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Del-Varanasi bullet train may cover 782km in 3 hrs

NEW DELHI: The second bullet train after the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor will run from Delhi to Varanasi, a distance of 782 km, and could complete the journey in just two hours and 40 minutes.
The project connecting the capital to the pilgrimage city, which is also PM Modi's Lok Sabha constituency, while passing through Lucknow has been fast-tracked ahead of the UP polls next year.

Though it will be a while before the service rolls out, the Delhi-Varanasi stretch — part of the Delhi-Kolkata corridor — has been accorded topmost priority for the railways after the national transporter accelerated the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch by tying up funds with Japan and setting up of the High Speed Rail Corporation.
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Fast-tracking of the stretch seems to be part of the Modi regime's strategy to project a pro-development image ahead of UP polls. The Delhi-Varanasi stretch will pass through Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow and Sultanpur.
An official said the interim report by a Spanish firm, which is conducting feasibility study of the high-speed rail corridor, was discussed by the Railway Board and the firm is likely to submit its final report in November.
As per the report, the travel time between Delhi and Lucknow (506 km) is likely to be 1 hour 45 minutes while travel between Delhi to Kolkata (1,513 km) will take 4 hours 56 minutes.
The preliminary cost, without rolling stock, being worked out is estimated to be about Rs 43,000 crore for the Delhi-Varanasi stretch and around Rs 84,000 crore for the entire Delhi-Kolkata corridor. However, an official said the final cost will be worked out only after detailed field study of the finally chosen alignment. The possibility of operating doubledecker high speed trains on this section is also being explored by the consultant.
 
project will take 30 years and speed will be .....unknown
 
NEW DELHI: The second bullet train after the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor will run from Delhi to Varanasi, a distance of 782 km, and could complete the journey in just two hours and 40 minutes.
The project connecting the capital to the pilgrimage city, which is also PM Modi's Lok Sabha constituency, while passing through Lucknow has been fast-tracked ahead of the UP polls next year.

Though it will be a while before the service rolls out, the Delhi-Varanasi stretch — part of the Delhi-Kolkata corridor — has been accorded topmost priority for the railways after the national transporter accelerated the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch by tying up funds with Japan and setting up of the High Speed Rail Corporation.
Luxury apartments at BKC by Rustomjee
Ad Rustomjee Seasons
Fast-tracking of the stretch seems to be part of the Modi regime's strategy to project a pro-development image ahead of UP polls. The Delhi-Varanasi stretch will pass through Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow and Sultanpur.
An official said the interim report by a Spanish firm, which is conducting feasibility study of the high-speed rail corridor, was discussed by the Railway Board and the firm is likely to submit its final report in November.
As per the report, the travel time between Delhi and Lucknow (506 km) is likely to be 1 hour 45 minutes while travel between Delhi to Kolkata (1,513 km) will take 4 hours 56 minutes.
The preliminary cost, without rolling stock, being worked out is estimated to be about Rs 43,000 crore for the Delhi-Varanasi stretch and around Rs 84,000 crore for the entire Delhi-Kolkata corridor. However, an official said the final cost will be worked out only after detailed field study of the finally chosen alignment. The possibility of operating doubledecker high speed trains on this section is also being explored by the consultant.
-second HSR line after AHBD-MUMB will be DEL-VAR
- Part of the planned DEL-KOL HSR line (to be expanded later)
-Japanese for the AHBA-MUMB, Spanish for the DEL-VAR and thus entire DEL-KOL(?)
-DEL-VAR line will stop at key tourist cities/towns including Lucknow, Agra (Taj Mahal) and of course Varanasi


@anant_s comments? Good that HSR is being properly studied instead of hasty implementation, I have no idea how viable this line may be but as pointed out there are some key tourist sites/destinations on the planned route and this is a stepping some towards the full DEL-KOL HSR line. Is the last line about double decker HSR typical desi journalism? There's no such thing is there?

It's good that foreign tech/ToT is going to enter the Indian railway network but shouldn't standardisation be a priority? the Japanese are operating in the West (Mumbai HSR lines) and the Spanish in the East and the French are said to be exploring HSR projects/lines themselves in India. It is becoming a very congested marketplace and I wonder if this is beneficial in the long term; having to deal with numerous nations/OEMs and tackle the inherent issues that arise from this. No doubt it has its benefits also.

I also wonder how this particular line will be funded. The Ahemdebad-Mumbai line is being funded by a VERY favourable package from Japan and the Japense have a dedicated investment body (JICA) for just these kinds of projects, the Spanish on the other hand are well known to be in serious economic distress (being one of the so called "PIIGS") so I don't know if they would be offering such a package for this line.

Personally I look forward to the day when there is a DEL-Amritsar HSR, as it stands international flights to Amritsar are limited and the journey from Delhi to Amritsar (not via air) can be rather tedious/long.

project will take 30 years and speed will be .....unknown
Should be up and running in half that time.
 
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This honestly should have been the first bullet train project pursued. The higher ticket costs could be passed onto tourists if domestic demand couldn't catch up.

But the Japanese-loan deal was too good to pass up I suppose.
 
how viable this line may be but as pointed out there are some key tourist sites/destinations on the planned route and this is a stepping some towards the full DEL-KOL HSR line.
Good move!
Varanasi is a place of pilgrimage and huge number of tourists visit the area. My wife's paternal home is place near Varanasi and on two occasions when i've tried to visit Varanasi, i could not get reservations and finally had to settle for a taxi ride from Lucknow. Further the air connectivity of city too is very poor.
@Roybot You can comment better on this part.
Considering the amount of tourism the ancient city generates, its pathetic to see traveling is a neglected area.
We must also remember, that Bodh Gaya, a place of significance for Buddhists, also lies on same route so any plans to connect this circuit, will bring a cheer to huge number of devotees and tourists alike. HSR on this route can actually be profitable venture and given the topography of Delhi Calcutta route which essentially runs on gangetic plains (barring small stretch of Chota Nagpur plateau), the construction should be relatively simple.
I also wonder how this particular line will be funded.
Get Japan to fund this line. They may actually find an emotional connect with this project considering involvement of Bodh Gaya and the fact that they are technically and financially funding Mumbai Ahmadabad line, will make it easier (& perhaps cheaper) to extend same setup to Delhi Calcutta line.
tandardisation be a priority
Bingo!!
 
what idiocy is this ? GOI should start concentrating on building a HSR route b/w bang-hyd or bang-chennai or chennai-bang. This project would break even quicker than the rest. Modi should act as a P.M of India, not just North India.

Mumbai is not in North India.And chennai people wound want free bullet train tickets :D
 
what idiocy is this ? GOI should start concentrating on building a HSR route b/w bang-hyd or bang-chennai or chennai-bang. This project would break even quicker than the rest. Modi should act as a P.M of India, not just North India.

how many BJP or NDA MPs from South ?? :D

for the same reason NE was neglected for so long !!
 
this route doesn't make economic sense

High speed rail should connect economics centres of the North
like Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Jaipur, Delhi-Lucknow

Delhi Varanasi stretch doesn't make economic sense to me
 
and how many billions ??? what is so big about travelling from Delhi to Varanasi at bullet pace?
 
what idiocy is this ? GOI should start concentrating on building a HSR route b/w bang-hyd or bang-chennai or chennai-bang. This project would break even quicker than the rest. Modi should act as a P.M of India, not just North India.

These cities are better connected via air, thus viability of HSR is much less.
 
The Southern cities are the highest revenue generators in India, and has the highest concentration of white collar jobs...honestly, how does Varanasi compare to any of the main Southern cities?.

Mumbai generates 1/3rd of India's tax revenues.Delhi is second and the rest don't even compare.
 
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