India is likely to get two more bullet train stretches in 2022-23, according to a report by Live Mint. The two stretches which are under consideration for new streches are- 1. New Delhi to Varanasi high-speed rail corridor and 2. Mumbai-Nagpur corridor. These projects will be included in the 2022-23 Union budget plan based on the factors of anonymity and funding of railways, according to officials. Delhi-Varanasi bullet train corridor project will entail an investment of 1.5 trillion, while the second project of the Mumbai-Nagpur corridor project could cost an investment less than the first project.
Key Points:
1. The Union budget of 2022-23 may permit two new stretches of bullet trains in India- New Delhi to Varanasi high-speed rail corridor and Mumbai-Nagpur corridor. The two projects will go ahead subject to fund approval by the Ministry of Railways.
2. The National High-Speed Rail Corp. Ltd (NHSRCL) submitted its detailed project report(DPR) to the railways on the New Delhi-Varanasi corridor in November. The DPR for the Mumbai-Nagpur corridor is in its final stages of completion and will be submitted to railways in the first quarter of the next fiscal year, NHRCL spokesperson was quoted as saying by Live Mint. . He further added the DPR is also going on for five more bullet train projects and is likely to be completed within FY23.
3. The detailed project report for New Delhi-Varanasi corridor, submitted to railways by NHSRCL, includes studies on various topics including the impact of the project on the surrounding villages, the land requirement, social impact assessment, the effect of it on our environment, and the expected ridership.
4.. India's first bullet train corridor project Mumbai-Ahmedabad is also proceeding at a slow pace, with challenges of route alignment and acquisition. Last year, the railway ministry permitted the viability for seven new bullet train stretches, in addition to the Mumbai-Ahemdabad section. These are Delhi-Amritsar, Varanasi-Howrah, Delhi-Varanasi, Delhi-Ahmedabad, Mumbai-Hyderabad, Mumbai-Nagpur, and Chennai-Mysore.
5. 4. A trial for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor will take place on a small 50km section from surat to Villimura. This project has till now incurred a cost of 39,000 crore and is expected to be completed in 2026.
