. The 1987 RDSO/JICA feasibility study found the Mumbai-Ahmedabad line as most promising.
Potential ridership:
As of July 2010, there are currently 49 train services on the 968 km Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR line in China, with fares from US$ 70-115 (Rs 3220-5290), or US$ 0.07-0.12 per km (Rs 3.33-5.46/km). Amritsar-New Delhi line has 22 daily services, with fares range from Rs 552-1434 (US$ 12-31). Ahmedabad-Mumbai has 32 daily services with fares from Rs 514-1475 (US$ 11-32). On the 2 Indian lines travelling cost Rs 1.14-3.19 per km (US$ 0.025-0.069/km).
Project execution:
The National High Speed Rail Authority is being set up.
To put the construction in perspective, in the period 2005-09 Indian Railways took on construction of 42 completely new conventional lines, a total of 4060 km at a cost of Rs 167 billion (US$ 3.63 billion), or Rs 41 million per km (US$ 0.89 million/km). A public-private-partnership mode of investment and execution is envisaged for such expensive 250-350 km/h high-speed rail project.
The cost of building high speed rail tracks is about Rs 70 crore per km (U$15.6m/km), compared with Rs 6 crore/km of normal rail tracks.
Feasibility Studies:
The feasibility study of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune corridor is complete.
On 21 March 2011, the British firm Mott MacDonald
was asked to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the 993km long Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna route and report back in 7 months.
It will cost the Railways Rs 8.8 crore for the report.
Kerala State High Speed Rail Project:
The Kerala state government has formed a new public limited company - Kerala High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd - to implement a high speed rail network, which is estimated to cost Rs 77,000 crore. The 630-km network will connect Thiruvananthapuram with Mangalore. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has been appointed the nodal agency to develop the project, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been assigned with a pre-feasibility study.
The new company was formed on the basis of a pre-feasibility report submitted by DMRC. Further technical studies and economic evaluation are currently being planned.
The proposed high speed corridor will have two parallel tracks in the standard gauge system as in the Delhi Metro Rail. The high speed corridor will have an alignment independent of the existing alignment of the Indian Railways.
The project will be implemented as a joint venture between the state government and a private partner which will be selected at a later stage. T Balakrishnan, Additional Chief Secretary (Industry and Commerce), Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Managing Director KSIDC, and T P Thomas Kutty, Executive Director, KSIDC, are the first directors of the new company.
The company will undertake detailed feasibility report for the project and identify suitable rail technology to implement the high speed corridor. Steps have also been initiated for the release of a notification for the acquisition of land needed to implement the project. The width of the land required to be acquired for the rail corridor is 13 metres. The high speed corridor will use a greenfield route to keep the rehabilitation task to the minimum..Also,the proposed stops will be:Thiruvananthapuram,Kollam,Kottayam,Ernakulam,Thrissur,Kozhikode,and Kannur.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
has one of the largest rail networks in the world. As of 2011, India does not have any high-speed rail lines capable of supporting speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph) or more, and none is under construction or subject to definite plans, only of longer-term proposals.
Fast express trains
Express trains in India
The fastest train in India is the Bhopal Shatabdi, a Shatabdi Express train, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h and an average speed of 93 km/h , excluding stops. The Mumbai Rajdhani is the second fastest train...
such as the Shatabdi and Duronto are often referred to as "high-speed" trains by government officials and Indian media, and trains with speed of 250 to 350 km/h (155.3 to 217.5 ) are often referred to as "bullet-trains". However, periodically interest is expressed by the Government and media in introducing high-speed rail in India.
Current effort to increase speed to 160-200 km/h
Indian Railways' current effort to provide fast non-stop train services under the brand of Duronto continues in the decade of 2010-19. In addition, they aim at raising the speed of passenger trains to 200-250 km/h on dedicated conventional tracks. Train journey between Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Calcutta will become an overnight service compared with the present 15-16 hours.Mr KH Muniyappa minister of state for railways informed the Lok Sabha that Dedicated Freight Corridors on Eastern (Dankuni-Ludhiana) and Western (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal to Tughlakabad/Dadri) routes have been sanctioned. The status in respect of both the Corridors is as under:
Eastern Corridor
Construction work is in progress in 66 kilometres of Sonnagar-Mughalsarai portion of the corridor. The work on the Mughalsarai-Ludhiana portion (1183 kms) of the corridor is being funded through World Bank loan. The loan agreement for the Phase-I (Khurja-Kanpur, 343 kms. Section) has been signed with the World Bank and process for finalization of tender for civil works of this section has commenced.
Western Corridor
Work on 54 major and important bridges between Vaitarna and Surat is in progress.
Loan Agreement with Japan International cooperation Agency which is funding the entire Western Freight Corridor work, has been signed for Phase-I of the work between Rewari and Vadodara.
Tendering process for execution of civil work on the 625 kms Rewari-Iqbalgarh portion has also commenced.
Expenditure till March 31st 2011 on Eastern and Western DFC Project is INR 2026.41 crore. Budget allotment for 2011-12 is INR 2956 crore and expenditure till September 2011 is INR 315.8 crore.
Approach to high-speed:
Indian Railways' approach to high-speed is incremental improvement on existing conventional lines for up to 200 km/h, with a forward vision of speed above 250 km/h on new tracks with state-of-the-art technology, such as Shinkansen/TGV/etc. While they do not define high-speed, Indian Railways' approach matches the high-speed definitions of the Trans-European high-speed rail network
Trans-European high-speed rail network
The Trans-European high-speed rail network , together with the Trans-European conventional rail network, make up the Trans-European Rail network, which in turn is one of a number of the European Union's Trans-European transport networks...
, for upgraded lines and new lines built for high-speed.
Dedicate tracks to passenger trains:
Dedicate tracks on existing trunk lines to passenger trains, by building separate corridors for freight trains
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India
The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited is a corporation run by the Government of India to undertake planning & development, mobilisation of financial resources and construction, maintenance and operation of the Dedicated Freight Corridors...
, and build separate tracks for busy suburban traffic in Mumbai and other cities where traffic is equally busy. Without slower freight and suburban traffic, fast-express trains can run at the speed limit of rolling stock, the track or railroad switch, whichever is lowest among those that apply.
Upgrade tracks for 160-200 km/h:
Upgrade the dedicated passenger tracks with heavier rails, and build the tracks to a close tolerance geometry fit for 160-200 km/h. High-speed tracks to be maintained and inspected using automation to ensure required track geometry. Perform more frequent inspection to ensure high confidence of safety at high-speed.
Design, manufacture and deploy railroad switches, with thick web construction and movable crossings that permit 50 km/h to alleviate this bottleneck to speed.
Upgrade locomotives and coaches:
Improve coaches, which can support 200 km/h, with stainless steel bodies and crash-worthy designs, incorporating passenger and crew protection, and fire-retardant materials. Equip coaches with electro-pneumatic brake systems to enhance safe operations at 160-200 km/h.
Develop locomotives with output of 9000 to 12000 hp for hauling of 24-26 coach long passenger trains to 160-200 km/h.
Proposal to introduce 250-350 km/h trains in India
The National High Speed Rail Authority Bill or NHSRA Bill will be presented in Parliament in 2011 winter session to constitute an autonomous body,the nine-member Authority will have a chairman and eight members, there will be four full-time members including Member Project, Member Finance, Member Engineering and Member Planning. The Board will look after the first Six planned routes for Bullet Train.The Indian Ministry of Railways
Ministry of Railways (India)
The Ministry of Railways in India is in charge of the Indian Railways, an organisation that operates as a monopoly in rail transport in India. Dinesh Trivedi is the current minister responsible for railways....
' white-paper Vision 2020 submitted to Indian Parliament by Railway Minister
Railway Minister of India
The Minister of Railways is the head of the Ministry of Railways and one of the cabinet ministers of the Government of India.-List of railway ministers:...
Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee is the 11th and current chief minister of the Indian state of West Bengal. She is the first woman to hold the office. Banerjee founded All India Trinamool Congress in 1997 and became chairperson, after separating from the Indian National Congress...
on December 18 2009 envisages the implementation of regional high-speed rail projects to provide services at 250-350 km/h, and planning for corridors connecting commercial, tourist and pilgrimage hubs. Six corridors have already been identified for technical studies on setting up of high-speed rail corridors: Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
-Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
-Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
-Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
-Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, Hyderabad-Dornakal
Dornakal
Dornakal is a town in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. The town is important as a railway junction from where a branch line emanates to Manuguru and is also on the Vijayawada - Warangal mainline it connects South India...
-Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
-Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Howrah-Haldia
Haldia
Haldia has a typical moderate climate with winter temperatures ranging from a low of around 7 degrees Celsius to a high of 22 degrees Celsius. Winters are chilly and is when the residents hold the Haldia Utsav festival. Summers can be very hot and humid. Usual summer temperatures in May, the...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
-Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
-Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
-Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
-Trivandrum, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
-Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
-Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
-Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
-Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
. These high-speed rail corridors will be built as elevated corridors in keeping with the pattern of habitation and the constraint of land.
During Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
's visit to Tokyo in December 2006, Japan assured cooperation with India in creating a high speed link between New Delhi and Mumbai. In January 2009, the then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad expressed keen interest in introducing bullet-trains
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
in India. "The day is not far off when the bullet train will run in the country" Prasad had said after getting a first-hand feel of the superfast trains travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto at a speed of about 300 km/h. On a visit to India in December 2009, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama
Yukio Hatoyama
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between 16 September 2009 and 2 June 2010, and was the first ever Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan....
offered bullet-train technology to India. "Since its inception (in Japan), there has been no accidents. We will like to see this technology being used in India”, said Hatoyama. The proposal is under discussion, according to official sources.
Not everyone in India is equally keen on introducing high-speed rail as the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or the former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad with some leaders expressing apprehension that regional biases might creep in in the absence of a comprehensive national policy vis-a-vis high speed railways.
Two new routes were later proposed by Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
, namely Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
- Dwarka
Dwarka
Dwarka also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country...
, via Rajkot, Jamnagar
Jamnagar
Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is...
and other from Rajkot to Veraval
Veraval
Veraval is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located 6 km from Somnath.- History :...
via Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
| High-Speed Corridor | Root | Stops | Average Speed Expected | Further Extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi - Chandigarh - Amritsar High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Delhi Delhi Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census... -Chandigarh Chandigarh Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city... -Amritsar Amritsar Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077... |
TBD | 250 km/h | TBD |
| Pune - Mumbai - Ahmedabad High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Pune Pune Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ... -Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... -Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad... |
Expected: Lonavala, Surat Surat Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper... , Bharuch Bharuch Bharuch , also known as Broach, is the oldest city in Gujarat, situated at the mouth of the holy river Narmada. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District and a municipality of more than 1,50,000 inhabitants. As Bharuch is a major seaport city, a number of trade activities have... , Vadodara Vadodara Vadodara formerly known as Baroda is the third most populated city in the Indian State of Gujarat . It is one of the four cities with the population of over 1 million... |
300 km/h | TBD |
| Hyderabad (India) - Dornakal - Vijayawada - Chennai High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Hyderabad-Dornakal Dornakal Dornakal is a town in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. The town is important as a railway junction from where a branch line emanates to Manuguru and is also on the Vijayawada - Warangal mainline it connects South India... -Vijayawada Vijayawada Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally... -Chennai Chennai Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... |
TBD | 300 km/h | Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was... |
| Delhi - Agra - Kanpur - Lucknow - Varansai - Patna High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Delhi Delhi Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census... -Agra Agra Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most... -Kanpur-Lucknow Lucknow Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division.... -Varanasi Varanasi -Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south... -Patna Patna Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world... |
TBD | 350 km/h | TBD |
| Chennai - Bangalore - Coimbatore - Ernakulam - Thiruvananthapuram High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Chennai Chennai Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India... -Bangalore Bangalore Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and... -Coimbatore Coimbatore Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India".... -Ernakulam Ernakulam Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in... -Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland... |
TBD | 300 km/h | Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million... (via Hubli), Mysore |
| Howarah - Haldia High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Howrah-Haldia Haldia Haldia has a typical moderate climate with winter temperatures ranging from a low of around 7 degrees Celsius to a high of 22 degrees Celsius. Winters are chilly and is when the residents hold the Haldia Utsav festival. Summers can be very hot and humid. Usual summer temperatures in May, the... |
TBD | 350 km/h | TBD |
| Ahmedabad - Rajkot - Jamnagar - Dwarka High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Ahmedabad Ahmedabad Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad... - Rajkot - Jamnagar Jamnagar Jamnagar is a city and a municipal corporation in Jamnagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s, when the district was known as Nawanagar. The district lies just to the south of the Gulf of Kutch and is... - Dwarka Dwarka Dwarka also spelled Dvarka, Dwaraka, and Dvaraka, is a city and a municipality of Jamnagar district in the Gujarat state in India. Dwarka , also known as Dwarawati in Sanskrit literature is rated as one of the seven most ancient cities in the country... |
TBD | 350 km/h | TBD |
| Rajkot - Junagadh - Veraval High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Rajkot - Junagadh Junagadh Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,... - Veraval Veraval Veraval is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located 6 km from Somnath.- History :... |
TBD | 350 km/h | TBD |
| Thiruvananthapuram - Mangalore High-Speed Passenger Corridor | Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland... - Mangalore Mangalore Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western... (Proposed by Kerala High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd) |
TBD | 350 km/h | TBD |
Estimated cost:
In a feasibility study published in 1987, RDSO and JICA
JICA
KF3 is a kart racing class for top drivers aged 12 to 15 .This class used to be called Junior Intercontinental A and has changed since January 2007 when CIK-FIA decided to replace the 100 cc air-cooled two-stroke engines with 125 cc Touch-and-Go water-cooled two-stroke...
estimated the construction cost to be Rs 49 million per km, for a line dedicated to 250-300 km/h trains. In 2010, that 1987-estimated cost, inflated at 10% a year, would be Rs 439 million per km (US$ 9.5 million/km). RITES is currently performing a feasibility study.
According to news media, the costs for constructing such rail lines in India are estimated to be Rs 700-1000 million per km (US$ 15-22 million/km). Therefore the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route of 500 km, will cost Rs 370 billion (US$ 8.04 billion) to build and to make a profit, passengers will have to be charged Rs 5 per km (US$ 0.11/km). Delhi to Amritsar one-way, a distance of 450 km, will cost about Rs 2000 (US$ 43.48). At US$ 15-22 million per km, cost estimates are in line with US$ 18 million per km of the recently completed Wu-Guang HSR line in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Likely initial lines:
In India, trains in the future with speed of 250-350 km/h, are envisaged to run on elevated corridors, to prevent trespassing by animals and people. This is an excellent way to isolate high-speed train tracks. The TGV tracks are completely fenced in and has no road crossing them at the same level. Wu-Guang’s 2-tracks line is laid, 468 km on bridges, 177 km in tunnels, and 323 km on embankments. The 336 km THSR tracks are 91% on bridges, flyover, or tunnels.
The current conventional lines between Amritsar-New Delhi, and Ahmedabad-Mumbai runs through suburban and rural areas, which are flat, therefore have no tunnel. Ahmedabad-Mumbai line runs near the coast therefore have more bridges, and parts of it are in backwaters or forest. The 1987 RDSO/JICA feasibility study found the Mumbai-Ahmedabad line as most promising.
Potential ridership:
As of July 2010, there are currently 49 train services on the 968 km Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR line in China, with fares from US$ 70-115 (Rs 3220-5290), or US$ 0.07-0.12 per km (Rs 3.33-5.46/km). Amritsar-New Delhi line has 22 daily services, with fares range from Rs 552-1434 (US$ 12-31). Ahmedabad-Mumbai has 32 daily services with fares from Rs 514-1475 (US$ 11-32). On the 2 Indian lines travelling cost Rs 1.14-3.19 per km (US$ 0.025-0.069/km).
Project execution:
The National High Speed Rail Authority is being set up.
To put the construction in perspective, in the period 2005-09 Indian Railways took on construction of 42 completely new conventional lines, a total of 4060 km at a cost of Rs 167 billion (US$ 3.63 billion), or Rs 41 million per km (US$ 0.89 million/km). A public-private-partnership mode of investment and execution is envisaged for such expensive 250-350 km/h high-speed rail project.
The cost of building high speed rail tracks is about Rs 70 crore per km (U$15.6m/km), compared with Rs 6 crore/km of normal rail tracks.
Feasibility Studies:
The feasibility study of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune corridor is complete.
On 21 March 2011, the British firm Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald
The Mott MacDonald Group is an employee-owned company management, engineering and development consultancy serving the public and private sectors world-wide...
was asked to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the 993km long Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna route and report back in 7 months.
It will cost the Railways Rs 8.8 crore for the report.
Kerala State High Speed Rail Project:
The Kerala state government has formed a new public limited company - Kerala High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd - to implement a high speed rail network, which is estimated to cost Rs 77,000 crore. The 630-km network will connect Thiruvananthapuram with Mangalore. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has been appointed the nodal agency to develop the project, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been assigned with a pre-feasibility study.
The new company was formed on the basis of a pre-feasibility report submitted by DMRC. Further technical studies and economic evaluation are currently being planned.
The proposed high speed corridor will have two parallel tracks in the standard gauge system as in the Delhi Metro Rail. The high speed corridor will have an alignment independent of the existing alignment of the Indian Railways.
The project will be implemented as a joint venture between the state government and a private partner which will be selected at a later stage. T Balakrishnan, Additional Chief Secretary (Industry and Commerce), Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Managing Director KSIDC, and T P Thomas Kutty, Executive Director, KSIDC, are the first directors of the new company.
The company will undertake detailed feasibility report for the project and identify suitable rail technology to implement the high speed corridor. Steps have also been initiated for the release of a notification for the acquisition of land needed to implement the project. The width of the land required to be acquired for the rail corridor is 13 metres. The high speed corridor will use a greenfield route to keep the rehabilitation task to the minimum..Also,the proposed stops will be:Thiruvananthapuram,Kollam,Kottayam,Ernakulam,Thrissur,Kozhikode,and Kannur.