NHSRCL builds training tracks for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail

New Delhi (Urban Transport News): The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has recently completed the construction of 50 meters training tracks for India's first High-Speed Rail Corridor. This track will be used for the training of NHSRCL personnel to be deployed for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. The tracks slabs are made from high strength concrete which is being used for Japan's Shinkansen technology. The tracks are developed by the NHSRCL at High-Speed Rail Training Institute. The tracks include one 50 meters straight line and another same length for a curved line.

The Company is also setting up a High-Speed Rail Training Institute at an estimated cost of Rs. 600 crores on the campus area of National Academy of Indian Railways, Vadodara. The training institute will train manpower to be recruited in high-speed rails. Of the total Rs 600 crores budget, Rs.38 crores will be spent on the 1st phase of the project. Earlier we have reported that first consignment containing Japanese goods like 20 track slabs, 200-meter rails and 13 mm diameter reinforcement bars have already reached the campus area of National Academy of Indian Railways, Vadodara.

The 508 Km-long High-Speed Rail corridor requires more than one lakh such track slabs to lay the tracks for the bullet train. According to the recent updates shared by the NHSRCL, India's first bullet train will have about 28 seismometers installed along the route especially in earthquake-prone regions like Konya, Latur, and Kutch. These seismometers will ensure that the bullet train can be stopped immediately in case of earthquake tremors. "This system detects earthquake-induced tremors which determine the expected effect of the earthquake and sends out warning signals to the operation command control and triggers emergency brake to the bullet trains if required. Critical damage and human casualties will be averted due to the installation of such a system", said an NHSRCL official.

In December 2018, a team of Japanese experts came to India to study and select six locations for installation of these devices after examining 10m x 12m plot for installing a seismometer. The Government of India through NHSRCL has recently announced a nationwide competition to name the bullet train which will run from Mumbai to Ahmedabad by 2022. The name and mascot should represent the true nature of high-speed rail and all the socio-economic benefits that will come with the introduction of this technology in India. According to the instruction for the participant in the competition, there will be two separate entries for bullet train name and mascot design.

The selected entry will be awarded a cash prize and five consolation entries. For mascot design, the winning prize is Rs 1,00,000 and five consolation prize of Rs 10,000 each will be awarded as well. For the train set name, the winning prize amount is Rs 50,000 and five consolation prize of Rs 5,000 each also be given. The NHSRCL is implementing India's first high-speed rail corridor project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The total length of the proposed corridor works is 508.17 km. The route of Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail will be passing through two states, Maharashtra and Gujarat and one Union Territory, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.