The Bullet Train: India and Japan Shake Hands

With over 22 million passengers travelling by train every single day, and the state of the current equipment being very poor, it comes as no surprise that there are frequent delays and severe accidents as well. In order to improve the facilities that are provided, the government of India aspired to connect all major cities with state-of-the-art train facilities. Critics claim that the government should have invested the time and resources in improving the current railways for safety. Supporters of this initiative, however, believe that these high speed trains will cause immense development and growth and a better experience for the commuter. This will reduce traffic jams in cities, increase infrastructure and businesses on the way.

The latest updates of the bullet train project give these details:

The Track and Route Plan

There is immense work underway on this high speed bullet train project. It will run from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. There are several tunnels and bridges that are designed for it on the planned route. This train will cover a distance that is more than 500 km, between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, in less than 3 hours! The current time taken is much greater at 7 hours. The bullet train will go through 12 stops. Four out of these stops will lie in Maharashtra. The track that was proposed will begin in Mumbai, at the Bandra Kurla Complex, also called BKC. It will terminate in Ahmedabad close to the Sabarmati Railway Station.

A total of 70 trips will be undertaken every day, half that amount in each direction. That brings the projected commuters to nearly 40,000 every day! It was envisioned to run 2 trains in non-peak hours and 3 trains in peak hours, for the most efficient distribution of resources.

Acquisition of Land

The initial stages of acquiring land have begun in both states. This is coupled with detailed soil testing and route surveys. Around 108 villages in Maharashtra will be crossed. Most of these come under the district of Palghar. Notices have been sent to 17 of the villages in order to acquire the land, and inform the owners of the land. Ample compensation is provided to the owners who give up their land. This compensation is much higher than the existing rate for the land in the market. If someone doesn’t show up, then the government can acquire the land taking help of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013.

Train Speeds

The bullet train can reach speeds of 320 km/hr in a mere 320 seconds. A distance of 18 km is covered in this short span of time. It is truly incredible! Commuters from BKC will reach Thane in the short duration of 10mins. This is a remarkable feat that showcases the quality of Japanese technology.

All in all, this is a very good move by the government of India. It showcases a hunger to grow and the willingness to forge powerful ties. In no time everyone will want to know the IRCTC train running status of this marvel. The bullet train is a project that India should welcome with open arms.