India is standing on the precipice of an evolutionary change in rail transport with the imminent introduction of the first bullet train, the Shinkansen E5, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail line. This is an ambitious project that utilises Japanese Shinkansen technology, and the envisaged operation speed is 320 km/h, thus cutting the time taken between the two busy cities.
Measuring a total of 508 km, the corridor shall have a length of 351 km for Gujarat and 157 km for Maharashtra. The bullet train service will offer two travel options: a long route with 12 stations and the total time of the trip will be approximately 3 hours, and a short route for those who prefer to travel faster. This particular project is believed to boost the level of interaction between the two states and improve the flow of economic activities, as well as ease transport for people.
The Indian Railways wants to purchase at least 18 Shinkansen E5 trains before the end of 2024 with an investment of about Rs 7,000 crore. These modern trains are built for safety and functionality with automatic brakes and the best crash prevention technology. Construction work is already far advanced; more than 40 % of the project has been implemented together with some of the viaducts and bridges.
The initial high-speed rail is expected to be launched by 2026, which would be a major step forward in India’s railway capacity. This project does not only seek to deliver faster means of transport but also a safer and more comfortable one to millions of passengers in the country.
With an intention to expand the bullet train services further in the future, India at present has been well on the road to becoming one of the most advanced countries of modern rail transport.
