Introduction

• Indians were expected to experience the excitement of a bullet train trip in 2022, as India celebrates its 75th year of independence.
• However, the railway minister recently said that the projected completion date for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail project has been delayed some years—possibly to 2026. The project is entangled in legal fights and development delays.
• Notably, by 2026, just a 50-kilometre segment between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat—less than 10% of the whole 508-kilometre corridor—is scheduled to be operational. Pilot runs on this length would begin with the train travelling at a maximum speed of 300 kilometres per hour; far faster than any train now operating in India, but significantly slower than the worldwide standard for high-speed trains. This brings up the issue of whether India is really prepared for a network of high-speed rail links.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR)

• The MAHSR corridor was initially proposed in 2013 during a visit to Japan by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Japan International Cooperation Agency commissioned research in 2014, and the report was delivered in July 2015. (JICA).
• Additionally, the Japanese government agreed to support the project with low-interest loans. The project was authorised by the Union cabinet in December 2015. A memorandum of understanding was signed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project began in 2017 and was slated to operate for the first time in 2022.
• It is the world’s first and only certified bullet train. It will link Gujarat’s capital with Mumbai, India’s financial hub. It will traverse through three Maharashtra districts, eight Gujarat districts, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• The project is being implemented by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL). The NHSRCL has so far completed the final site survey and geotechnical research and secured all necessary regulatory approvals.

What further high-speed rail projects are being considered?

• According to Mint, the Union budget for 2022-23 may announce the establishment of a high-speed rail link between New Delhi and Varanasi. A Mumbai-Nagpur corridor is also a possibility, depending on the financial situation.
• The NHSRCL is now working on comprehensive project studies for at least five more corridors: Delhi-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Amritsar, Mumbai-Hyderabad, Chennai-Mysore, and Varanasi-Howrah.

Why is high-speed rail (HSR) projects critical for India?

• Following the Metro rail projects, the bullet train is seen as a second transportation revolution.
• The HSR has a multiplier impact on the economy. Since the first Shinkansen (literally ‘new main line’) opened in 1964 in Japan, high-speed trains have been an obvious technical, commercial, and popular success.
• Indian Railways now maintains one of the world’s biggest rail networks, conveying more than 22 million people daily and moving more than 1.2 billion tonnes of freight annually.
• Once completed, the high-speed rail network is projected to further stimulate India’s economic growth and serve as a catalyst for the creation of satellite cities.
• According to a 2008 study conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Hamburg, cities connected to high-speed rail systems typically see an increase in their gross domestic product (GDP) of at least 2.7 percentage points when compared to cities without an HSR station. The disparity was justified by better market access.
• The HSR corridor will travel across Thane creek in Mumbai, a protected wetland home to mangroves and a flamingo population. To prevent upsetting this environment, the train track will have to pass via a 21-kilometre tunnel, 7 kilometres of which will be underwater.
• Similarly, for the first time in India, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology will be used in a railway project.
• According to the International Association of Railways (UIC), high-speed rail is eight times as efficient as aircraft and four times as efficient as automobiles. Additionally, it will result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an improvement in air quality.
• The project is intended to generate a large number of jobs, promote economic activity, raise productivity, and improve mobility.

What are the MAHSR’s challenges?

• The train company is having difficulty obtaining property in Maharashtra, particularly in the Palghar and Thane regions.
• Palghar’s whole region is classified as scheduled and tribal land. Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 safeguards Adivasi access to land and resources. Whether for governmental or commercial purposes, land acquisition often needs prior community permission through the Gram Sabha.
• Villagers are concerned about relocation and financial uncertainty. An estimated 14,884 families would lose land, and over 37,000 trees will be felled.
• NHSRCL must also overcome severe engineering hurdles, notably in the corridor’s final stretch, which will approach Mumbai from under the sea.

What should be done in India to accomplish HSR projects?

• The government must recognise that the Adivasi community’s water-forest-land assets are integral to their identity and culture. As a result, policymakers and administration should priorities systematic efforts toward sustainable development.
• State governments should take an active role in the land purchase process inin order to expedite approvals.
• The Central government should address the MAHSR’s constraints first before proposing any more bullet train projects. This will distract attention and resources, slowing down the process.
• The government must advocate for HSR technology transfer. This is because the agreement makes no reference to technology transfer.
• By facilitating mixed land use, tourism, and commercial prospects, the HSR projects will rejuvenate India’s smaller towns and cities. While India is prepared for bullet trains, land acquisition regulations and others are not. As a result, India must alter the policies that obstruct HSR development.