http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/ncH7CEP39bghrLw6jQXHdK/High-speed-trains-a-missed-opportunity.html
The Rail Budget of the new NDA government talks about FDI, PPP and HSR.
HSR = High Speed Railways
Indian Railways launched a vision 2020 for itself in 2009. The “vision” stated a modest speed of 160kmph. This is hardly a “vision”. The speed of Eurostar is 300kmph.
China started building HSR in 2007 and already has the biggest HSR network in the world.
HSR would drastically reduce travel time between cities. Benefits:
- families can get away on the weekends, good for tourism
- sleeper coaches replaced by chair car. more passengers, more revenue.
- higher frequency of trains. more passengers, more revenue.
- competition to aviation market
- generate a lot of employment for the infrastructure that will be needed, laying down lines, fences, bridges, tunnels, etc. need to be built
- perishable commodities
- assisting in relief and emergency operations
