Countries across South East Asia have been pouring billions of pounds into rail infrastructure projects as they seek to modernise and expand their transport networks.
China, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea have all committed to bold and ambitious high-speed rail projects, they hope will boost economic prosperity.
India is also busy laying the foundations for a new generation of trains that will slash journey times between two of its biggest cities.
Work is well under way on the 316-mile high-speed line connecting Mumbai with Ahmedabad in Gujarat province.
The huge project is estimated to cost an eye-watering £12 billion, with the first section due to open in December 2026.
The line will have twelve stations, and trains are expected to run at 199 miles per hour.
The line is constructed on an elevated viaduct 10 to 15 metres above the ground.
However, a section between Mumbai and Thane stations will run under the sea through a 1.2-mile-long tunnel that is nearing completion.
The tunnel has been constructed with the help of three mega Tunnel Boring Machines and will endure the high-pressure conditions of the marine environment.
India’s National high-speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) is the company responsible for implementing the project.
The construction is being financed through a 50-year £10 billion loan from Japan at an interest rate of 0.1%.
Repayments are scheduled to start 15 years after the line becomes fully operational.
The project’s foundation stone was laid by the prime ministers of India and Japan on September 14, 2017, in an official ceremony.
The original plan was to use Japanese Shinkansen E5 trains, which can reach top speeds of 220 mph.
However, India is now considering using its own high-speed Vande Bharat trains on the line, which travel at speeds of 174 mph.
According to some media reports, Japanese bullet trains may only be introduced on the corridor by 2032.
Leave a comment