India’s dream of running its first bullet train that would run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is very close to becoming a reality. Along with ushering in an exotic era of development, the investment capital for these bullet trains is staggering. The Indian Railways Vision 2020, set in 2009 by the Indian Ministry of Railway proposed 7 routes for the construction of high-speed trains, among which the line between Mumbai and Ahmedabad (approximately 500 km long) was selected for the 1st construction of the Bullet Train lines. The High-Speed Railway Line (HSRL) will connect Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra and the second-most populous metropolis in India with Ahmedabad which is a metropolis in Gujarat. Let’s look into the major aspects of having bullet trains in India.
The need for bullet trains
Bullet trains in India would increase connectivity speed. With the vast expanse of the country, travelling fast becomes a necessity and bullet trains are just for the job. With an average speed higher than 250 km/h, High-Speed Railways will cover a distance of 500 km in two hours.
This will further reduce the strain on Indian Railways by segregating its passengers and freight.
The construction of a new bullet train line will open a new industry and lead to increased employment rates to a great extent along with a reduced rate of fatal accidents that is common with railways. Moreover, bullet trains are environmentally friendly which is a necessity in the modern world.
Is the bullet train project redundant?
The chosen line between the cities Mumbai and Ahmedabad are already vastly connected and there seems to be a little need for bullet trains, the entire budget could be used for connecting remote and backward regions.
The individual costs of availing bullet trains would be so high that people would prefer travelling in trains and aeroplanes than bullet trains.
Furthermore, the entire project doesn’t match with the Indian economy which is under constant inflation risks. The construction would be massively expensive and lead to huge public expenditure.
Moreover, before introducing such fancy railways, the government should engage in educating its people against vandalism, examples of which are exhibited throughout the country, and stress more pressing concerns, which if left untreated will pose a threat in the future.
