Union minister blames Uddhav for delay in bullet train project

Union minister of railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Wednesday took a dig at former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for the delay in implementation of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project

Union minister of railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Wednesday took a dig at former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for the delay in implementation of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

New Delhi, India - Feb. 1, 2023: Union Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw address a Press Conference on General Budget 2023 at Rail Bhavan, in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

“The bullet train project is making good progress right now. The Uddhav Thackeray-led government was not giving permissions but ever since the new government came to power, approvals for the project have been faster. This year, we are focusing on expediting the project work in Maharashtra,” Vaishnaw said.

One of the main reasons for the delay was the land acquisition in Maharashtra. However, railway officials said 98.87% of the land had been acquired for the 508-km-long route - 98.76% in Maharashtra and 98.91% in Gujarat. The cost of the bullet train project is estimated at ₹1.08 lakh crore.

The Indian Railways is also looking at ramping up the production of Vande Bharat trains. Vaishnaw said a new product takes time to stabilise and this is the case with Vande Bharat as well.

The minister also spoke about Vande Metro - a concept where two cities or towns, located at a shorter distance from each other, would be connected with smaller Vande Bharat trains. Apart from ICF in Chennai, the ministry has identified the railway workshops in Latur, Sonipat and Rai Bareilly where these trains will be manufactured.

By December, the railways is also expected to introduce the first hydrogen train. Besides, redevelopment of 1,275 stations, including CSMT, will be taken up, officials said

The union budget for 2023-24 made the highest-ever allocation for Indian Railways with ₹2.40 lakh crore outlay – a rise of 65.6% compared to the last fiscal year, and nine times more than the allocation in 2013-14.