Japanese group keen on Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train

A group of Japanese firms led by East Japan Railway Company has evinced interest in building the proposed 500 km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail, a statement from industry body CII said on Tuesday.

"A Japanese consortium led by East Japan Railway Company, is keen to take  the contract for building the 500 km railway high speed network linking  Mumbai and Ahmedabad," industry chamber CII said.

According to the statement, Japan made a presentation about capabilities of its Shinkansen bullet train technology to India at the Indian Engineering & Technology Fair (IETF) 2015. Japan was the partner country for the exhibition.

"The East Japan Railway Company also known as JR-East had set up the prototype of its high speed trains and pitched how its designs, engines, interiors and most importantly safety standards are the best in the world," CII said.

Indian and Japanese governments initiated a joint feasibility study in late 2013 for the project and the final report is expected to be released by mid-2015.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JETRO) is also participating in the feasibility study. Incidentally, Japan is one of the largest players in the high speed train space in  the world, competing for the project.

The estimated cost of railway linking Mumbai and Ahmedabad is between $12.2 billion to $13.9 billion.

There will be 12 stations built along the route. The high speed train, which can accelerate upto a speed of 320 kmph can cover the distance in two and a half hours from the present eight hours.

For construction to start in 2017, India has to work out the necessary details, including fund raising, land acquisition etc.

Japanese official development agency JICA may propose to help/support raise required funding for the project, CII said.

India seems to be keen about manufacturing the rolling stocks indigenously as a part of its Make in India programme and leaving the laying of track, safety measures, signalling etc to the foreign partners, it added.