India’s first underwater high-speed rail system is underway
Set to be over 500km, India is going to build its first rail system which goes underwater, spanning from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, reducing travel time from seven hours to solely two, running over 300kmh. Soil conditions within a geotechnical investigation are currently being carried to ensure its viability and if successful, construction will begin in 2018.
The rail will revolutionise travel within this industrialised region, with Mumbai’s financial districts and trade routes, but will also support local businesses, factories, ,merchants and technology companies. The project will also drive tourism into the region.
Once complete, the rail system will provide world-class transportation for approximately 35,000 individuals per day, which is set to increase. In order to cater for this predicted increase, each carriage will have the ability to carry approximately 1,500 passengers, with around 12 carriages overall.
Incorporating 12 stations, four in Maharashtra and eight in Gujarat, the project will cost approximately Rs. 97,000 crore, with over 80 percent of the project funded by Japan through a significant 50-year loan, with repayments over 15 years. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRC) in India has recently signed an MOU regarding manufacturing, where the Gujarat Government will fund 25 percent of the costs, alongside providing required land.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will be undertaking the construction and providing the required technology, which will be embedded within the new transportation system. A significant portion of the project will be constructed on an elevated track in order to reduce costs and land acquisitions.
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