Does India Really Need Bullet Trains?

In Japan, these fast trains are called Shinkansen because of their unique look and lightning-fast speeds. When talking about a high-speed train, this term often means one that goes faster than 250 km per hour.

Making The First Bullet Train In India:

India will have its first bullet train when the high-speed rail link between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is done. In September of that year, work on the railroad began.

• It is a high-speed train network that runs for 508 km and is built with help from Japan

• The train will go at 320kmph, and it is expected to be finished by 2022

• India’s Rail Budget for 2009–2010 includes a feasibility study for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad line and five other high-speed rail segments

Money And New Technology:

India does not have the technology for high-speed rail yet, and Japan gives the technology and pays 81% of the project costs at a rate of 0.01% per year for 50 years.

Bullet Train Cost Per Km In India Compared To Other Countries:

According to a study done by the World Bank on the costs of High-Speed Train (HSR) projects in different countries, 82% of the total cost goes toward building the rail infrastructure.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR bullet train cost per km in India is about $27.44 million per kilometre, while China costs between $17 and 21 million per kilometre.

Chinese HSR projects cost less than Japanese because they do not use Shinkansen technology.

In 2015, China won a building project in Indonesia over Japan because its prices were lower.

At first glance, Japan’s loan and interest rates seem pretty good. However, this is not the case. During the term, the Japanese Yen is likely to get stronger against the Indian Rupee, testing the loan and the project.

There are both pros and cons to putting fast trains in India. Do bullet trains help India? Let’s see.

What Are The Bullet Train Project’s Benefits?

• Convenience:

-Having an alternative way to get around will make the streets less crowded

-The speed of bullet trains would also reduce travel time and boost the economy in areas with many people

-By making it easier to get from the villages to the towns, the link would help stop people from moving away

• Safety:

-Indian Railways’ main goal has always been ensuring people are safe

-Bullet trains have a great track record for reliability and safety

-Since the first Shinkansen train went into service in 1964, no one has died on one

• Environment-friendly:

-In the current state of the world’s environment, any effort to reduce pollution is a good thing

-Compared to cars and planes, high-speed rails produce much less CO2 per passenger-kilometre than cars and aeroplanes, giving off an eighth and a fifth of what it should

• Business growth:

It will help improve infrastructure, boost economic growth and create many job opportunities.

What Are Some Of The Drawbacks Of This Bullet Train Project?

• Costs:

The high-speed train railway between Mumbai and Ahmedabad costs about one lakh crore Indian Rupee.

Because of delays and inflation, it will likely go up a lot more.

• Return rates:

If train fares are between Rs. 4000 and Rs. 5000 per passenger, the trains will have to make money.

Only rich people could afford such prices, and since the difference between flights is getting smaller, many would rather fly instead.

But in India, the poor are the ones who take the trains the most.

• Land acquisition:

Because of this, the project might be pushed back even more, and many people might have to move.

What Are The Things That Can Be Said Against India’s Bullet Train Project?

• The Indian Railways are in bad shape

• The infrastructure of the railways needs to be improved

• This is supported by the fact that train accidents happen more often and by the stampede at Elphinstone Road station in Scotland

• In a recent report, the Standing committee on Railways, led by Sudip Bandopadhyay, said that in 2014-2015, over 40% of incidents happened at unmanned level crossings, and in 2015-2016, over 28% of incidents happened at unmanned level crossings

• The panel also said that LHB coaches should be completely redesigned to reduce the number of people who die when they fall off the tracks

So, the argument is that instead of investing in a project for the wealthy, why not keep and improve the infrastructure we already have, keeping in mind the safety of millions of passengers?

Is This A Valid Point Of View For The Bullet Train Project?

There’s no doubt that safety issues need to be thought about and given careful attention.

On the other hand, it is wrong to compare these two investments.

These should not be thought of as other choices. Also, money should be set aside to build high-speed train rail systems to improve infrastructure.

Conclusion

India wants to pass the United States and become the third-largest economy in the world in 20 years. Now that Japan has shown how strong it is in space, it may be able to improve its international reputation even more by getting a high-speed train rail network.

There are good things and bad things about everything. It’s up to each person to weigh the options fairly and make a wise choice. There are costs to technological progress, but the safety of our citizens shouldn’t be one of them.