Courtesy : India today

Bullet train

With only 17% of the work of the Centre’s ambitious Bullet Train project completed so far, the completion is likely to miss its 2023 deadline. The data shared by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by India Today cited several reasons, such as Covid, land acquisition issues, etc, for the delay.

17% WORK DONE SO FAR

Responding to our query on how much work had been completed so far, National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said, “Approximately 17% work of Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project had been completed till Feb 1, 2022.”

ALSO READ | 89% of land needed for bullet train project acquired: Railway Minister tells Lok Sabha

NHSRCL, the nodal body responsible for the execution of the bullet train project, attributed the hold-up to Covid, delay in land acquisition in Maharashtra and award of the tenders. In response to our RTI query, it said, “As per a joint feasibility report, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project is targeted for completion by 2023. However, the timeline for the commissioning of the project can be fixed after the assessment of the impact of reasons for the delay.”

COMMISSIONING DATE TO BE REASSESSED

Responding to the question pertaining to the total land acquired, it said, “Out of the total land requirement of approximately 1,396 hectares, about 1,196 hectares have been acquired.” This means that the bullet train project has acquired around 86% of the required land and needs to acquire around 200 hectares of land now.

With only 17% of the work of the Centre’s ambitious Bullet Train project completed so far, the completion is likely to miss its 2023 deadline. The data shared by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by India Today cited several reasons, such as Covid, land acquisition issues, etc, for the delay.

17% WORK DONE SO FAR

Responding to our query on how much work had been completed so far, National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said, “Approximately 17% work of Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project had been completed till Feb 1, 2022.”

ALSO READ | 89% of land needed for bullet train project acquired: Railway Minister tells Lok Sabha

NHSRCL, the nodal body responsible for the execution of the bullet train project, attributed the hold-up to Covid, delay in land acquisition in Maharashtra and award of the tenders. In response to our RTI query, it said, “As per a joint feasibility report, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project is targeted for completion by 2023. However, the timeline for the commissioning of the project can be fixed after the assessment of the impact of reasons for the delay.”

COMMISSIONING DATE TO BE REASSESSED

Responding to the question pertaining to the total land acquired, it said, “Out of the total land requirement of approximately 1,396 hectares, about 1,196 hectares have been acquired.” This means that the bullet train project has acquired around 86% of the required land and needs to acquire around 200 hectares of land now.