India unveils stations design of first high speed bullet train project

Ahmedabad (Urban Transport News): The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) on Thursday unveiled the stations design for upcoming stations at Sabarmati and Saraspur near Kalupur along with the plans for the multi-modal transport hub at Kalupur and Sabarmati. The construction work is likely to start by April 2020.

Bullet Train Fare

Informing on the proposed fares, Achal Khare, Managing Director of NHSRCL said that the one-way fare of the bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is estimated to be Rs 3,000 at current rates. He gave the figure on the basis of a ‘willingness to pay survey’ carried out by the Indo-Japanese joint venture during the feasibility report. Khare further said that a number of factors affect the pricing decision and it is difficult to ascertain a number for the future.

But the ‘willingness to pay survey’ carried out by us showed that passengers including those travelling by airlines and railways were ready to pay 1.5 times the fare of a first-class coach. In general terms, it comes to around Rs 3,000 at current rates.

Speed and Operations

The high-speed bullet train, with an average speed of 320 km/h, will cover the distance of 508 km in 2 hours. The project is set to complete by December 2023. NHSRCL officials said that at its peak, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed rail corridor will have 70 trains (35 up and 35 down) from Sabarmati in Ahmedabad and Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

Land Acquisition

Replying a question on the current status of land acquisition Khare said that about 360 hectares (nearly 50%) of the land acquisition — 2,600-plus plots out of the required 5,400-plus privately-owned ones in Gujarat has been completed with consent agreement with payment done. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited, implementing the Country's first bullet train project, has already issued tenders for four major civil works on the route including the construction of viaducts and an undersea tunnel in Maharashtra.