Urban Transport Infrastructure November 2018 Urban Transport Infra November 2018 | Page 42

Interview
First Bullet Train
Project of India
will be operational
on time. Land
acquisition
work
will be completed
soon.
Mr. Achal Khare, Managing Director, National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd.
The High Speed Rail (bullet train) corridor is going to be built for the first time in the country and it is
making headlines from the beginning. Earlier it was a matter of debate, but now it is in the headlines due to
land acquisition. It is being said that the land is not getting acquired due to the opposition by farmers. In
such a situation this project may lie down and its cost may increase. Mr. Achal Khare, Managing Director of
National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) has shared his views on all such important aspects related
to this project. Here are excerpts-
Can a change of alignment be required
due to the problem of land acquisition
or can it be late in the project?
Mr. Achal Khare: There should be no
problem with the alignment. We have
set the target for December 2018 for
land acquisition. If we get 80 percent
of the land till next May, then the
project will run at its own pace. I do
not think there will be any delay in
the project.
What are you saying behind the
scenes? But when will the public see
the project speed?
Mr. Khare: There are many things
going on. For instance, the work of
training center in Vadodara is in
progress. There is a depot to be
constructed on 76 hectares of land in
Sabarmati. The structures are being
removed to clear the land. The tender
is open for the Bullet Train terminal
station in Sabarmati and it will be
seen in January. Tenders for
construction of two bridges are
opened and new tender for
construction of the tunnel in Mumbai
will be floated in January next year. I
think the work of this project will be
seen catching up at the speed of July
WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM
next year.
Are you sure the bullet train will run
on a fixed schedule?
Mr. Khare: Although the Consultant
of Japan has laid the target for this
project on December 2023, it is our
target that the bullet train should be
run on 15th August 2022. In this case,
we are promising that by 15th August
2022, the bullet train will start
running, that means people will start
traveling in it.
What about the first installment of the
loan from Japanese agency JICA?
Mr. Khare: Japan has signed an
agreement for the first installment of
INR 5500 crores, but there is a
special process of payment. Under
this process, when the work is done
for the first bullet train, the company
will pay by the money of the
Railways and then after Japan will
transfer it to the NHSRCL.
makes bullet train, so we tend to
tender for Japanese companies only.
But according to the agreement, there
is a term of transfer of technology.
Indian companies will come forward
in this direction, then they will have
a firearm with Japan. After that
these trains will start production in
India. But there are many such
devices, such as track fittings, electric
poles, transformers, which are
essential for bullet trains. Such
devices will be produced here only.
The steel structure will also be built
here. Around 90 thousand tonnes of
steel structure will be used. It will
also be done under Make in India.
***
Trains will be imported for the bullet
train. Will tender for these trains be
floated/will these trains be made in
India?
Mr. Khare: No company in India yet
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Urban Transport Infrastructure | November 2018