Rs. 50,000 crore bullet train tenders by November. Massive civil work is required to be carried out for the project as it would cover 12 stations across two states – Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail (bullet train) project is likely to be completed by 2023. Managing director of National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) Achal Khare said tenders worth Rs 50,000 crore for civil works related to the project would be opened by November. Works include a 21-km-long undersea tunnel. According to Khare, end-to-end one-way fare for the bullet train would be around Rs 3,000.
“As per current estimate, the cost of 508-km-long bullet train project is Rs 1.08 lakh crore. But once the tender process for the whole project is complete, we will be able to know the exact cost of the project,” said Khare on Thursday during a media interaction. Of the total 1,380 hectare to be acquired for the project, NHSRCL has acquired 622 hectare till now, he said.
Massive civil work is required to be carried out for the project as it would cover 12 stations across two states – Gujarat and Maharashtra. But ahead of the commencement of civil work, a mammoth task of shifting utilities is being taken up, he said.
In Ahmedabad alone, where two stations are coming up at Sabarmati and near Ahmedabad railway station, five oil wells of ONGC which are infringing NHSRCL alignment would be shifted. In fact, three wells have already been capped and the other two will be capped by the end of September. NHSRCL has reimbursed the cost for replacing oil wells to ONGC.
“Oil and water pipelines of ONGC are being relocated for clearing NHSRCL work sites in Gujarat. Further, more than 1,600 electrical utilities of Gujarat Energy Transmission Company (GETCO), Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company (MSETCL), Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL), Uttar Gujarat Vij Company, Madhya Guajrat Vij Company and Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company are being shifted. More than 50% of these relocation works have been completed,” said Khare. Around 1,000 km of signalling cable bunch (more than 400 different types of cables) in Ahmedabad is also to be relocated, he said.
In Gujarat, out of 198 villages, only 15 have problems related to land acquisition, Khare said, adding that NHSRCL is trying to amicably sort out the issue with private land owners. According to him, the progress in land acquisition is slower in Maharashtra compared to Gujarat. As per an estimate, NHSRCL will spend Rs 17,000 crore for land acquisition, of which Rs 1,800 crore has already been paid.
Except highly technical works, all civil works related to the project will be given only to Indian companies only. Of 24 trains (each having capacity of 750 passengers), 18 would be imported from Japan and remaining six would be built in India in joint ventures with Indian companies, Khare said.
Info- financial express