Lalus bullet train to Patna

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadavs recent visit to Japan was essentially meant to push for a Rs 20,000 crore loan from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) to fund the first phase of the Dedicated Freight Corridor. However,having returned with little to show on that front,Lalu had another ace up his sleeve. On his return,he lost no time in announcing Delhi-Patna as one of the routes for a bullet train. This sent Rail Bhavan into a tizzy since the five routes already identified for pre-feasibility of high-speed trains did not even touch Patna. With nothing having moved on getting the pre-feasibility studies for the already announced routes,Rail Bhavan mandarins are now hopeful that things will finally start moving since Patna is now in the picture.