India, Japan to study feasibility of Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed railway system
10 Oct 2013
India and Japan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to undertake a joint feasibility study of a high speed railway system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.
The joint study will come out with a feasibility report of a high speed railway system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route with speed of 300-350kmph. The cost of the study will be shared 50:50 between India and Japan.
The study will be completed within18 months from its commencement.
The study will do traffic forecasting, alignment surveys and undertake comparative study of high speed railway technology and system.
Besides, the two sides will set up a joint monitoring committee comprising representatives of the ministry of railways, Planning Commission, the ministry of finance and the ministry of external affairs from the Indian side and the ministry of foreign affairs, the ministry of economy, trade and industries, the ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, the ministry of finance, the embassy of Japan in India and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from the Japanese side to monitor progress of the proposed project.
The MoU was signed by Katsuo Matsumoto, director, South Asia division of JICA from the Japanese side and Girish Pillai, adviser infrastructure, ministry of railways from the Indian side on 7 October 2013.
The feasibility study is in pursuance of the joint statement between India's prime minister Manmohan Singh and the prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe on 29 May 2013, which provided that the two sides will co-finance a joint feasibility study of this high speed route.
