Sweet dreams about bullet trains on the east coast

We speak about materialising our dreams. But do we dream?

The world is developing at a fast pace. China and India are poised to be big players in the world economic sphere in the next decades. But India has to catch up with several respects to achieve a developed status. Particularly, our transport system, among other things, have to be developed in tune with the times. Our long-distance trains carry us from one destination to the other taking many days for the journey. But the world has changed in the matter of rail travel.

By constructing a high-speed corridor, bullet trains can be pressed into service. Bullet trains can travel at a speed of over 500-580 kms per hour. True, it cannot run on our existing rails. Building high-speed rail corridor is expensive initially. But over a period of time, when tourists and the general public use them, the system would be profitable. And the nation should be proud of providing modern amenities on par with world facilities.

In this connection, one should salute the high-speed rail-road-corridor, mooted by P J Joseph connecting Mumbai with Kanyakumari and covering five States of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the east coast.

Mind you, high-speed train-systems have been pressed into service in the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, China, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, Morocco, Thaiwan, Spain, Belgium, Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, Sweden, Malaysia etc.

The high-speed passenger corridor, for which P J Joseph has already launched a vehicular campaign from Mumbai to Kanyakumari, from January 12 and scheduled to conclude on January 31, would connect the tourist centres on the east coast. There are plenty of tourist spots en route. Places of interest include Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore, Kappad, Kodungalloor, Kochi, Alappuzha, Kollam, Vizhinjam and Kanyakumari.

On a rough estimate, the high-speed rail and parallel road corridor from Mumbai to Kanyakumari would cost about Rs one lakh crore. This is not an impossible task provided we would be able to rope in personalities like E.Sreedharan who was instrumental in constructing the Konkan rails and the Delhi metro. Funding would also not be a problem if agencies like Japanese Bank for International Co-operation is accessed. International agencies offer loans at 0.5 per cent interest spread over 25 years.


This east coast corridor would benefit 25 crore people belonging to five states. The railways’ income would be going up considerably, if the system is put in place.

The magnetic levitation trains in Japan ply at a speed of 580 km per hour.

No doubt, we have to catapult ourselves into the realm of the bullet train system