Bullet trains will eliminate short-duration flights, says Ashwini Vaishnaw
What's the story
India's Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has warned airline investors that the country's new high-speed rail network will dominate short-haul routes. He said routes like Mumbai-Pune and Hyderabad-Bengaluru would be dominated by bullet trains, making air travel uncompetitive. The government is looking to invest heavily in these bullet train corridors, which will drastically cut travel times and transform travel patterns in India.
Travel transformation
Vaishnaw urges investors to study impact of high-speed rail
Speaking at the CII Business Summit, Vaishnaw urged investors to look at how high-speed rail has changed travel patterns in Japan, China, and South Korea. He said "nobody will fly on these routes," referring to the dominance of high-speed rail on dense inter-city corridors. The minister emphasized that the upcoming bullet train network would drastically reduce travel times between major cities.
Reduced durations
Bullet train network to drastically reduce travel times
Vaishnaw said the bullet train network would cut Mumbai-Pune travel time to just 48 minutes. Other routes like Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Chennai-Hyderabad, and Bengaluru-Chennai would also see significant reductions in travel times. He said such routes would be "99% dominated by railways."
Investment plans
India plans to spend ₹16L crore on bullet train corridors
Vaishnaw revealed that India plans to spend almost ₹16 lakh crore on bullet train corridors. He assured that "practically the entire amount" would go to Indian contractors and suppliers. The minister also said land acquisition for upcoming corridors would begin soon, promising execution at a "never seen before pace" in India. This ambitious plan is likely to redefine inter-city travel in the country.