By 2023, India will soon be operating a bullet train. This major transportation project is currently in its development stage, with the actual construction starting next year 2018.
The route would be from Mumbai and Ahmadabad-when finished, the usual seven-hour commute would be cut to just two hours. This would be a major relief to commuters who constantly travel the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.
Aside from the fact that India will soon operate its very first high-speed railway, locals are also excited because it's reported that a part of the journey would take place underwater. This is a first in the country, similar to the new bullet train in Japan that uses the underwater Seikan Tunnel when traveling from Tokyo to Hakodate.
In a statement, a Railway Minister official said: "Soil and rocks below the 70-metre-deep see are being tested as part of the geo-technical and geo-physical investigation undertaken for the entire project. The test will also cover the 21-km-long underground tunnel between Thane and Virar."
This whole venture would cost about $15 billion, but the Japan International Cooperation Agency agreed to contribute 80 percent of the whole cost through a 50-year loan with an interest rate of about 0.1% and a moratorium on repayments up to 15 years. The remaining cost would be shouldered by the Indian Railways and state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat, with the Indian Railways investing about $1.5 billion.
The bullet train is proposed to go at 350km per hour, and in the whole 315-mile journey, 13 miles of it would be underwater via a submerged corridor in Thane creek going to Virar. The proposed stations are in Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand and Ahmedabad.
Currently, the fastest train traveling to the proposed routes is the Duronto Express, which takes 7 hours of travel. The drastic cut of travel time with the bullet train is really exciting for the whole country.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
