Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train: Work on 342-km route in Gujarat underway

Civil works for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) or the bullet train project has been started on 342-km long route in Gujarat in various phases since December 2020, the government informed the Parliament on Wednesday.
 
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the final location survey and geotechnical investigation has been completed for the project and the alignment has been finalised.
 
Statutory clearances relating to wildlife, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and forest clearance have been obtained, while Joint Measurement Survey has been completed for 295 villages out of 297. "Out of total 352 km in Gujarat, civil works in 342 km length have started in different phases from December, 2020," he said.
 
However, out of the total land requirement of approximately 1,396 hectares, 285 hectares is yet to be acquired in Maharashtra. About 1,089 hectares of land has been acquired till now.

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The bullet train project is being executed with financial and technical assistance from the Japan government. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a special purpose vehicle, is implementing the project.
 
Vaishnaw also said that the Ministry of Railways has assigned the work for preparation of survey/ Detailed Project Report (DPR) for seven high speed rail (HSR) corridors to NHSRCL. Delhi-Varanasi, Delhi-Ahmedabad, Mumbai- Nagpur, Mumbai- Hyderabad, Chennai-Bangalore-Mysore, Delhi- Amritsar, Varanasi-Patna-Howrah are the seven routes for which DPR will be prepared.
 
"The decision on sanctioning any HSR project depends on the outcome of DPR, techno-economic feasibility, availability of resources and financing options," the minister said.

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