Next, a Bullet Train from Chennai to New Delhi?

A clear indication to this was the recent statement of NITI Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya’s in Beijing, China that a feasibility study was underway with Chinese officials. SR sources confirmed that a 6-member Chinese team conducted a feasibility study to increase the speed of existing trains on the Chennai – Bengaluru stretch to 200 kmph, three months ago. 

The Chennai–New Delhi Bullet train proposal if comes through will be a boon for travellers, who currently spend 30 hours traversing the 1000 plus kilometre stretch between the two destinations, as it would cut a lot of time.

Mr. Panagariya’s statement that finance was vital due to the huge cost involved, as such trains cannot use conventional rolling stock or the present rails and sleepers. He stated that if finance was an issue then the alternative would be electrification of further stretches. 

India’s romance with Bullet trains started after Lalu Yadav as railway minister rode one in Japan in 2009. In December the same year, railway minister Mamta Banerjee introduced a white paper in Parliament envisaging regional high speed trains with speeds between 250 – 350 kmph. In 2013, a Japanese consortium was appointed to conduct a feasibility study for such trains between New Delhi and Ahmedabad in 2015. 

Bullet trains (Shinkansen in Japanese) are either conventional wheeled with speeds of 440 Kmph or use Maglev (magnetic levitation) clocking more than 600 kmph. Even if the Indian railways opt for conventional wheeled bullet trains, new tracks are essential as such trains use standard gauge and not broad gauge. They also require swingnose crossing points and level crossing free tracks. Sources said that in an Indian scenario, this would mean elevated tracks to overcome this problem. Laying of special tracks means that tunnels are necessary as bullet trains due to their speeds need a minimum curve radius and go through and not around hurdles. The train itself will consist of electric multiple units of a maximum 10 coaches as against 24 coaches in present superfast trains.