MUMBAI: The first Shinkansen E5 bullet train meant to ply on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor at speeds up to 320 kmph (kilometres per hour) will take at least two years to arrive from Japan. Indian Railways is currently in talks with its Japanese counterparts, following which the latter will finalise the schedule for manufacturing and supplying the trains to India. The 508-km bullet train corridor will also be used to test the semi-high-speed trains with operational speeds of 250 kmph.
On Saturday, senior railway officials said they would place orders for the Shinkansen E5 trains by the end of the year. “Talks are currently on,” said an official from the National High Speed Rail Corridor (NHSRCL). The maximum speed of these trains is 350 kmph, though they will operate at 320 kmph.
NHSRCL is also positive about running the semi-high-speed trains, which have an operational speed of 250 kmph. “We were approached for testing these semi-high-speed trains in the future, to which we have agreed,” said a senior NHSRCL official.
There is every possibility that the semi-high-speed trains capable of running at 250 kmph will in future replace premium trains such as Rajdhani and Shatabdi, which run at 130 kmph. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) had invited a tender on September 5 to manufacture two chair-car high-speed trains. The stainless-steel car-body trains will have a maximum speed of 280 kmph and an operational speed of 250 kmph.
On September 19, which was the last day for submitting bids, BEML Ltd, a public sector company, came forward and expressed an interest in manufacturing the two semi high-speed trains. Railway sources said that the manufacturing of the two trains was expected to take more than two years, with a probable cost of ₹200 crore to ₹250 crore per train. Designed as eight-car trains, these trains are expected to have a seating capacity of 174 passengers.
{{/usCountry}}On September 19, which was the last day for submitting bids, BEML Ltd, a public sector company, came forward and expressed an interest in manufacturing the two semi high-speed trains. Railway sources said that the manufacturing of the two trains was expected to take more than two years, with a probable cost of ₹200 crore to ₹250 crore per train. Designed as eight-car trains, these trains are expected to have a seating capacity of 174 passengers.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the bullet train is expected to have two options. In the first option, it will halt at all 12 stations, taking the time of the entire journey to three hours. The other option of limited halts will cut down the travel time. In the 508-km route, 351 km will pass through Gujarat and 157 km will pass through Maharashtra. Work on the first undersea tunnel between BKC-Thane has begun near Ghansoli. Eventually, there will be 35 bullet trains with 10 coaches each making 70 daily trips.
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