Team News Riveting
With 63.4 per cent land acquired so far, the ambitious high-speed bullet train project in India is likely to get delayed.
The authorities are however working on a plan to launch at least a portion of the project by August 2022 to mark the country’s 75 years of Independence.
“In a linear project like the bullet train project, work can only begin when a certain amount of land is available. While 82 per cent of the land has been acquired in Gujarat, in Maharashtra land acquisition is only at 23 per cent,” Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav said.
So far, 63.4 per cent land or 885 hectares out of 1,396 hectares, has been acquired for the bullet train. However, the speed of land acquisition remains a point of concern.
Amid reports of India’s first bullet train project facing a massive delay of about 5 years, the Railways came forward to explain its stand. It made it clear that the work on the high speed corridor is progressing well, but the real timeframe for its completion can be gauged within the next three to six months when the status of land acquisition will be ascertained.
According to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the implementing agency, the target date for the completion of the project is December 2023.
Asked about the timeline, Yadav said “We are hoping that within the next three to six months, we will be able to get to that point. Our designs are ready and we are set to go. It is true that the tenders and land acquisition were delayed a bit due to the coronavirus pandemic, but I can say that the project is progressing well.”
“As the Covid-19 situation improves, we will be able to start the bidding process and within the next three to six months, we will be able to get the status of land acquired and then we will be able to provide a real timeframe for the completion of the project,” he said.
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor is being constructed with an 80 per cent loan from Japan at 0.1 per cent interest and a 15-year moratorium, with the system to be built mostly with Japanese technology on the lines of the Shinkansen.
