Work on INDIA's BULLET TRAIN is underway in Full Swing

[Stephen Cohen]

Ride under the sea! Drilling the 7-km route of undersea bullet train project at full swing

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...roject-at-full-swing/articleshow/57232725.cms

 

[Stephen Cohen]

NEW DELHI: Drilling of the seven-km undersea route of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad rail corridor is underway to ascertain soil condition of India's first bullet train path.

Passengers will get the thrill of riding under the sea, a first in the country, near Thane at a maximum speed of 350 km per hour in the upcoming high speed train project connecting two major metropolis.

"Soil and rocks below the 70-metre-deep see are being tested as part of the geo-technical and geo-physical investigation undertaken for the entire project," said a senior Railway Ministry official, adding "the test will also cover the 21-km-long underground tunnel between Thane and Virar."

Barring the 21-km-long tunnel, most part of the 508-km- long corridor is proposed to be on the elevated track while there will be a stretch after Thane creek towards Virar which will go under the sea as per the detailed project report by JICA, the funding agency of the project.

Railways opted for an elevated corridor to avoid land acquisitions and the need to build underpasses.

The tunnel was necessitated to protect the thick vegetation in that area, said the official.

The geo-investigation is crucial for the project as it would ascertain the bearing capacity of the soil below 70 feet at the sea.

Estimated to cost about Rs 97,636 crore, 81 per cent of the funding for the project will come by way of a loan from Japan. The project cost includes possible cost escalation, interest during construction and import duties.

The survey is likely to be followed by the final location survey to mark the alignment and exact spots for the pillars on which trains will run at higher speed to reduce the travelling time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad drastically.

Currently it takes about seven hours to travel between the two cities and the bullet train aims to reduce it to about two hours.

Construction of the corridor is expected to start in 2018 and is estimated to be completed by 2023.

JICA agreed to fund 81 per cent of the total project cost through a 50-year loan at an interest rate of 0.1 per cent and a moratorium on repayments up to 15 years.

 

[schoolboy]

A criminal waste of money IMO. Far better they upgraded existing stations, quadrupled the major lines, improved catering, replaced rolling stock sooner.

Instead we have this vanity project that will likely require highly subsidised tickets to lure travellers away from air travel.

 

[Stephen Cohen]

A criminal waste of money IMO. Far better they upgraded existing stations, quadrupled the major lines, improved catering, replaced rolling stock sooner.

Instead we have this vanity project that will likely require highly subsidised tickets to lure travellers away from air travel.

Other things will also be done

But India will be a FIVE trillion economy by 2030

An economy of this size is expected to have at least ONE Bullet Train

JAPAN is giving perhaps the MOST generous loan package ever

 

[Śakra]

They should bore 4 tunnels, 2 for the bullet trains and 2 for metro to Navi Mumbai airport.

 

[danger007]

Gujrat first...

 

[Śakra]

Gujrat first...

Yea I find that stupid af too. It should be from Delhi to Bombay but our Chakravartin needs to give to his janmabhumi first.

 

[danger007]

Yea I find that stupid af too. It should be from Delhi to Bombay but our Chakravartin needs to give to his janmabhumi first.

yes.. he is still acting like random politician.. be it crop loan waiver. it is more a election stunt .. it's been 3yrs almost, many farmers committed suicide in lot of states.. he spend most of time either criticizing congess or praising note ban..

 

[Śakra]

yes.. he is still acting like random politician.. be it crop loan waiver. it is more a election stunt .. it's been 3yrs almost, many farmers committed suicide in lot of states.. he spend most of time either criticizing congess or praising note ban..

His ideas are bold and innovative but he wastes them for political gains or lacklusterly applies them (this bullet train should connect metros, demonetization, etc). Maharashtra has Shivaji, Punjab has Ranjit Singh, Delhi has Akbar, I suppose he wants to be the one for Gujarat.

 

[schoolboy]

An economy of this size is expected to have at least ONE Bullet Train

That's a silly justification. What does economy have to do with vanity projects. The US does not have a bullet train either - despite being the biggest economy.

JAPAN is giving perhaps the MOST generous loan package ever

My objection is not about loan / gift / revenue accruals - i.e. source of funding - rather it is about the judicious use of money. Are we a country with tons of money to spare that we can indulge in such expensive projects that confer very doubtful utility.

Time

Today the travel time Mumbai to Ahmedabad is 6.2 hours by Shatabdi. Shatabdi uses normal track that costs about Rs 13-15 crores / km. By air the time is about 30 minutes.

Bullet train track costs will be >Rs 100 crore / km. That track will also likely be exclusive - making its use limited to the bullet trains. Travel time estimates are about 2-3 hours. I'm sure Bullet trains will have a greater degree of security procedures prior to boarding and that time will likely increase.

So we spend 7x the cost of track infrastructure just to save 3-4 hours!? If someone is in a hurry he will simply take a flight. If not 6 hrs is pretty ok.

Cost

Flight tickets are easily available for Rs. 1,500-2,500.

Bullet train costs will certainly be more than current Shatabdi 1A prices. The shatabdi price is Rs 1855 and it's absolutely noncompetitive against air fare.

If Bullet fares are equal to or higher than this nobody will use it simply because flights are cheaper.

Think about it. If you had to pay Rs 2,500 for a bullet train ticket on this sector - would you not simply look at flight prices and say - if I'm spending so much I may as well take a flight?

 

[Crixus]

Its like those brit anchors who always cry for Indian poors after each ISRO mile stone like Manglan yan , chandaryan and launch of 104 satellites .....

Other things will also be done

But India will be a FIVE trillion economy by 2030

An economy of this size is expected to have at least ONE Bullet Train

JAPAN is giving perhaps the MOST generous loan package ever

Gujrat has Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel and the selection of tracks is always on economic feasibility of the project .... the other route might be Chennai and Banglore ... but Mumbai and Ahemdabad is most feasible

His ideas are bold and innovative but he wastes them for political gains or lacklusterly applies them (this bullet train should connect metros, demonetization, etc). Maharashtra has Shivaji, Punjab has Ranjit Singh, Delhi has Akbar, I suppose he wants to be the one for Gujarat.

 

[Śakra]

Gujrat has Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel

We all know how lackluster those two have been. Modi wants to be the lion of Gujarat.

Peons: Where should we put our 1st bullet train?
Modi: Gujarat
Peons: Where should we put our international trading centre?
Modi: Gujarat
Peons: Where should we build World's tallest statue
Modi: Gujarat
Peons: New Delhi is close too the border, where should we move the capital
Modi: Gujarat
Peons: India is a foreign name, what should we rename India?
Modi: Gujarat

election of tracks is always on economic feasibility of the project

Delhi to Bombay is the most economic. They'll soon see Gujaratis live up to their stereotype and the train won't be used.

 

[NirmalKrish]

Yea I find that stupid af too. It should be from Delhi to Bombay but our Chakravartin needs to give to his janmabhumi first.

While you're at it please connect one from Chennai to Delhi! Chennai to Mumbai

 

[randomradio]

We all know how lackluster those two have been. Modi wants to be the lion of Gujarat.

Peons: Where should we put our 1st bullet train?
Modi: Gujarat
Peons: Where should we put our international trading centre?
Modi: Gujarat
Peons: Where should we build World's tallest statue
Modi: Gujarat
Peons: New Delhi is close too the border, where should we move the capital
Modi: Gujarat
Peons: India is a foreign name, what should we rename India?
Modi: Gujarat



Delhi to Bombay is the most economic. They'll soon see Gujaratis live up to their stereotype and the train won't be used.

There's nothing wrong with the bullet train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. There are a lot of flights between the two cities, so it has relevance.

https://flights.makemytrip.com/makemytrip/search/O/O/E/1/0/0/S/V0/BOM_AMD_20-02-2017

And by choosing Gujarat, where land acquisition is easier, it is not a surprise that the govt chose it for our first bullet train line. A well run project will boost the confidence for other projects.

Bullet trains will come under the Diamond Quadrilateral project.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...promises-manoj-sinha/articleshow/52962416.cms

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/repor...amond-quadrilateral-bullet-train-plan-2129955

 

[Śakra]

There's nothing wrong with the bullet train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. There are a lot of flights between the two cities, so it has relevance.

https://flights.makemytrip.com/makemytrip/search/O/O/E/1/0/0/S/V0/BOM_AMD_20-02-2017

And there are 10x more from Delhi to Bombay
https://flights.makemytrip.com/makemytrip/search/O/O/E/1/0/0/S/V0/BOM_DEL_20-02-2017