An ambitious high-speed train project to connect Chennai and Mysore, via Bengaluru, has been delayed as a Chinese company has maintained silence after completing a feasibility study a year ago, railway officials here say. They suggesting that the “lack of response” may be due to the Doklam standoff.
An internal brief of the Mobility Directorate on the status of nine high-speed projects of the Railways shows that the 492-km Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru corridor lies in limbo because the Chinese company has failed to respond to the Ministry’s communiques.
“The Chinese company submitted the final report in November 2016, and after that, the Chinese team has suggested for a face-to-face interaction. No date has been fixed from their side,” says a note by the directorate.
On the reason for the delay, the brief cites “lack of response” from the Chinese side.
The brief says the feasibility study by the China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd. was submitted to the Railway Board in November 2016 and after that, the Chinese company had sought meetings with Board officials.
However, officials say the Board has been unable to get in touch with CREEC officials despite repeated mails to them in the past six months.
“We have even tried to get in touch with them through their Embassy here, but we are yet to hear from them,” an official said.
The Ministry officials said the standoff between the two countries in Doklam between June 16 and August 28 seemed to have derailed the project.
Report ready
“The study began in 2014 and they submitted the report in 2016. The entire cost was borne by them. In fact, they have shown so much interest in collaborating with us for other projects too, so we think that it was the standoff that must have raised doubts,” a railway official. An email to the Chinese Embassy by PTI did not elicit any response.
