Title - Mumbai - Ahmedabad high speed rail update

Putting the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad rail corridor on the fast track, the railways will constitute a project steering group to examine options for executing it.
The prime minister’s office (PMO) has announced a roadmap for implementation of flagship infrastructure projects, which include high-speed corridors, the elevated rail corridor for the suburban Mumbai section and redevelopment of stations.
The high-speed rail corridor project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad andother six routes is technologically the most advanced railway project. A pre-feasibility study has been conducted by RITES in association with other experts.There are various alternatives for implementing the high-speed corridor project but out of all, only the special purpose vehicle (SPV) or the public–private partnership (PPP) options, seem viable, said a senior railway ministry official.
The group will examine options for implementing the project and finalizing the feasible ones,suggesting ways of strengthening the capacity of railways to design and execute high-speed train projects and suggest mechanisms for quickly moving forward on chosen options.
The elevated rail corridor in Mumbai, the other key infrastructure project of the railways, also got the PMO’s nod. According to the official, the project will be implemented in PPP mode and a concessionaire will be finalized by March 15, 2013.