Lok Sabha Question No. 45 (STARRED), answered on 2016-07-20
Subject: High Speed and Semi-High Speed Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: K. KAMARAAJ, RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.45

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2016

## HIGH SPEED AND SEMI-HIGH SPEED TRAINS

- *45.    DR. K. KAMARAJ: SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Railways has finalized the roadmap for running high speed and semi-high speed trains in various zones of the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  present  status  of progress  made  with  respect  to  high  speed  corridor  projects  in the country, corridor-wise;
- (c) the  details  of  the  standards  adopted  including  infrastructure, rolling  stock  and  operating  conditions  for  the  proposed  high speed rail corridors;
- (d) whether  the  routes  of  high  speed  and  semi  high  speed  trains have been finalized and if so, the details thereof along with the routes identified, zone- wise; and
- (e) whether  negotiations  with  various  international  agencies  are underway  with  appropriate  technology  as  well  as  financial assistance for  the  above  purpose  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof along with the time by which these trains are likely to be made operational?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 45 BY DR. K. KAMARAJ AND SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 20.07.2016 REGARDING HIGH SPEED AND SEMI-HIGH SPEED TRAINS

(a), (b) & (d): Ministry of Railways has spelt out its policy with regard to running of High Speed and Semi High Speed trains by identification of potential routes for both kinds of train services.

Details  of  the  feasibility  studies  of  High  Speed  Corridors  awarded  to various railway companies and consultants are as under:

|   S.N | High Speed Corridor   | Companies undertaking feasibility study                                                                                                                           |
|-------|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|     1 | Delhi-Mumbai          | Consortium of M/s. The Third Railway Survey and Design Institute Group Corporation (Chinese Consultant) and Lahmeyer International (India) Private Limited, India |
|     2 | Mumbai-Chennai        | Consortium of M/s. SYSTRA (French Consultants), RITES and Ernst and Young LLP.                                                                                    |
|     3 | Delhi-Kolkata         | Consortium of M/s. INECO- M/s. TYPSA- M/s. Intercontinental Consultants and Technocrats Private Limited (Spanish Consultants).                                    |
|     4 | Delhi-Nagpur          | Government to Government cooperation with Chinese Railway Company.                                                                                                |
|     5 | Mumbai-Nagpur         | Government to Government cooperation with Spanish Railway companies.                                                                                              |

Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project  has  been  sanctioned with technical and financial assistance from Government of Japan. Joint feasibility  study  for Mumbai-Ahmedabad  high  speed  rail  project  has already  been  done  by  Japanese  International  Cooperation  Agency (JICA).

Indian Railways have also identified nine corridors for feasibility of semi high speed rail, Zone wise details are as under:

|   S.N | Corridor                   | Zonal Railways            | Zonal Railways   | Status                                                                                    |
|-------|----------------------------|---------------------------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|     1 | Delhi -Agra                | Northern, Central         | North            | Gatiman Express with maximum speed of 160 Kmph introduced.                                |
|     2 | Delhi- Chandigarh          | Northern                  |                  | Feasibility-cum implementation study awarded to SNCF (France) on cost sharing basis.      |
|     3 | Chennai- Bengaluru- Mysore | Southern, Western         | South            | Feasibility Study for upgradation of speed awarded to ERYUAN Group of Chinese Railways at |
|     4 | Delhi-Kanpur               | Northern, Central         | North            |                                                                                           |
|     5 | Nagpur- Bilaspur           | South East Central        |                  |                                                                                           |
|     6 | Mumbai-Goa                 | Central, Western, Railway | South Konkan     | Quantum of Technical inputs required for upgradation of speed to                          |
|     7 | Mumbai- Ahmedabad          | Western                   |                  | 160 Kmph have been identified by the concerned                                            |
|     8 | Chennai-                   | Southern,                 | South            | Zonal Railways and                                                                        |

|    | Hyderabad    | Central        | KONKAN Railway.   |
|----|--------------|----------------|-------------------|
| 9  | Nagpur -     | Central, South |                   |
|    | Secunderabad | Central        |                   |

It  has  also  been  decided  to  undertake  field  trials  for  assessing savings in transit time by using special type Spanish Talgo Coaches on existing New Delhi-Mumbai corridor.

Besides above mentioned measures, Ministry has also announced introduction of faster train services like TEJAS which requires minimal technological inputs and aims at attaining speeds above 130 kmph.

(c):  As  per  the  joint  feasibility  report  of  JICA  for Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project, following standards have been adopted:

-  Standard Gauge
-  Maximum design speed of 350 kmph and operation speed of 320 Kmph,
-  EMU type rolling stock with maximum axle load of 17 tonnes,
-  Combination of ballastless and ballasted tracks,
-  Compound catenary system of Over-head Equipment,
-  2 x 25 KV power feeding system,
-  Digital  Automatic  Train  Control System,
-  Cab Signaling System etc.
-  Length of the corridor 508 kms
-  Travel time 2.07 hours for trains with limited stops and 2.58 hours for train stopping at each station.

(e):  On  the  basis  of  negotiations  held  with  Government  of  Japan  and JICA,  Government  of  India  has  sanctioned  Mumbai-Ahmedabad  high speed  train project with financial and technical assistance from Government of Japan for commissioning targeted in 2023-24.

Government  of  Japan  will  provide  high  speed  rail  technologies  of Shinkansen  trains  and  provide  Japanese  (Yen)  loan  upto  81%  of  the project cost at 0.1% per annum, to be repaid in 50 years with 15 year moratorium. It has also been agreed to undertake an execution study for semihigh speed trains on Delhi-Chandigarh by French Railway (SNCF) on cost sharing basis and for Chennai -Bengaluru -Mysore by Chinese Railways at their cost. Further, decision has also been taken for conducting field trials for assessing savings in transit time by using special type Spanish Talgo Coaches on existing New Delhi-Mumbai corridor.

*****