New strategy will focus on developing
the most commercially lucrative of seven proposed high-speed lines.
INDIA has
reaffirmed its commitment to developing a national high-speed rail network,
outlining a phased delivery strategy that prioritises commercially viable
sections while continuing preparatory work on a parallel programme of dedicated
freight infrastructure.
The seven
proposed high-speed rail (HSR) corridors, together with the planned Dankuni -
Surat Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), will be implemented incrementally, with
sections offering the strongest revenue potential to be developed first.
Industry sources indicate that the initial priorities will be the Delhi - Agra
section of the Delhi - Varanasi high-speed corridor and the Surat - Nagpur
section of the proposed freight corridor.
Despite economic
pressures stemming from the energy crisis triggered by the conflict in Middle
East, the government is seeking to demonstrate its long-term commitment to
these capital-intensive projects. The Delhi - Agra section is estimated to cost
around Rs 2.3 trillion ($US 24.2bn), equivalent to approximately Rs 2.65 billion
per-km.
A range of
funding mechanisms is under consideration, including government equity,
bilateral and multilateral loans, state government participation,
public-private partnerships (PPP), land value capture and private investment.
Station locations
have been identified near Mathura, at Itauli village in the Raya urban area,
and at Agra near Itmadpur Madras. According to officials at the National High
Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL), the land identification process has commenced,
and discussions are under way with the Uttar Pradesh government regarding
integrated township development around the proposed stations. NHSRCL has also
reportedly updated the corridor's original 2021 detailed project report (DPR),
incorporating revised surveys, costs and alignments.
DFCs
Preparatory work
is also progressing on the 2100 km Dankuni - Surat DFC.
Hyderabad-based
Arvee Associates, which is responsible for preparing the detailed project
report (DPR), recently held a series of meetings with officials from the Dedicated
Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL). Discussions have focused on
technical specifications, project timelines, traffic forecasts and financing
models.
In addition,
officials are examining financing options, the adoption of technology capable
of supporting double-stack container operations and the deployment of the local
Kavach train protection system.
India has
announced several HSR projects over the past two decades. Five corridors with a
combined length of 2548km were included in the 2007-08 Railway Budget, followed
by the 991km Delhi–Patna route in 2008-09. Additional corridors, including
Delhi - Jaipur - Ajmer - Jodhpur and Mumbai - Ahmedabad, were subsequently
proposed. However, with the exception of the Mumbai - Ahmedabad project, which
is under construction despite suffering from rising
costs, these schemes have made little progress.
A 2024 report by
the Infravision Foundation recommended four principal high-speed corridors and
a number of subsidiary routes. Several of these proposals, with minor
modifications, were referenced in finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman's,
budget announcement earlier this year.
The government
subsequently identified
seven HSR corridors: Mumbai - Pune, Pune - Hyderabad, Hyderabad -
Bengaluru, Hyderabad - Chennai, Chennai - Bengaluru, Delhi - Varanasi and
Varanasi - Siliguri. Together they cover approximately 4000km and are estimated
to require investment of around Rs 16 trillion. With the exception of the
Varanasi - Siliguri route, NHSRCL has completed DPRs for each of these
corridors and submitted them to the Ministry of Railways.
