Indian Railways on a fast track

Japan started the era of high-speed train travel with the introduction of bullet trains in 1964. France joined the club in the early 1980s, with its TGV trains, and soon the 300-kph barrier was breached. France has actually tested trains at 500 kph plus and has the clearance to run TGVs at 375 kph. Its advertised speed is still 300 kph as they find this adequate to stave off competition from airlines. A speed cushion still remains with them to up the speed further.

Internationally the threshold for high-speed trains is 250 kph and above. Another threshold is the 200-kph mark, loosely referred as the semi-high speed level. At the 250 kph level, there is a quantum change in the technologies employed and trains are run on dedicated tracks constructed specifically for them; 200 kph is regarded as a high-speed benchmark, akin to normal systems but with enhanced features. Viewed in this context, IR has now reached the 150 kph level and is closer to the 200-kph mark of running high-speed trains on existing tracks.

Japan, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Korea have trains in the 250-kph plus ranges, with Sweden, UK, USA, Russia, China, Taiwan and Finland running trains at 200 kph. Europe has an ambitious plan of linking all major cities through a high-speed network by 2020. Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Maghreb, the Middle East and Central America have also been contemplating the introduction of high-speed trains in the future.

The speeding up is a logical extension of the railways programme of Shatabdi trains linking various cities. The Shatabdi intercity links provide an economic stimulus for urban growth. One can imagine the benefits of Delhi having two to three hour links with cities like Agra, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Lucknow. One could easily live in these cities and commute to Delhi or vice versa. A similar situation would ensue by linking cities like Surat, Bharuch, Pune, Nasik, or even Goa to Mumbai. It would act as an economy multiplier in that region. The Shatabdi trains at higher speeds could be the right stimulus for regional development. They will also enable decongestion of the Mumbai area and improve the quality of life. Both Chennai and Kolkata have similar potential to act as hubs for high-speed Shatabdi trains towards promoting development in their respective regions.

The high-speed links provide a much better alternative to air travel between the same cities when you consider the time spent travelling to and from the airports at both ends, as well as check-in and check-out times. Today air links are almost rare between cities served by TGV trains in France. Travel by buses between these cities today take a longer time, are generally tedious and, unfortunately, are not as safe.

Neither Japan nor France has seen fatalities on their high-speed links. The enhanced safety systems on high-speed links help achieve this. The improved safety systems will also have a positive impact on safety awareness on the IR as a whole. They act as technology enablers and facilitate introduction in other lines as well.

All over the world, the railways have emerged as the most appropriate option for both freight and passenger transportation, in view of growing awareness of environmental concerns, rising energy costs and the need for a sustainable development model. The Delhi-Agra 150 kph endeavour is therefore a harbinger of the intent of the Indian Railways to enter the high-speed league and provide improved service to passengers.

The writer is senior fellow, Asian Institute of Transport Development