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Earlier this month, National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited invited bids for the design and construction HSR Stations. The trains will be equipped with an advanced telecommunication system which is used in Japanese Shinkansen trains (Japanese Bullet trains). In 2017, the project was said to be completed by 2023, but reports say there might be a delay. However, a clear timeline can be predicted in the next three to six months after the land acquisition process is ascertained, reported news agency PTI in September.
Railway Board chairman and CEO V K Yadav said in a PTI report, “In any linear project like the bullet train project, work can only begin when a certain amount of land is available. We are hoping that within the next three to six months, we will be able to get to that point where we have 90% to 100% of the land. Our designs are ready and we are set to go.”
Meanwhile, feasibility studies have been permitted for Delhi – Amritsar high speed rail corridor, Varanasi – Howrah high-speed rail corridor, Delhi – Varanasi high-speed rail corridor, Delhi – Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, Mumbai – Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor, Mumbai – Nagpur high-speed rail corridor, Chennai – Mysore high-speed rail corridor.
According to media reports, the stations for Delhi Varanasi bullet trains may be located in Gautam Budh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. A report by Amar Ujala says that after running from Sarai Kale Khan, the first bullet train will stop at Sector-148 of Noida. The train will reach Varanasi in four hours.
According to Financial Express reports, around 21 lakh MT of steel, 75 lakh MT of cement, and 1.4 lakh MT of structural steel are estimated to be used in the construction all of which will be manufactured in India. The project is also excepted to create around 90,000 jobs during the construction period.