NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHRSCL), the organization responsible for India’s first bullet train project, has announced a tender to procure 24 E5 Series Shinkansen trainsets at a cost of approximately Rs 11,000 crore. The government aims to launch the first bullet train on the Gujarat section of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai corridor by 2027.
According to funding norms by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), only Japanese companies will be allowed to participate in the procurement process. Hitachi Rail and Kawasaki Heavy Industries are among the few Japanese companies that manufacture such trainsets.
The NHRSCL spokesperson confirmed the issuance of an Invitation of Proposal (IFP) for the procurement of the trainsets. The estimated cost of the rolling stock cannot be disclosed at this stage, as the IFP has just been released.
Interested companies will need to submit their bids by the end of October. Each Shinkansen trainset will consist of 10 coaches and have a seating capacity of 690 passengers. To suit Indian conditions, such as extreme hot weather and prevalent dust, the trainsets will be modified accordingly.
The construction of the bullet train project is well underway in Gujarat, with around 349 km out of the total 508 km falling within the state. As a result, the trains can initially begin operating on this section.
Regarding the revised cost of the entire project, the NHSRCL spokesperson stated that the feasibility report estimated it to be Rs 1.08 lakh crore. However, the final cost can only be determined once all contracts are finalized, and the land acquisition process is completed. Sources, on the other hand, indicate that the current cost exceeds Rs 1.6 lakh crore.
In a recent visit, a high-level delegation from Japan, led by Mr. Suga Yoshihide, Chairman of The Japan India Association and former Prime Minister of Japan, along with Shri Rajendra Prasad, Managing Director, NHSRCL, explored the Sabarmati Multimodal Transport Hub and the SBS launching site of the MAHSR Project in Ahmedabad district.
