Telangana bullet train plans target 250 kmph speed
HYDERABAD: India is set to join the list of countries with bullet train services. The country’s first bullet train corridor between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is being developed rapidly. The 95-km corridor is expected to see bullet train services begin in another 10 months.
There has been talk that bullet trains will run at 350 kmph and that, once the proposed corridors are ready, passengers could travel from Hyderabad to Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru in just two hours. The current situation, however, is different.
The bullet train that is expected to enter service soon will operate at only 250 kmph. India’s indigenous bullet train is therefore set to operate at a speed lower than the proposed bullet trains, but higher than Vande Bharat trains.
The corridors approved for Hyderabad are likely to take another decade to become operational. While it is too early to assess the situation at that stage, the bullet train speed is expected to remain at 250 kmph until 2032.
Centre shifts towards indigenous high-speed trains
As India prepares to enter the bullet train era, the Centre is beginning work on an indigenous high-speed train project. The initial plan was to introduce trains capable of speeds of 350 kmph, but various factors have slowed the plan.
Instead of relying on expensive Japanese trains, the Centre is considering manufacturing bullet trains domestically. Japan is providing technical assistance for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor, India’s first high-speed rail project.
The plan is to use the indigenous trains not only on this corridor but also on other high-speed rail corridors proposed across the country. Their operational speed is expected to be 250 kmph.
Japanese trains were initially considered for India
The Centre had initially planned to operate Japanese trains and purchase trainsets for the purpose. Japan had announced plans to manufacture Shinkansen-E10 trains specifically for supply to India.
The trains were expected to have a maximum speed of 350 kmph and an operational speed of 320 kmph. However, each trainset was estimated to cost around ₹750 crore.
The success of Vande Bharat trains in India also gave the Centre confidence in developing an indigenous high-speed train.
Vande Bharat success drives indigenous train plan
The performance of Vande Bharat led to the idea of manufacturing bullet trains domestically. Integral Coach Factory in Chennai and BEML Ltd in Bengaluru have jointly taken up the project.
The train design was recently approved, and the first prototype is expected to be ready in the first half of next year, when trials will begin.
Each trainset is estimated to cost ₹435 crore. The train will have a maximum speed of 280 kmph, while its operational speed has been fixed at 250 kmph.
These trains are likely to remain in service for the next five to six years. The Centre is then considering developing B35-type trains capable of speeds of 350 kmph.
While India’s Vande Bharat experiment has been successful, the country failed to manufacture the trains within the planned timeframe. If a similar delay occurs with bullet trains, passengers may have to travel at 250 kmph for several more years.
Hyderabad corridors could see longer travel times
The proposed corridors centred on Hyderabad include Hyderabad-Mumbai via Pune, Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Chennai.
If construction progresses faster than expected, the projects could be completed earlier. However, if train manufacturing does not keep pace, the 250-kmph trains could also operate on these corridors.
Based on travel times announced earlier, assuming Japanese trains, the Hyderabad-Mumbai journey was expected to take 2 hours 40 minutes. With the indigenous train, it could take 3 hours 25 minutes.
The Hyderabad-Bengaluru journey was projected at two hours with the Japanese train, but could take 2 hours 45 minutes with the indigenous train.
For Chennai, the journey time could rise from 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 55 minutes.
However, the proposed corridors are still several years away from completion. It will therefore take time for greater clarity to emerge on train speeds and travel times.
