India’s first bullet train corridor — the 508-kilometre Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) — has seen an expenditure of Rs 86,939 crore so far, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
“Bullet train project is a very complex and technology-intensive project. Considering the highest level of safety and associated maintenance protocols, the bullet train project has been designed with the support of the Japanese railway. It is customised for Indian requirements and climatic conditions,” the minister said in a written reply.
However, the ministry does not have a final cost estimate as of now, the minister told Parliament.
“The final cost of the project can be reasonably ascertained only after the completion of all associated works of civil structures, track, electrical, signalling, telecommunication and supply of trainsets,” Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha.
The MAHSR corridor is designed for high-frequency operations with substantial passenger-carrying capacity. He added that ticket pricing is proposed to be competitive with respect to existing rail and air travel options.
The project, which is expected to see a partial opening next year, has seen its total cost estimates rise to Rs 1.98 trillion so far, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Railway Board Satish Kumar had said earlier.
