High-speed rail in India

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Indian Railways does not currently have any operational high-speed rail lines, though a total of eight corridors have been approved, with the corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad under construction.[1] As of 2023, the fastest train services in India are the Gatimaan Express and Rani Kamalapati (Habibganj)–Hazrat Nizamuddin Vande Bharat Express with peak operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) on the Tughlakabad – Agra Cantonment section of the route.[2]

E5 Series Shinkansen of JR East. The series which is set to be used on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor.

The first high-speed railway corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad (508 km (316 mi)) is currently under construction with a designed maximum operational speed of 320 km/h (199 mph).[3][4] The corridor will use standard gauge, instead of the more prevalent broad gauge on the rest of the rail network, and will be built with Shinkansen technology. It is expected to carry passengers between the two cities in around three hours and the ticket prices are expected to be competitive with air travel. This project was initially targeted for completion by December 2023, however, owing mainly to land acquisition issues in Maharashtra and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now expected to be completed by October 2028. However, a portion of this line between Surat and Bilimora is planned to be opened by 2026.[5][6]

Background[edit]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Japanese PM Abe before boarding a N700 Series Shinkansen to Kobe.

The Ministry of Railways white-paper "Vision 2020",[7] submitted to the parliament on 18 December 2009,[8] envisaged the implementation of regional high-speed rail projects to provide services at 250–350 km/h (155–217 mph), and planning for corridors connecting commercial, tourist, and pilgrimage hubs.

At the 2014 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed its desire to build the Diamond Quadrilateral high speed rail project, which would connect the cities of Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai via high-speed rail.[9] This project was approved as a priority for the new government in the incoming president's speech.[10] Construction of one kilometre of high speed railway track was estimated to cost 100 crore (US$14 million) – 140 crore (US$20 million) which is estimated to be 10–14 times higher than the cost of construction of standard railway.[11]

The new high-speed rail lines with will be standard gauge, whereas older tracks which could be upgraded to higher speeds will have a 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge. There can, therefore, be no interoperability between the new lines and the older-upgraded tracks for passenger and cargo traffic, unless it is decided to use variable gauge systems in future.

Definition and terminology[edit]

According to the Ministry of Railways, a route which has trains operating between 160 and 200 km/h (99 and 124 mph) is considered as a higher speed or semi-high speed rail line, while the routes operating at less than 160 km/h (99 mph) are considered to be conventional rail lines.[12] According to the UIC definition, a commercial speed of over 250 km/h (160 mph) for a newly built line or 200 km/h (120 mph) for an upgraded line is considered to be high-speed.[13] As of July 2023, India has 508 km of high-speed tracks under construction; while 174 km of tracks in the section of TughlakabadAgra Cantonment support semi-high speeds.[14]

  Under Construction

Speed Type Length
<110 km/h (68 mph) Conventional rail 67,869 km (42,172 mi)
>110 km/h (68 mph) and <130 km/h (81 mph) Group B lines
>130 km/h (81 mph) and <160 km/h (99 mph) Group A lines
>160 km/h (99 mph) and <200 km/h (120 mph) Semi-high-speed rail 174 km (108 mi)
>200 km/h (120 mph) High-speed rail 508 km (316 mi)

History[edit]

WP class steam locomotive operated in the 1940s and 1950s.

Steam era: 90 km/h speed[edit]

During the steam era of Indian railways, the trains rarely managed to reach speeds of 90 km/h (56 mph). It was only until the introduction of WP class locomotive in the 1940s where speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph) were operated commercially.[15] The move from steam technology happened when the electrification was completed in Bombay Division. WCP-1 class electric locomotives were used to haul the coaches with a speed beyond 100 km/h (62 mph) and they had a theoretical maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). Due to the intervening World Wars, Indian Railways were unable to introduce electrification beyond the Bombay Division and hence steam locomotives dominated the lines in the rest of India.[15]

1960s: Diesel era[edit]

The era of diesel locomotives took shape in the 1960s when Indian Railways imported WDM-1 and WDM-2 class locomotives from the American company, ALCO. Although the WDM-1 struggled to cross the 100 km/h (62 mph) speed mark, the subsequent introduction of WDM-2 and WDM-4 locomotives achieved these speeds for the most of the decade.[15]

1970s: electric train era[edit]

India began developing higher-speed rail by inaugurating the Howrah Rajdhani Express back in March 1969, five years after Japan inaugurated Shinkansen, the world's first high-speed rail which was running at twice the speed of Rajdhani Express.[16] With the initiation of various electrification projects in the 1970s on the trunk routes, the electric locomotives soon began to replace their diesel counterparts. The WAP-1 electric locomotive broke the record to be the fastest locomotive in India during the 1980s, reaching a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph) during trial runs and was certified for commercial operations at 140 km/h (87 mph).The first service to reach a maximum speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) was, the WAP-1 hauled, Shatabdi Express from New Delhi to Jhansi in 1989.[15]

WAP-5 class locomotives, the first AC locomotives of its kind in India, were imported to haul fast, short trains like the Shatabdi Express. They also featured fully suspended traction motors, reducing the impact on tracks and allowing faster speeds. The first batch of these locomotives arrived in India in 1995 and operated at speeds of 130 km/h (81 mph). During the trial runs, this locomotive reached a record speed of 184 km/h (114 mph) which made it the fastest locomotive in India.[15]

Inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express, India's second indigenously developed EMU train, at New Delhi railway station.

in April 2016, the WAP-5 hauled Gatimaan Express became the fastest commercially operated train in India, with a maximum operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph).[17] Two years later, Indian Railways developed the second indigenously built, semi-high-speed EMU train, the Vande Bharat Express based on MEMU. This train reached a speed of 180 km/h (112 mph) during its trial run and was designed to run at a maximum speed of 200 km/h (124 mph), but due to the speed limitations on tracks, the train's operational speed is restricted to 130 km/h (81 mph).[18]

1980s onwards: proposals for high-speed rails[edit]

Erstwhile Minister of Railways, Mallikarjun Kharge launching High-speed Rail Corporation of India Ltd.

In mid-1980s, then railway minister, Madhavrao Scindia proposed the Delhi-Kanpur high-speed rail line which was found financially unviable,[19] thus railways instead introduced Shatabdi trains which ran at 140 km/h (87 mph).[20] Under the Vision 2020 white paper in 2009, six elevated corridors were identified for technical studies on setting up of high-speed rail corridors. The 'High Speed Rail Corporation of India Ltd' (HSRC), founded on 25 July 2013 by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL) for the high-speed rail corridor projects,[21][22][23][24][25][26] was replaced by the 'National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited' on 12 February 2016 as the government company for construction and operation of high-speed rail corridors.[27]

2017 onwards: construction of high-speed rail[edit]

Prime ministers of India and Japan at Ground Breaking ceremony of Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project, at Ahmedabad.

Construction of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, India's first high-speed rail corridor started in 2017 and is expected to be completed by 2028. The foundation stone laying ceremony was held on 14 September 2018 when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, flagged off the construction work in Ahmedabad. The E5 Series Shinkansen trains will have a maximum operational speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) and an average speed of 260 km/h (162 mph).[6]

Network[edit]

Under construction and proposed high speed rail lines.
Map of corridors according to National Rail Plan
Potential High Speed Rail lines (2011)[7][28]

The network is proposed to have top speeds of 300–350 km/h (186–217 mph), and are envisaged to run on elevated corridors to isolate high-speed train tracks to prevent trespassing.[19] Multiple feasibility studies have been done[29] by Systra, Italferr, RITES Limited, Mott MacDonald, INECO, PROINTEC, Ayesa, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Parsons Brinckerhoff.[30][31][32][33]

  Under Construction
  Approved
  Proposed

Summary of proposed and under construction high-speed rail lines in India (standard gauge)
High-speed Corridor Speed Length Further extension Status Planned opening (According to NRP)[34]
km/h mph km mi
North India[35]
Delhi–Varanasi high-speed rail corridor 320 200 865 537 DPR* under preparation 2031
Delhi–Amritsar high-speed rail corridor 320 200 480 300 (Via Chandigarh) Approved[36] 2051
Delhi–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor 320 200 886 551 (Via Udaipur) Land acquisition to begin 2031
Amritsar–Jammu high-speed rail corridor 320 200 190 120 (Via Pathankot) Proposed[37] 2051
East India
Varanasi–Howrah high-speed rail corridor 320 200 711 442 (Via Patna) DPR under preparation[38] 2031
Patna–Guwahati high-speed rail corridor 320 200 850 530 Proposed 2051
West India
Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor 320 200 508.18 315.77 (Via Surat, Bilimora) Under Construction 2026 (Surat-Bilimora)

2028 (full completion)

Mumbai–Nagpur high-speed rail corridor 320 200 736 457 (Via Nashik, Aurangabad) DPR under preparation 2051
Mumbai–Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor[39] 350 220 711 442 (Via Pune, Solapur) DPR under preparation 2051
Pune–Nashik rail line[40] 200 120 235.15 146.12 (Via Narayangaon, Sangamner) Land acquisition initiated 2027
Ahmedabad–Rajkot high-speed rail corridor[41] 220 140 225 140 (Via Limbdi) DPR Prepared TBD
Central India
Nagpur–Varanasi high-speed rail corridor 320 200 855 531 Proposed 2041
South India
Chennai–Mysuru high-speed rail corridor 320 200 435 270 (Via Bengaluru)[36] DPR under preparation 2031
Hyderabad–Bengaluru high-speed rail corridor 320 200 618 384 Proposed 2041
Silver Line (Thiruvananthapuram–Kasaragod)[42] 200 120 529.45 328.98 (Via Ernakulam) DPR Prepared TBD
Total
15 corridors Average speed : ≈300 kmph 8,834.78 5,489.68 0/15 2051

*DPR = Detailed Project Report


High-speed Diamond Quadrilateral[edit]

Potential Diamond Quadrilateral route map.

The Diamond Quadrilateral high-speed rail network project is envisioned to connect the four major metro cities of India namely: Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai.[43][44][45][46]

Diamond Quadrilateral project's proposed and probable lines (standard gauge)
High-speed Corridor Speed Length Via Status Planned opening (According to NRP)[34]
km/h mph km mi
Delhi–Kolkata 320 200 1,576 979 Varanasi DPR under preparation 2031
Kolkata–Chennai 320 200 1,500 930 Vishakapatnam TBD TBD [note 1]
Mumbai–Chennai 320 200 1,200 750 Hubli TBD TBD [note 2]
Delhi–Mumbai 320 200 1,394 866 Ahmedabad and Jaipur One section under construction 2031
Delhi–Bengaluru 320 200 1,900 1,200 Bhopal and Hyderabad TBD TBD [note 3]
Mumbai–Kolkata 320 200 1,800 1,100 Nagpur TBD TBD [note 4]

Semi-high-speed rail[edit]

Train services[edit]

Gatimaan Express is the first semi-high speed service in India that runs at its maximum speed of 160 km/h between Tughlakabad and Agra Cantonment.

India has several semi-high speed routes which allow trans running at semi-high speeds (160kmph), these services are called Vande Bharat Express[47][48][49][50] and Gatimaan Express.[51][52][53]

160–200 kmph track upgrades[edit]

Indian Railways aims to increase the speed of passenger trains to 160–200 km/h (99–124 mph) on dedicated conventional tracks. Indian railways also intend to improve the existing conventional lines to handle speeds of up to 160 km/h (99 mph), with a goal of speed more than 200 km/h (124 mph) on new tracks with improved technology.[7] Trains have already been built by native companies that can reach speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph).[54] Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India has built dedicated freight corridors across India to move cargo traffic from the passenger railway tracks, thus increase the speed of the passenger trains to 200 km/h (124 mph).[55] Indian Railways have classified the tracks in two categories. The tracks that support 110 km/h (68 mph) – 130 km/h (81 mph) are classified as 'Group B' while the tracks that support 130 km/h (81 mph) – 160 km/h (99 mph) are classified as 'Group A'.[56][57] The following list has various routes that operate, are under construction or are planned to run at speeds of 160 km/h and beyond. This table does not list the trains that are capable to run at speeds of 160 km/h or beyond, for such information on trains, see here.

  Operational
  Under upgradation
  Planned

Upgrades to 160–200 kmph semi-high-speed (1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge tracks)
Route Speed Length Opening Notes
TughlakabadAgra Cantonment 160 km/h (99 mph) 174 km (108 mi) 5 April 2016 First semi-high speed (1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad gauge) track.[58][59]
Delhi – Mumbai 160 km/h (99 mph) 1,384 km (860 mi) March 2024 Preliminary work underway.[60]
Agra Cantonment – Howrah (Kolkata) 160 km/h (99 mph) 1,446 km (899 mi) TBD Preliminary work underway.[61]
ChennaiGudur 160 km/h (99 mph) 134.3 km (83.5 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[62]
ChennaiRenigunta 160 km/h (99 mph) 134.78 km (83.75 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[62]
Mumbai – Howrah (Kolkata) 160 km/h (99 mph) 1,965 km (1,221 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[63]
Mumbai – Chennai 160 km/h (99 mph) 1,276 km (793 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[63]
Chennai – Howrah (Kolkata) 160 km/h (99 mph) 1,652 km (1,027 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[63]
BengaluruChennai 160 km/h (99 mph) 362 km (225 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[63]
Chennai – New Delhi 160 km/h (99 mph) 2,164 km (1,345 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[63]
BengaluruHyderabad 160 km/h (99 mph) 632 km (393 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[63]
ChennaiHyderabad 160 km/h (99 mph) 715 km (444 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[63]
Howrah (Kolkata) – Puri 160 km/h (99 mph) 502 km (312 mi) TBD DPR Submitted[63]

Standard gauge[edit]

  Operational
  Under construction
  Planned

Upgrades to 160–200 kmph semi-high-speed (1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) Standard gauge tracks)
Route Speed Length Status
Delhi – Meerut 180 km/h (110 mph) 82 km (51 mi) Under construction[64]
Delhi – Alwar 180 km/h (110 mph) 164 km (102 mi) Under construction[64]
Delhi – Panipat 180 km/h (110 mph) 103 km (64 mi) Approved[64]
DelhiRohtak 180 km/h (110 mph) 70 km (43 mi) Proposed[65]
DelhiPalwal 180 km/h (110 mph) 60 km (37 mi) Proposed[65]
DelhiBaraut 180 km/h (110 mph) 54 km (34 mi) Proposed[65]
GhaziabadKhurja 180 km/h (110 mph) 83 km (52 mi) Proposed[65]
GhaziabadHapur 180 km/h (110 mph) 57 km (35 mi) Proposed[65]
DelhiJewar 180 km/h (110 mph) 67 km (42 mi) Proposed[65] To connect with Jewar International Airport
HyderabadWarangal 180 km/h (110 mph) 146 km (91 mi) Proposed[66]
HyderabadVijayawada 180 km/h (110 mph) 281 km (175 mi) Proposed[66]

Super-high-speed rail[edit]

Maglev[edit]

Indian Railways explored the possibility of maglev trains to implement an over-500-kilometre-per-hour (310 mph) speed rail system to shift from technology importer to manufacturer and developer.[67][68][69][70] In February 2019, a train model based upon MagLev systems was unveiled by scientists from Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology for a speed of 600 km (370 mi) per hour.[71] In September 2020, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited signed a pact with SwissRapide AG to bring MagLev metro systems in India.[72]

Hyperloop[edit]

There is no currently operational hyperloop system in the world. Although there has been human testing, but the proposed speed projections depend on significant engineering advances & testing.[73]

Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop

1,000 km/h hyperloop system would take 14 minutes compared to the current 3 hours to commute between these two cities while carrying 10,000 commuters per hour (5,000 in each direction). Hyperloop Onesubmitted a Detailed Project Report submitted to Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) in January 2018 with 3 terminal end-points options in Mumbai, namely Dadar, Santacruz and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. In 2018, 3,00,000 people commute daily between these two cities daily in 1,10,000 vehicles (including 80,000 cars and 6,000 buses).[74]

Amritsar-Chandigarh Hyperloop

Virgin Hyperloop signed a MoU with Punjab in 2019 for building a rail to cover total 226 km (140 mi) distance in 19 minutes, which will be at least 10 times faster than a trip taken by existing transport infrastructure of road, rail or flight.[75]

Bengaluru-Chennai Hyperloop

Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One, signed a MoU with Karnataka government to conduct feasibility study for thus route which will reduce the travel time to 20 minutes.[76]

Technology[edit]

Shinkansen[edit]

Depiction of modified E5 series Shinkansen in background at the ground breaking ceremony.

The Indian railways will construct bullet train assembly facilities on a public-private participation (PPP) model. As per National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), Japanese companies will set up manufacturing facilities in India to build the parts for bullet train sets.[77]

Indigenous technology[edit]

Indian Railways is developing EMU train sets which can operate at a semi-high speed of (200 km/h (124 mph)). In 2019, The Vande Bharat Express or Train 18 replaced Shatabdi Express. 'Train 20' is another proposed overnight semi-high-speed train to replace the existing Rajdhani Express service. Both of these will be manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF).[78] These trains have driver cabins on both ends, which eliminates the time needed for turnaround at the terminal station. Since these are EMU train sets, the time and distance taken to accelerate and decelerate is reduced, enabling the train to travel at a top speed for longer distance. The coaches have automatic sliding doors, onboard Wi-Fi service, GPS based information system, wide windows, bio-toilets and are fully air-conditioned. The rake of Vande Bharat Express has sixteen coaches, consisting of two Executive Chair Cars and fourteen AC Chair Cars, it is being operated at 130 km/h due to track limitations. Train 20 is set to have twenty coaches consisting of AC First Class sleeper, AC II Tier sleeper, AC III Tier sleeper classes and an AC Chair Car, it is set to operate at 160 km/h. Train 20's proposed top speed was announced to be at 176 km/h.[79][80]

Construction technology[edit]

A prefabricated section of the elevated track being installed with the help of Mega Carrier and Launcher on the Chinese Harbin-Dalian High Speed Railway in October 2010.

The Mega Carrier and Launcher Machines or Transporter, Gantry, and Full Span Launcher Machines are the machines that are used to construct viaducts (elevated structures) for bullet train corridors in China. These vehicles carry an entire girder by traveling on an already launched girder to place the next girder. The speed was seven times faster than India's previous girder launching mechanism. While the Chinese machine laid two girders a day, the previous Indian girder launching mechanism placed one and a half girders in a week.[81] The NHSRCL had posed a challenge to build such machines for L&T which is currently constructing the 325 km (202 mi) stretch of Mumbai-Ahmedabad line. Each of these machines cost around ₹70–80 crores and 30 such machines are required to construct 237 km (147 mi) stretch.[81] On 9 September 2021, India joined Norway, Italy, China, and South Korea to possess Full Span Launching Methodology (FSLM) technology after L&T was successfully able to develop it indigenously. NHSRCL will acquire 20 such machines for their Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project in order to ramp up the construction progress. These machines can be further used to build viaducts for elevated roads and rapid transit systems across India.[82][83]

List of trains[edit]

Name Origin Manufacturer lines Type Power supply Maximum speed (km/h) In
Service
Picture
Top speed Operational Top speed Designed speed
High-speed
E5 Series Shinkansen Japan Japan Hitachi Rail &
Kawasaki
None Currently,

12 planned

EMU Electric (25 kV 50 Hz AC) 320 N/A 320 2028–29[5] Shinkansen_(bullet_train)_:_The_Hayabusa_super_express_(Series_E5_train)
Semi-high-speed
Vande Bharat India India ICF 17 EMU Electric 180 160 200 2022 5th Vande Bharat Express departing towards Mysuru Jn.jpg
Vande Bharat (first generation) India India ICF 1 EMU Electric 180[84] 130[85] 200[86] 2019 Vande Bharat Express on Platform 16 in New Delhi 02.jpg

Research and Development[edit]

National Academy of Indian Railways, research based railway technology university in Vadodara,[87][88] was established in 2018 with the aim of developing indigenously high-speed train manufacturing technology.[89] Other institutions focused on Railway technology research and development are:

Records[edit]

Date System Type Speed Picture
1947 WP class Steam 100 km/h[15]
682 IndiaDelhiMuseum 19931226.jpg
1969 WDM-4 Diesel 120 km/h[15]
WDM-4 18001 locomotive.jpg
1971 WDM-4 Diesel 130 km/h[15]
WDM-4 18001 locomotive.jpg
1971 WAM-2/3 Electric 140 km/h[15]
Wam-2. SVG.svg
1982 WAM-4B Electric 145 km/h[15]
WAM-4 AJJ.jpg
1988 WAP-1 Electric 160 km/h[15]
WAP1 ^22076 Aastha of GZB waiting for its scheduled departure with Agra bound ICE at LJN - Flickr - Dr. Santulan Mahanta.jpg
1996 WAP-4 Electric 169 km/h[15]
BRC's new hot babe waiting till the dark to elope with Awadh Express - The eternal philanderer... - Flickr - Dr. Santulan Mahanta.jpg
June 1997 WAP-5 Electric 184 km/h[15]
Ghaziabad WAP 5.jpg

Criticism[edit]

India's choice of the standard gauge for high-speed rail goes against the Project Unigauge,[90] with claims it could provides better stability and therefore the broad gauge railway could be better suited for high-speed rail in India as the cost of constructing greenfield high-speed rail line could be avoided by upgrading the existing brownfield lines.[91] To address the suggestions that India must invest in alternative technologies such as maglev,[92] India has opened a railway technology university, and is in the process of developing the indigenous technology.

Criticism by rail-fans and others that 1960s Shinkansen technology might not viably compete with aviation industry,[92] and that India must modernise & expand existing systems,[92] has been addressed by keeping the proposed fares competitive against airline fares, modernizing the existing network and expanding the metro network.

See also[edit]

  • Train service:

Notes[edit]

  1. "This route is not yet planned and it represents the most feasible route for Diamond Quadrilateral high-speed rail line between these two metro cities.
  2. "The Mumbai–Chennai route is not planned yet. This route represents the most feasible route for Mumbai-Chennai section of Diamond Quadrilateral high-speed rail line. Although a section of this potential route between Chennai and Bengaluru has been planned to be operational by 2051.
  3. "This route is not planned yet and it represents the most feasible route for Delhi-Bengaluru section of Diamond Quadrilateral high-speed rail line. However, one section of this potential route between Hyderabad and Bengaluru is planned to be operational by 2041.
  4. "This route beyond Nagpur is not planned yet and it represents the most feasible route for Mumbai–Kolkata section of Diamond Quadrilateral high-speed rail line. However, the Mumbai–Nagpur section of this line is planned to be operational by 2051.

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