The Bullet Trains project that was scheduled in the year 2023 is seen postponed to 2028 for quite a few obvious reasons.
The revised timeline has been discussed with the Japanese counterparts working on the project. It is also seen that the Japanese firms have canceled tenders due to the steep rate quoted by the bidders.
The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor is being constructed with an 80% loan from Japan at 0.1 percent interest and a 15-year moratorium. The 21-km underground built is yet to be finalized as the Japanese weren’t convinced in the first effort by India this year.
The land acquisition has also been delayed because of the ongoing pandemic. The next 3 to 6 months will be the decision time for the same. Contradicting to the Japanese firms being unwilling, The Chairman and CEO if Railway Board, V K Yadav said, “It is true that the tenders and land possessions were postponed a bit due to the Covid-19 situation, but it is progressing well! ”
Yadav also spoke on the land acquisition issue saying, “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 90-100% of the land. Our designs are ready and we are set to go..”
Even before the spread of Coronavirus, the project froze due to the protests by Maharashtra and Gujarat farmers.
The clearer picture will be seen in the upcoming 90 to 180 days.
