Nagpur-Mumbai Bullet Train: Proposal Delayed, As Of Now

Nagpur: Nearly 4 years after Indian Railways first proposed a high-speed rail corridor connecting Nagpur to Mumbai at speeds of up to 350kmph, the ambitious project remains without formal approval from the Centre, even as Union govt announced 7 new bullet train corridors in the latest Budget.The proposal by then minister of state for railways Raosaheb Danve in 2022, envisioned a 750-km high-speed link passing through Mumbai, Nashik, Shirdi, Aurangabad and Nagpur. The corridor promised to reduce travel time between Maharashtra's capital and second capital from nearly 12 hours by rail to about 3.5 hours. The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) was assigned to prepare a detailed project report. However, the DPR is yet to receive central clearance.CR divisional railway manager Vinayak Garg told TOI that prelim work was carried out. "Initial surveys for Nagpur-Mumbai bullet train project were conducted and even DPR was ready. The demand for corridors passing through Pune and Mumbai must be more and therefore the finance minister declared those in her speech. She also stated that such high-speed trains would be expanded to other cities as well. I think once Ajni station is complete and we start a few more trains like Duronto between the two cities, the Centre would allocate a bullet train to Nagpur," he said.Former employees questioned the delay, saying Vidarbha was "neglected once again", and asked why earlier proposals did not progress while new corridors were announced at national level.Planned with advanced specifications, the 749km alignment includes a 17.5-mtr-wide track, 12 stations, 15 tunnels, land acquisition of 1,245.61ha, and trains with passenger capacity of 750 operating at 330-350kmph. While project cost is not finalised, comparisons are being drawn with 508 km Mum-Ahmedabad bullet train project, estimated at over 1.10L crore, suggesting higher outlay for the Vidarbha route.