Mumbai: Indian Railways’ plan of launching the high-speed bullet train on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route has picked up momentum with agencies involved in its manufacturing and building associated infrastructure are determined to come up with complete indigenous version of it.
“If everything goes as per the plan, the made in India version of the bullet train will run at an average speed of 250 kilometres per hour (kmph). Engineers engaged in production of the train claim that the train will touch up to the speed of 300 kmph,” said a senior officer of the Railway Board, who is looking after the project.
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The officer further said that India is moving ahead to develop indigenous technology to ensure domestic manufacturing of bullet trains and associated signalling systems for future standard gauge high-speed corridors. The implementation of significant infrastructure projects, including the bullet train initiative, is expected to pick up momentum after the return of the ‘double engine’ government in Maharashtra.
The bullet trains, officials said, would be developed on the current Vande Bharat platform. “The signalling systems for these corridors will facilitate the development of Kavach 5.0, representing the most sophisticated automatic train protection technology,” a railway ministry official said, adding that the land acquisition for the 320-kilometres high speed corridor is complete and physical infrastructure work is ready.
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According to the railway ministry official, the launch of the first bullet train in collaboration with Japan would empower the engineers in India to plan future high-speed corridors from their experience of working with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. “India will soon become fully capable of making bullet trains that can touch speeds of up to 300 kmph and average at 250 kmph operational speed,” he added.
Regarding India’s indigenous bullet train development strategy, the second official explained, “Engineers are striving to improve suspension system of indigenously developed coaches of the bullet trains, which may take some time as power train and body will require significant development. They will take around three years to be ready,” sand another officer.
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Addressing questions about the future of Shinkansen suppliers, the second official clarified, “We do not want to stop Japanese collaboration. Negotiation is ongoing regarding the supply deal for these modern trains that will run on the MAHSR corridor, whose civil works are almost 50% complete.”
The Railway Board has already commissioned Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to produce bullet trains capable of 280-300 kmph speeds. BEML has been engaged by the railway production unit to manufacture these trains for ₹866.87 crore. BEML has set the price at ₹27.86 crore per coach. The contract value includes design expenses, development costs, non-recurring charges, and expenditure for jigs, fixtures, tooling and testing facilities.
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Buoyed by the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Central government is contemplating launching the feasibility survey to launch bullet train projects in northern, eastern and southern India soon.
