RailEnquiry

NAGPUR: The state government has asked the Railways to study feasibility of the Mumbai-Nagpur " bullet train". Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan sought a report after a presentation by German consulting firm Vossing on Monday.

Vossing, appointed by the government in 2009 for a pre-feasibility study, submitted its report a while ago. State finance minister Jayant Patil, a strong advocate of the project, pushed for its implementation during Monday's meeting. The consultants proposed a 1,000-odd km high-speed network covering Mumbai-Navi Mumbai-Pune-Auranga-

-bad-Nagpur-Beed-Nanded-Yavatmal-Wardha-Nagpur. With trains at a maximum speed of 350 kmph, the corridor is expected to cut Mumbai-Nagpur travel time from 11 hours (Duranto) to four hours. The consultants proposed the corridor could either be track-based or run on magnetic levitation technology.

To be completely air-conditioned, the fare would range from Rs 900 to Rs 3,600. However, sources said the Railways are not keen on the project, which is estimated to cost Rs 1.30 lakh crore. Even senior state government functionaries have questions on its viability. However, Patil and his NCP colleague Jaydutt Kshirsagar said the corridor would spur development in these areas and reduce the burden on cities.

The consultants proposed the project could be completed in 30 years, with 50% of funding through passenger fare and 20% by running a high-speed container freight service along the route at night.