Is India ready for bullet trains?

India has seen several large-scale projects, be it spiritual, political, or technological, but the thought of having bullet trains in place in a country famous for its complex but colourful rail network has stirred much controversy. It is not a question of the haste or the contemporaneity of the instrument; it is a question of preparedness.

What is more, in reality, are we as a nation ready for the jump into the realm of high-speed rail transport? Let’s dig into this.

The Dream to Penetrate through India by Bullet Trains

The use of bullet trains is nothing new. Japan and China, for instance, already have high-speed rail with trains capable of travelling at a maximum of 300–400 km/h. In India, the proposed bullet train project corridor between Mumbai and Ahmadabad is frequently discussed as an initial move for the country to start competing. They are state-of-the-art, designed for speed, and their main selling point is that they will reduce travel time significantly.

On paper, it sounds perfect. However, to put bullet trains in a country as diverse and complex as India is not merely an exercise of track laying and operation of trains.

• The Challenges India Faces

But do not let us lose focus on a bigger issue, namely, India’s readiness. As much as there are potential advantages of bullet trains, there appear to be far deeper issues at play.

• High Costs

Let’s get straight to it: Bullet trains are expensive. The Bombay Ahmedabad bridge isolation project is expected to cost around ₹1.1 lakh crore ($15 billion). Can we afford to spend this much on luxury travel for a country with little or no secured infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and even sound health facilities, in many regions of the world today?

• Land Acquisition Woes

Land acquisition is one of the major challenges that India faces. This is so because farmers and owners of the land persist in holding onto the land, making it difficult to get the land from them; there is always litigation. Another example is the bullet train, which has been opposed considerably in Maharashtra as well as Gujarat.

• Maintenance and affordability

It is one thing to construct the train and quite another thing to sustain it. Maintenance of high-speed rail systems is complicated and cannot be executed at an accessible cost. Would the ticket prices be within reach of a common man, an Indian in particular?

The existing rail network is not capable enough to face the challenges.

The present Indian rail network is indeed a lifeline for the country, but it has many deficiencies. They have a long waiting time, are jam-packed, and have ancient facilities and equipment at their disposal. We should be making improvements to the current system before we consider high-speed rail, right?

Safety Concerns

Bullet trains are known for their accuracy and safer journey, and in India, trains are not quite safe anymore. There are high possibilities of derailments, accidents, and maintenance lags in the conventional system. It is a big gamble to introduce a high-speed system in such a setting.

Is India truly ready?

It’s not a black-and-white answer though; India does intend to produce HICC, and with being in association with Japan, they also have access to the technology. However, readiness entails something beyond ambition for implementation, which entails infrastructure, public support, and a sustainable source of funding.

Here’s a more realistic take: India is partially ready. Places, for example, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, are very suitable because of their high population density, and these are economic hotspots. But taking this to other regions of the country is easier said than done.

The Final Verdict

As such, is India prepared for bullet trains? The honest answer is: not entirely. Though the strategy has its vision, the achievements are evident to be beneficial. However, there are a lot of challenges that the country faces, from financing to land issues and public opinion.

High-speed bullet trains cannot only be associated with an icon of speed but need to be aligned with India’s visions. This could, if the implementation is done later, have the potential to transform the way people travel within the country.

What do you think? Should India go ahead with bullet trains or do more with what we have? Let’s hear your thoughts!