India is set to reassess the real timeframe for the completion of the Mumbai to Ahmedabad bullet train project, the first high-speed rail corridor in the country.
The move comes after the Covid-19 crisis delayed the land acquisition process for the project.
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In 2017, the foundation stone of the high-speed rail project was laid by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. The project was then slated to be completed in 2023.
According to local reports, the project now faces a delay of around five years.
However, a clear timeline can be predicted in the next three to six months after the land acquisition process is ascertained, reported news agency PTI.
Railway Board chairman and CEO V K Yadav was quoted by the news agency as saying: “In any linear project like the bullet train project, work can only begin when a certain amount of land is available.
“We are hoping that within the next three to six months, we will be able to get to that point where we have 90% to 100% of the land. Our designs are ready and we are set to go.”
The 508km-long Mumbai to Ahmedabad bullet train project will pass through three districts in the state of Maharashtra and eight in the state of Gujarat.
It is estimated to cover the distance in two hours with trains travelling at a speed of nearly 320km/h.
Sround 63% of the required land has currently been acquired for the project.
The project is being implemented by National High Speed Rail (NHSRCL).
Recently, NHSRCL invited tenders for the procurement of necessary data to prepare a report for the potential Delhi-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
The 886km-long high-speed corridor will run through Jaipur and Udaipur.
