Why India needs a bullet train: 

Why India needs a bullet train: 

Context

This visionary Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project (popularly known as the bullet train project) will herald a new era of safety, speed and service and help the Indian Railways craft a pathway to becoming a global leader in scale, technology and skill.

Why is this project a transformational leap in India’s transportation history?

Following are the five reasons how this project would be a transformational leap in India’s transportation history:

1.       Attractive low-cost long-term financing:

• As a part of a agreement between India and Japan, Japan will provide soft loan of about Rs. 90,000 crore at a interest rate of 0.1 per cent over 50 years.
• India is getting the loan for the MAHSR at close to almost zero cost.
• This saves any strain on existing financial resources, as more than 80 per cent of the project cost is being funded by Japan in this way.
• It is for the first time that an infrastructure project of this size and magnitude is being funded on such favorable terms.

2.       Stimulus for advanced components’ manufacture and construction:

• One of the stated objectives of the project is “Make in India”, which is being auctioned even before the commissioning of the project.
• As per the agreement between the two governments, the MAHSR Project has “localised manufacture” and “transfer of technology” as twin.
• The construction sector in India is also expected to get a big boost not only in terms of works contracts but also with respect to new technology and work culture.

3.       Professional capacity-building:

• A dedicated High Speed Rail Training Institute is being developed at Vadodara.
• This institute will be functional by the end of 2020, and have facilities to train about 4,000 staff in the next three years, who will then be utilized for operation and maintenance.
• They will also serve as a backbone for the development of other high speed corridors in India.

4.       Speed:

• There are two types of services proposed : “rapid train” service with only two stops at Surat and Vadodara and a slower service that halts at 10 stations en route.
• The “rapid train” would complete the journey in 2 hours and 7 minutes, while the slower service would take 2 hours and 58 minutes.
• This is widely expected to enable the railway system to begin winning back the creamy layer of higher-fare paying passengers in inter-city routes.

5.       Cutting edge operational technology:

• India is getting cutting-edge operational technology in totality.
• The Shinkansen technology is renowned for its reliability and safety.
• Thus, the project is set to provide reliable and comfortable service with high standards of safety.
• The technology regarding disaster predictions and preventions will also be acquired as part of the project.

Conclusion

We should be careful not to confuse leapfrogging technology development with elitism, whether it is mobile phones, satellite launches, regional air-connectivity or high-speed rail. This bullet train project will therefore help the Indian Railways to become a global leader in scale, technology and skill.