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Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project to be on fast track

Last Updated 18 April 2016, 21:07 IST

 The Modi government is moving fast on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project and is keen on completing at least part of the project before 2019 polls.

Railway Ministry officials say that pillars for the elevated corridor would be ready before the polls, so that implementation of the project could be made a poll-campaign issue. 

Sources in the Ministry of Railways revealed on Monday that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be appointed this week. The selection committee will meet on Tuesday to decide on the matter, he said. The committee which is headed by the Cabinet Secretary of India comprises of the finance secretary, secretary department of personnel and training (DoPT) and the chairman of the railway board.

 Besides creating an administrative structure for the special purpose vehicle (SPV), the ministry has started creating infrastructure of the project. The Railway Ministry is setting up a modern soil-testing centre to examine the strength of the soil in the area where the corridor is being built.

Testing required

Experts say that the type of soil in the area is black cotton soil and erection of pillars would require testing.

Officials say that the 508-km bullet train corridor will have a 21-km-long tunnel in the sea in the Thane creek. This would also require modern technology. 

According to the schedule set by the government, the project will start in 2018 and complete in 2023-24. The fund for the Rs 98,000-crore project will come from three agencies. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide a loan of Rs 78,000 crore and Rs 20,000 crore will be generated domestically. The centre will provide Rs 10,000 crore and Maharashtra and Gujarat will invest Rs 5000 crore each.

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(Published 18 April 2016, 21:04 IST)

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