After a long wait, there is finally a concrete sign that India will get its first bullet train. The Indian railways had formed a company known as HSRC Ltd in the month of July, 2012, without giving the general public much notification. This company will be used for the bullet train project.
It is expected that Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal will be announcing more details about the project when he reads out his first Rail Budget next month. However, even before India made a formal announcement on the huge project, Takeshi Yagi, Japan’s ambassador to India hinted that the first high speed train could run between Ahmadabad and Mumbai.
If the project materializes, then it would be a blessing for business travelers in the country, who commute between the two financial hubs. Travel time could be reduced to just two hours from the existing eight. However for this to take shape, the Rail Bhawan will have to seek Rs. 20,000 crore in support from potential investors. This could even be a public-private partnership project.
At the same time, finding resources from private parties can be quite a task, looking at the current market situation. If the project materializes, then it could be a gem for the Indian Railways and will allow for greater convenience for the general public.
