High-speed Mumbai-Nagpur train corridor can slash travel time by 50%

The fastest Duronto Express between the two cities departs from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 8.15 pm and reaches Nagpur the next day at 7.30 am

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) plans to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of a high speed 753 km railway corridor that is expected to cut the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur by half from over 11 hours currently to just six, officials aware of the matter said.

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The fastest Duronto Express between the two cities departs from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 8.15 pm and reaches Nagpur the next day at 7.30 am.

“The speed of [bullet] trains between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will be 320 km per hour [along an under-construction high-speed corridor]. ...the exact speed and time [trains will take along the Mumbai-Nagpur corridor] will be determined after the DPR is prepared but we expect to reduce the travel time by up to 50%.” said an NHSRCL official.

NHSRCL on Tuesday floated a tender for a survey to identify overhead, overground and underground utilities that will be required for the proposed corridor.

The survey will also include identification of power sourcing options for substations along the Mumbai-Nashik-Nagpur high-speed railway corridor.

“DPR will be prepared on the basis of the details we get from the survey. It will be crucial as it will determine the area required, the pathway of the railway corridor, and other technicalities. Once data is received, we will begin preparing the DPR,” said another NHSRCL official.

Passenger associations have welcomed the move and said the proposed high-speed railway corridor will help Maharashtra’s economy. “The capital of Maharashtra is Mumbai but Nagpur is a very important city. The reduction in travel time will not just help passengers but will also businesses,” said Subash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad.