India is planning 8 high-speed rail (HSR) networks across the country. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR was the first, and its construction will wrap up by 2023. The Delhi-Varanasi bullet train, however, just released more details about its survey work and route. Read on to know all the places that’ll get connected by these trains!
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Delhi-Varanasi HSR: what we know so far
This route has a tentative length of 865 kilometres, and will cover landscapes like densely populated urban and rural areas, roads, highways, rivers, ghats, and green fields. Cities such as Mathura, Agra, Etawah, Lucknow, Rae Bareilly, Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Jewar (Noida) and Ayodhya will be part of this network. The Delhi station will be at Sarai Kale Khan.
The project is using an advanced survey technique that combines laser data, GPS information, flight parameters, and real pictures. Normal surveys take up to 12 months for completion, but this one will finish in a rapid 12 weeks. Its results will help the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) to pick suitable lands and station locations.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR: what will the stations be like?
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR line is being built with technical and financial help from Japan. Some quick facts:
Station count: 12 between Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Gujarat
Length: 508.17 kilometres long
Journey time: 2 hours and 57 minutes (all-stop), 1 hr. and 58 mins (limited stops)
Frequency: 35 trains per day/one direction. One train every 20 mins in peak hours, 1 train every 30 mins in non-peak hours. This will gradually be increased to one train every 8 mins.
Train type: Modified E5 series Shinkansen from Japan (see image on top)
All new stations on this route will have access to shops, cafes and restaurants, parking lots, retail & commercial hubs, and lounge areas. Stations will also be built according to specific themes, and have multi-modal transport integration.
A boost in visitors is expected for business centres and historical landmarks connected to these stations, as the project hopes to push ‘the boundaries of rail technology in India’.
Trains will be disability friendly
The NHSRCL has confirmed that all high-speed rail stations will be fitted with disability friendly facilities to provide a safe and confident journey for such passengers. These services include Braille flooring, ramps, specially designed washrooms, and sounds alerting door usage:
To make travel convenient for our Divyang passengers, the #HSR stations will have a host of facilities that will not only make them feel safe & secure but also confident of using a mode of transport mode that is sensitive to their needs & requirements. #BulletTrainIndia #MAHSR pic.twitter.com/5cPu1sPMet
— NHSRCL (@nhsrcl) December 3, 2020
Image credit: Toshinori baba – Own work/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons
