Railways puts bullet train project on fast track

[Major Shaitan Singh]

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NEW DELHI: Railways' ambitious project of running bullet trains in six select corridors has been fast tracked as the state-run transporter is ready with the Cabinet note for setting up of a high speed rail authority.

Railways' top brass are also in intense negotiations with the visiting Japanese delegation, seeking their cooperation for introduction of a high speed train that can run at 300km per hour.

The authority will be empowered to decide on whether a particular corridor project will be implemented on PPP or non-PPP mode based on pre-feasibility study. Sources said that the authority will have the power to decide on ownership and management of each high-speed corridor. Besides, it will take a final call on project packaging, such as operator, fixed infrastructure and rolling stock.

Railways has selected six corridors for conducting feasibility study for running high speed trains. The transporter has completed the pre-feasibility study for the 650 km Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed corridor. It has selected a Japanese consortium to explore the feasibility of running a bullet train on the proposed Hyderabad-Vijayawada-Chennai high speed corridor.

The consultants for the pre-feasibility study of Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna and Howrah-Haldia corridors have been appointed and they are expected to submit reports soon, said an official.

Tenders for the study of Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram corridor are under finalization. The state governments are ready to meet 50% cost of the consultancy. While Japan has shown interest in India's high speed train, it is funding 80% of the cost of construction of the 1,499 km-long Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.

Railways believes that Japan, which runs the high speed train Shinkansen, can show India the way as both nations face a similar situation as far as population density and station-to-station distances are concerned.

It is being estimated that dedicated high speed corridor will cost about Rs 100 crore per km.

Railways puts bullet train project on fast track - The Economic Times

[RISING SUN]

Kerala’s high speed rail project to be on track soon
Thiruvananthapuram: Billed as the biggest and most expensive infrastructure projects conceived by Kerala, a high speed rail corridor for India's first bullet train is one of the mega projects the state plans to implement.

On completion, it will enable one travel from Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram to the state's northern most point Kasaragod in 142 minutes, covering a distance of 526 km.

The project may sound unbelievable, especially in the case of Kerala lagging in industry and infrastructure development for decades.

Estimated to cost Rs 1,18,000 crore on completion, the first phase is expected to cost Rs 43,000 crore. It will also be showcased in 'Emerging Kerala Global Connect' at Kochi from September 12-14.

"If all preparatory works progress on schedule and the project starts by April 2013 as planned, the first phase is expected to be completed in five years and the second in the following two years. The whole project should be complete by 2020," said T Balakrishnan, CMD, Kerala High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (KHSRCL).

"Work of drawing up the Detailed Project Report is now on. Alignment study/survey has started; preparatory work on land acquisition has also begun. Recruitment of key personnel has begun," Balakrishnan,a former bureaucrat, told.

Nine stations are proposed initially - Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur Kasaragod and in the final stretch to Mangalore in Karnataka.

Three more at Chengannur, Tirur and Thalassery, would come up at a later stage.

The total corridor length (upto Mangalore) would be around 571 km and it will have two parallel tracks each in standard gauge systems, independent of existing rail network in Kerala.

The government has appointed Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation as the nodal agency for the project, which could transform lives and economy by facilitating hassle free movement between cities and towns in “God’s own country.”

"A public transport system of this dimension has so many advantages. Most important,it will help reduce traffic density and improve road safety," said KSIDC Managing Director Alkesh Sharma.

"If you look at it as a purely financial project it may not sound viable since the financial rate of return is estimated at around 5.2 per cent. But it becomes viable and massively so, as an economic project.A high speed rail network covering India can boost economic growth rate by upto 1.5 per cent and then there will be incremental growth as distances come down," Balakrishnan said.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has prepared the pre-feasibility study and meeting at the PMO level has given the green signal to all departments concerned.

An all-party meeting at the state-level to form a consensus has been very positive.

"We have started discussing funding options with various agencies, including Japan's JICA and ADB. It's in the early stages and nothing has been finalized yet. However, during the Emerging Kerala event, we expect a lot of international companies and financing agencies to take part. The project will be discussed with them and more options may emerge from these discussions," said the KHSRCL CMD.

The DMRC recommended model in the feasibility report is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) owned by the Central and Kerala governments with Japanese participation. "But a final decision on this has not been taken yet and the government is keeping all options open, including PPP and hybrid models," he said.

On the technology, he said it was not an issue at all as that was already available worldwide.

"If we go by the DMRC recommendation, we can get it from Japan as a whole package, technology, funding, implementation everything. But it is also available elsewhere, in Europe, Korea and even in China, although the Chinese technology has not been fully tested and proven," he said.

About the Karnataka government's response to the project which extends to Mangalore, he said they had welcomed it.

"Karnataka actually wants it to be extended to Udupi, thinking it will attract greater traffic from Kerala, especially as a pilgrimage centre," he added.

Kerala

Kerala’s high speed rail project to be on track soon
Thiruvananthapuram: Billed as the biggest and most expensive infrastructure projects conceived by Kerala, a high speed rail corridor for India's first bullet train is one of the mega projects the state plans to implement.

On completion, it will enable one travel from Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram to the state's northern most point Kasaragod in 142 minutes, covering a distance of 526 km.

The project may sound unbelievable, especially in the case of Kerala lagging in industry and infrastructure development for decades.

Estimated to cost Rs 1,18,000 crore on completion, the first phase is expected to cost Rs 43,000 crore. It will also be showcased in 'Emerging Kerala Global Connect' at Kochi from September 12-14.

"If all preparatory works progress on schedule and the project starts by April 2013 as planned, the first phase is expected to be completed in five years and the second in the following two years. The whole project should be complete by 2020," said T Balakrishnan, CMD, Kerala High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (KHSRCL).

"Work of drawing up the Detailed Project Report is now on. Alignment study/survey has started; preparatory work on land acquisition has also begun. Recruitment of key personnel has begun," Balakrishnan,a former bureaucrat, told.

Nine stations are proposed initially - Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur Kasaragod and in the final stretch to Mangalore in Karnataka.

Three more at Chengannur, Tirur and Thalassery, would come up at a later stage.

The total corridor length (upto Mangalore) would be around 571 km and it will have two parallel tracks each in standard gauge systems, independent of existing rail network in Kerala.

The government has appointed Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation as the nodal agency for the project, which could transform lives and economy by facilitating hassle free movement between cities and towns in “God’s own country.”

"A public transport system of this dimension has so many advantages. Most important,it will help reduce traffic density and improve road safety," said KSIDC Managing Director Alkesh Sharma.

"If you look at it as a purely financial project it may not sound viable since the financial rate of return is estimated at around 5.2 per cent. But it becomes viable and massively so, as an economic project.A high speed rail network covering India can boost economic growth rate by upto 1.5 per cent and then there will be incremental growth as distances come down," Balakrishnan said.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has prepared the pre-feasibility study and meeting at the PMO level has given the green signal to all departments concerned.

An all-party meeting at the state-level to form a consensus has been very positive.

"We have started discussing funding options with various agencies, including Japan's JICA and ADB. It's in the early stages and nothing has been finalized yet. However, during the Emerging Kerala event, we expect a lot of international companies and financing agencies to take part. The project will be discussed with them and more options may emerge from these discussions," said the KHSRCL CMD.

The DMRC recommended model in the feasibility report is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) owned by the Central and Kerala governments with Japanese participation. "But a final decision on this has not been taken yet and the government is keeping all options open, including PPP and hybrid models," he said.

On the technology, he said it was not an issue at all as that was already available worldwide.

"If we go by the DMRC recommendation, we can get it from Japan as a whole package, technology, funding, implementation everything. But it is also available elsewhere, in Europe, Korea and even in China, although the Chinese technology has not been fully tested and proven," he said.

About the Karnataka government's response to the project which extends to Mangalore, he said they had welcomed it.

"Karnataka actually wants it to be extended to Udupi, thinking it will attract greater traffic from Kerala, especially as a pilgrimage centre," he added.

Kerala

[Matrixx]

Wow..looking awesome....dying to ride them

[harpoon]

Misplaced priorities.

[Fazlu]

HSR in a state with limited infrastructure and limited industrial output sounds over ambitious.

[Ajaxpaul]

Did you guys see the amount ? WTF ?

Kerala needs more trains and tracks connecting to different states. Not HST.

[harpoon]

HSR in a state with limited infrastructure and limited industrial output sounds over ambitious.

HSR doesn't carry goods .As far as Kerala is concerned, it can be considered as a one big city with varying amounts of population densities along the way...but I am against HSR. What we need ASAP is a north-south express highway.

[Ajaxpaul]

HSR doesn't carry goods .As far as Kerala is concerned, it can be considered as a one big city with varying amounts of population densities along the way...but I am against HSR. What we need ASAP is a north-south express highway.

but wont that split kerala into 2 ?

[harpoon]

but wont that split kerala into 2 ?

Doesn't HSR do the same also. Anyways who said these words..is it Sugathakumary teacher or Achu Mama

[black_jack]

priority should be given to Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor

[harpoon]

priority should be given to Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor

How about building Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad exclusive goods corridor so that the existing trains can speeded up.

Har train bangega Rajdhani

[Ajaxpaul]

I think Mumbai Ahm Delhi should be the first HSR.

[jaiind]

oh god 100 corers per 1km !!! with that 100 corers our railway would provide better infrastructure such as double broad gauge lines in the business and industrial corridors.so that the transportation of goods and passenger services would be easier,cheap,and feasible to boost the economy. Just let us assume some things in reality,some accidents were happened to our trains at the speeds 80-150 km/h.then how could these state and central governments is thinking feasibility about the bullet trains that travels nearly above 300km/h???

[black_jack]

How about building Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad exclusive goods corridor so that the existing trains can speeded up.

Har train bangega Rajdhani

Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad route will provide quick return of money .
You cant compare HSR with dedicated corridor .

[Sashan]

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As a side note Central cabinet committee cleared the Rs 5000 crore Kochi Metro today. It will have 26 kms and will have 23 stations.