Question and Answer with common citizens

Q1) Taxes will drastically increase, common man's pocket will burn.
Ans1) To manage the whole project's finances and make it feasible to even get considered is the main task of countries Engineers. Its important to realize that even in countries like USA, Japan etc, the main concern was the finance to be managed well. In Indian prospective, there are two solution that I can suggest at this moment of time-

• BOT (Build operate transfer)
• Utilizing our engineer's capability to reduce the tremondous cost.

The main problem of many of our bulky project have been that we have been always looking for a foreign help in everything of a project. In Indian High-Speed Railways, we can design the whole project ourself and ask for help from foreign hands for the purpose of implementation only. This can reduce our project cost to almost 30%. So as you can see this is the game of providing best service with minimum economics. Tax payer can sleep easy because projects are always managed in such a way that no additional money is to be taken from Citizen's pocket which is the basic rule of economics of a project.

Q2) Referring to your example, distance between Pune and Nagpur is 620km and avg speed of an HSR is 200 kmph. So, the person will reach pune in 3 hrs. So its taking him around 6 hrs of the day for moving up and down. Do you think it can work this way ?

Ans2) It was just an example, and that may not be necessary that it can or need to implemented. We just meant that it can done.Our plan is much above 200 kmph. Its 250 + kmph that we are aiming at. In India, if we introduce a 200 kmph then we need new locomotives and coaches for sure. And our existing line in most of the places may not be fit High-Speed rail to be moved over it. Its because-

1. HSR is all about time. Our present system do not allow a bend of above 10 degree but with HSR we can preprare for a bend of over 30 degree.
2. Our Rail line are quite old and to implement a system that move at a speed of 200 kmph may not be a wise idea from safety point of view.

So, it may not be appreciable to make a High-Speed railways which cannot work with its full efficiency. Thats why its important to make a new rail lines for using it with full efficiency of the system that is installed. IF you are looking at just the initial cost then obviously you may feel that its huge But be clear that project is analysed in economics of everything-

• If this system is costing you the its saving you more than 15-20 million barrel/ year which means lowering of your oil prices.
• Its reducing a huge cost of 1000 crore that our governement need to putting for Green house emission treaty.
• Its made on the economics that the cost of construction and operating should be less or equal to all the advantages from the project.

Q3) Is Indian public ready for this bulky project ?

Ans3) To bring High-Speed Railways have already been on the papers from past two Railways budgets. The implementation have been the slowest on the ground. Our Indian public is ready for every technological advancement that too in a field which touches them everyday. The economics is the only area which need to be dealt with and truth remains economics of every project is the toughest part of a project to be accepted. This project will come sooner or later, so why delay another opprutunity of development ? The cost of construction increase with time. The cost at which Japan constructed Bullet train is 70 times less than that of Chinese High-Speed railways. So, the more wait the more its gonna cost us. People are ready for better service, faster trains and safer medium of transportation and if not then they need to be told about it !!

Q4) Recent studies have shown that that Mumbai-Ahmedabad is costing us aroung 32,000 crores, how can that be payed ?

Ans4) Firstly, this is not a official figure and thus should not be beleived. Secondly, its looks a very big amount but do you realize this includes cost of locomotives, coaches, new infrastructure like station, lines etc. So this should be seen in such a way that after initial investment, the further cost will tremendously decrease as we will have coaches, locomotives etc. Thirdly, this reports that stated these figures have not realized the following points which citizens should know-

• This cost is based if we design, implement, tender most of the part with Foreign companies.
• It includes the cost of locomotives, coaches, new infrastructure like station, lines etc. So this should be seen in such a way that after initial investment, the further cost will tremendously decrease as we will have coaches, locomotives etc.
• The Mumbai-Ahmedabad is the toughest corridor and that will cost us the maximum.

We have tried to answer most of the queries but still if you feel that some question may have been ignored if already answered in previous question. We will always be ready to answer you question everytime and anytime.

Regards

Avi Sharma

Indian High-Speed Railways Team