{"id":182544,"date":"2017-09-29T04:59:45","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T23:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=182544"},"modified":"2017-10-03T15:21:34","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T09:51:34","slug":"indias-first-high-speed-rail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/indias-first-high-speed-rail\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s First High Speed Rail"},"content":{"rendered":"

By S. Sivathasan<\/a> –<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

S. Sivathasan<\/p><\/div>\n

In the annals of India, 14<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> September 2017 has become a historic day. India\u2019s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan\u2019s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid the foundation for India\u2019s first High Speed Rail (HSR). There is another remarkable first. On the date of commencement of construction was announced the date of completion – August 15, 2022. A clean 5 year span also marking the 75 th year of India\u2019s independence. <\/span><\/p>\n

What is clearly evident are; India\u2019s growing level of confidence to conceive large with timely accomplishment, ever developing technical and administrative capability to match Japan\u2019s and rising fund of goodwill between the two super powers. Still more significant are, political stability being in place and prospects of same party continuity, remaining assured. Pronouncement of a neat 5 years is also encouraged by a well laid out cashflow of $ 18.6 billion, of which 81% is funded by Japan. This is a soft loan repayable in 50 years, along with an 18 year moratorium and carrying an interest of 0.1% <\/span><\/p>\n

Mumbai \u2013 Ahmedabad (M-A) HSR\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Mumbai is the state capital of Maharashtra while Ahmedabad is the largest city of Gujarat, 23 km away from Gandhinagar the state capital. The HSR or Shinkansen – New Trunk Line – in Japanese is popularly called \u2018Bullet Train\u2019. It was Japan\u2019s first, operational from October 1964. MA HSR, India\u2019s first will be delivered in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n

This HSR having a speed of 320 \u2013 350 kmh will traverse a distance of 508 km. High speed will reduce travel time of current 8 hours to 2 hrs. It is proposed that 471 km of the line will be constructed over the existing railway route, at an elevation of 18 metres. Tunnels to a length of 21 km will also be constructed. This strategy eliminates the need for consuming new land together with the attendant issues of acquisition and construction of underpasses.<\/span><\/p>\n

India and Japan Compared<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In 2015, Japan was world\u2019s first in carrying 9 billion passengers. India came second in carrying 8.2 billion. In respect of passenger kilo metres (pkm) travelled, India was world\u2019s second with 1,147 billion pkm in 2015. In the same year, Japan recorded 260 billion pkm and ranked third. The above performance was recorded when India had the 3<\/span>rd<\/sup><\/span> longest rail network at 115,000 km while Japan had 27,268 km.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Image of Japan\u2019s High Speed Rail<\/p><\/div>\n

The contrasting statistics between the two nations reflect the variance between passenger demand and response of technology. India has opted for Japan as the provider of choice and many more years if not decades of collaboration are foreseeable.<\/span><\/p>\n

India and China<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Recent years were occupied by India\u2019s meaningful engagements with Japan and China in mapping out a network of HSR lines to honeycomb the country and to connect major cities. As of now Japan has a few more in hand where feasibility studies are proceeding. China too is carrying out studies in certain major projects, of which the most prominent is the Chennai \u2013 Delhi HSR. When done it will be the world\u2019s second longest at 2200 km, after China\u2019s longest with 2298 km, Beijing \u2013 Guangzhou BG HSR.<\/span><\/p>\n

China as the world knows it has an enviable achievement in railway development. She has the second longest rail network at 124,000 km and recorded 1,196 billion pkm in 2015. China\u2019s HSR in 2016 was in excess of 22,000 km and seeks to reach 38,000 km in 2025. As of now top speed reached by BG HSR is 430 kph. At this speed it remains the fastest commercial train in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2008\/2009 recession struck the world, threatening even a depression. China\u2019s response was not scaling down HSR but expansion in order to stimulate growth. Hence the heavy investment and staggering development. The network is now spread across 29 of the 33 provinces. <\/span><\/p>\n

India is now poised to draw on the technology, human resources and finances of two of the greatest powers in Asia; Japan and China. India has the technical maturity for collaboration and even to go in for reverse engineering in order to get the best from both these behemoths. At this propitious moment is Modi\u2019s \u2018Make in India\u2019 dictum. India has now the potential to develop her own HSR technology in a decade or less. With an array of IITs even Maglev \u2013 Magnetic Levitation \u2013 at HSR speeds of 320 kph and more is within her grasp. It is likely that as India\u2019s international relations too have got into place, two giants will propel the third into the orbit of exponential HSR growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Modi\u2019s Role<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Mumbai \u2013 Ahmedabad HSR with a host of other HS rails flow from Modi\u2019s exalted thinking. On 14<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> September 2017, after inaugurating work on this project he said that his mind had no appetite for small endeavours. At all times only large ones engaged his attention. As Prime Minister he has displayed another characteristic. Convert thought into action and present the end product. So it has been with HSR.<\/span><\/p>\n

Late Hon. Madhavarao Scindia, a former Railways Minister, reputed for farsightedness envisaged HSR for India and started work on a study. Congress government followed on it with only studies and discussions, but stopped short of bringing anything concrete. Modi had the verve for relentless pursuit. \u201cStop not till the goal is reached\u201d said his mentor Swami Vivekananda.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many may think, only one does. What many recall is the world\u2019s first autobahn envisaged by Germany, but made into reality by Hitler\u2019s forceful personality, even in economically inauspicious times. Modi\u2019s powerful character succeeds even in the anarchic disarray of democratic governance. <\/span><\/p>\n

With HSR he has plumbed new ground to chart a fresh course for India\u2019s transportation challenge. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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