Understandably, such a bold, capital-intensive endeavor would involve a lot of complexities and a high gestation period, but if such an ambitious plan can turned into a reality, then instead of clunking in grimy, packed trains delayed by fog, the people in the country and tourists can expect a rather different experience.
"We are planning for the future. The pace of growth of the economy means high-speed trains will be a requirement. Not immediately perhaps but certainly in a few years," Indian Railways' spokesman, Anil Saxena had said. In this context, critics may say that India should be concentrating on walking before it can run. Already the so-called fast trains, like the Rajdhani Express, run at speeds lesser than 53mph, which certainly means that a lot has to be done by the authorities.
Let's take a look at why it is so difficult for India to emulate a project which its neighbour has already delivered.
Huge costs are involvedRailway experts say India has lagged behind in high-speed rail because it is expensive to build suitable tracks and purchase the trains. According to an estimate, it will cost about Rs 100-150 crore to construct one km of elevated high-speed rail corridor.
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