India will not only get its first bullet train in the near future, but there will also be an underwater rail corridor through which it will pass, providing the extra thrill of riding underwater.
The first route will be from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and the rail corridor will measure 21 km.
While passing from Thane creek towards Virar, there is a proposed underwater rail corridor which will be a tunnel, measuring roughly 21 km. as was mentioned in a report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The bullet train corridor will be built with the help of the joint efforts of the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) and Japan.
The project is estimated to cost around ₹ 97,636 crore, 81% of which will come from the funding obtained by a loan from Japan. The loan agreement also states that signalling, power systems, and other equipment will be imported from Japan. The agreement will be signed towards the end of the year and construction is expected to begin by the end of the year 2018.
The bullet train will cover a distance of 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in under two hours.
Operating at a maximum running speed of 350 kph and a maximum operating speed of 320 kph, the journey will take roughly two hours. In comparison to this, the fastest running train between the two cities right now is the Duronto Express which takes seven hours for a one-way journey.
The Railway Board Chairman along with the vice-chairman of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and the secretaries of the Departments of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Economic Affairs, and Foreign Ministry have formed a joint committee for timely completion of this project.
This is a huge step in Transforming India and the national transport industry will benefit hugely from this.
News source: The Indian Express
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