A high-level team from the Indian railways has arrived in Beijing to discuss a feasibility study by China for a high-speed north-south rail link, clocking nearly 300 km an hour, between New Delhi and Chennai.
Diplomatic sources told The Hindu , that the proposal for the study has come from China, and the Chinese authorities have stated their intent to carry out the study at their own cost.
So far, the only Japanese bullet-train project linking Mumbai and Ahmadabad sector is on track.
However, the Indian side will send around 100 railway personnel in batches of 20 to China for training. Both countries have also agreed to work together in “heavy haul” trains—an area in which China has developed world class expertise.
The two countries have also identified development of Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar stations as “model stations” that China will establish, the sources said. There are two other areas where collaboration in the railway sector is going strong: the establishment of a railway university and the upgradation of existing track so that trains can run at around 180 kilometers an hour. The rail corridor between Chennai to Mysore via Bengaluru has been identified for this purpose, the sources said.
The sources observed that in case the New Delhi-Chennai corridor materialises, though India, has so far an open mind on this, it would become the world’s second largest bullet train line. The 1,754 kilometer line will only be second to the 2,298 km high speed track between Beijing and Guangzhou that was launched last year.
China Daily quoted officials as saying that the high-speed line between New Delhi and Chennai will cost around $ 32.6 billion.
