The Indian Railways plans to introduce Maglev trains that can run at a top speed of 500 km an hour, in a bid to lure passengers from airlines. After receiving a proposal from a foreign investor, the Railways last week floated an expression of interest (EoI) for calling of a global tender to develop trains and tracks that operate on the principle of magnetic levitation (Maglev), according to a top Railway official.
According to the document, the developer will be responsible for designing, testing, building, running trials and operations of the levitation-based system between two key cities at a distance of 200-500 km. Maglev trains are in operation in China, Japan, Germany and South Korea. As the trains are propelled by magnetic forces, friction is eliminated, making transportation free of noise and vibration.
‘Fail-safe’ systemThe government has called for a ‘fail-safe’ system in which passengers and cargo are safe even in case of “failure of any system of the train tracks or controls.” The government said the developer shall be responsible for a third-party inspection of the entire train system.
The developer will be given a free-hand in running the train services, fixing schedule, fares and add-on services on board, the EoI document added. The developer will be required to submit the funding plan for the investment along with their audited financial statements for the last five years.
Railway Board Member Rolling Stock Hemant Kumar said: “This will be a game changer if it comes through.”
