According to a report, overnight intercity travel via trains at the speed of 200-250 kmph can soon be possible. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has asked the Railway Board to identify the corridors and start work on cutting the cost of construction by less than half.
The plan will be announced sometime in April 2018. “The plan is to ensure that the train reaches the destination at a time that gives the traveller enough time to attend office after reaching home,” quoted an official as saying.
Sources say that Railways is targeting to cut the cost of construction of high-speed tracks by less than half of the current Rs 100 crore per km approx. New options such as building single pillar, two track corridors on the top of national highways or building them on existing railway land are being explored to cut expenditure.
This move will also significantly reduce the timeline of the project as the land acquisition is the most tiring, time-taking process in implementing government projects. Also, the possibility of constructing high-speed train corridors for shorter routes could offer a better alternative to airlines.
