Bullet Train Will Improve Kerala's Transport Infrastructure

[Shaitan]

When the 1st bullet train invented by Japan's chief railway engineer Hideo Shima, was launched in Japan on the 1st of October 1964, it had a significant impact on Japan's business and economy, and all the other nations around the world, including India, looked at Japan with envy. But today the good news is that the day is not far off when India will also own a bullet train and the news that the first bullet train will be introduced in Kerala, makes every Keralite feel proud and prestigious. Bullet train got its name because of its round shaped nose which looks like a bullet.

Kerala, known as God's Own country, because of its natural beauty, attracts millions of tourists every year. The discussions between Japan and E. Sreedharan, State Planning Commission Board member and Delhi Metro Rail Company former chairman, and, T. Balakrishnan Kerala High Speed Rail Company Chairman, has taken place and the Kerala Bullet Train project is a great hope for the Kerala Government to uplift the economy of the State. Riding the bullet train which is known as a Shingansen, is such a thrilling and wonderful experience which every person in Kerala is waiting for, because Japan has agreed to provide Kerala with its most advanced 1-700 model from the series. These model trains are equipped with an engine which is capable of running at a speed of 350 km/hr and is proposed to link Thiruvanthapuram and the Northern districts, up to Mangalore. This means that people can travel between the State capital and Kasaragod within a few years, say around 3 hours, instead of the normal 15 hours. There is also proposal to run trains between Thiruvanthapuram and Chennai.

Apart from agreeing to provide the bullet train to Kerala, the great news is that Japan has also agreed to finance 70% of the High Speed Rail Corridor Project, and the proposed corridor would span 560 km set up on 13 meter wide pillars, a d is expected to be commissioned by March 2020. The train will be able to carry 817 passengers per journey and while the travel time between Kochi and Thiruvanthapuram will be about 20 minutes instead of the normal 4-5 hours, the ticket rate per ticket will be around 1000 Rs, according to the Chairman of High speed Rail Company. The State has made a provision of 20 crores in the current financial year's budget, and which is to raise 25,000 crores in capital expenditure in the next two years. The estimated cost for this bullet train project is around 1.18 lakh crores and it will benefit Kerala economically and environmentally helping Kerala to contribute towards creating a greener, less-polluted planet for the future generations.

Bullet Train Will Improve Kerala's Transport Infrastructure | Kerala Click

 

[Tolaha]

1. Super duper expensive. More than 20 Billion dollars!!!

2. Too good to be true; hoping to see it in my lifetime!

 

[pmaitra]

Kerala should look at PRC and rethink this plan. Bullet trains are expensive and if there isn't enough taker for it, it will be a white elephant. Infrastructure and transportation development should be based on needs and should not be built to earn bragging rights.

 

[amoy]

When there's a "need" visible, then u try to play a catch-up to meet it. Or the "need" itself is "created" with a foresight?

When it only takes 3hrs by rail btwn Wuhan and Guangzhou tremendous potential is being unleashed, which includes expedited migration of manufacturing from Guangdong to hinterlands. And when Xiamen and Fuzhou traffic is reduced to 2hrs, huge inter-flows of people surge for sight seeing or work thanks to 24 shuttles daily.

 

[pmaitra]

When there's a "need" visible, then u try to play a catch-up to meet it. Or the "need" itself is "created" with a foresight?

Needs cannot be created beyond a certain level. It is not a new flavour of chocolate candy, that you aggressively advertise and create a 'need' among the potential customers, who will go out and try one, although they can very well live without that new flavour. This is about investment intensive infrastructure and high cost maintenance.

Read this: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/china/8002-chinese-bullet-train-bust.html

 

[Kunal Biswas]

. The train will be able to carry 817 passengers per journey and while the travel time between Kochi and Thiruvanthapuram will be about 20 minutes instead of the normal 4-5 hours, the ticket rate per ticket will be around 1000 Rs, according to the Chairman of High speed Rail Company. The State has made a provision of 20 crores in the current financial year's budget, and which is to raise 25,000 crores in capital expenditure in the next two years. The estimated cost for this bullet train project is around 1.18 lakh crores and it will benefit Kerala economically and environmentally helping Kerala to contribute towards creating a greener, less-polluted planet for the future generations.

It seems to be a good Idea..

South Indian Railways are very good..

 

[amoy]

Needs cannot be created beyond a certain level. It is not a new flavour of chocolate candy, that you aggressively advertise and create a 'need' among the potential customers, who will go out and try one, although they can very well live without that new flavour. This is about investment intensive infrastructure and high cost maintenance.

Read this: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/china/8002-chinese-bullet-train-bust.html

Before Shinkansen made its debut many probably said the same thing.

Ya, we're fine without goodies like Ipad. Not driving a car won't hurt as there're other means, like bus, taxi or bike. All that needs are artificially created. 3hrs or 10hrs doesn't make difference for businesses.

Without "investment intensive" or "high maintenance" stuffs those workers may simply go back farming. Hinterlands may continue to be labour origins for coastal peers.

It's debatable if it's a boom or bust. Let time be our judge.

 

[pmaitra]

Before Shinkansen made its debut many probably said the same thing.

Ya, we're fine without goodies like Ipad. Not driving a car won't hurt as there're other means, like bus, taxi or bike. All that needs are artificially created. 3hrs or 10hrs doesn't make difference for businesses.

Without "investment intensive" or "high maintenance" stuffs those workers may simply go back farming. Hinterlands may continue to be labour origins for coastal peers.

It's debatable if it's a boom or bust. Let time be our judge.

Forget about Shinkansen. I am talking about this: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/china/8002-chinese-bullet-train-bust.html

The situation in PRC isn't the same as Japan, rather, much closer to that of India. With so many of your own bullet trains already running almost empty, we should not expect any better in India.

 

[nimo_cn]

Forget about Shinkansen. I am talking about this: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/china/8002-chinese-bullet-train-bust.html

The situation in PRC isn't the same as Japan, rather, much closer to that of India. With so many of your own bullet trains already running almost empty, we should not expect any better in India.

Running almost empty? Define almost empty. Sounds as if you have exprienced HSR in China.

HSR is a white elephant in India, but not in China.

 

[pmaitra]

Running almost empty? Define almost empty.

Here you go with the definition, dear fellow:

Four days after the Wuhan-Guangzhou line commenced operation, the average occupancy rate has been less than 40 percent. Trains running before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. have the largest number of unsold seats every day, with an average of more than 1,000 seats out of a total of 1,200 seats.

Sounds as if you have exprienced HSR in China.

HSR is a white elephant in India, but not in China.

HSR is a white elephant in India, but is it not the same in PRC?

 

[trackwhack]

pmaitra, if they manage to stick to the estimated ticketing cost of Rs1000 in 2020, this will be a very affordable means of travel indeed and most probably will run at full capacity.

 

[pmaitra]

pmaitra, if they manage to stick to the estimated ticketing cost of Rs1000 in 2020, this will be a very affordable means of travel indeed and most probably will run at full capacity.

Trivandrum to Mangalore for Rs. 1000? I don't see that happening today or anytime in the future. Think of inflation. Could have been possible in the 1970s.

 

[Ray]

Needs cannot be created beyond a certain level. It is not a new flavour of chocolate candy, that you aggressively advertise and create a 'need' among the potential customers, who will go out and try one, although they can very well live without that new flavour. This is about investment intensive infrastructure and high cost maintenance.

Read this: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/china/8002-chinese-bullet-train-bust.html

I think you are spot on.

One wonders if one will be ready to pay for a ticket that is as expensive as air travel.

It will also inconvenience quite a few because of the reduction in normal trains.

I think one should carefully study and understand the Chinese problems before embarking on projects that are only eye candy and glitzy instead of being productive and adding to convenience.

Here is the details of the Wuhan-Guangzhou bullet train system.

Link

 

[nimo_cn]

Here you go with the definition, dear fellow:

After a year of operation, the average occupancy rate has been over 90%.

武广高铁开行一年 铁路局称平均上座率超90%_财经_凤凰网

Feel free to call it CPC propaganda, that is all you can do when you are loosing a debate.

By the way, I have travelled by HSR before, have you?

HSR is a white elephant in India, but is it not the same in PRC?

Of course, it is not, China is different from India. Just because it is a white elephant in India doesn't make it one in China. Why kind of people would have a distorted logic like that.

 

[pmaitra]

After a year of operation, the average occupancy rate has been over 90%.

武广高铁开行一年 铁路局称平均上座率超90%_财经_凤凰网

Feel free to call it CPC propaganda, that is all you can do when you are loosing a debate.

If out of 1200 seats, 1000 seats remain empty on a regular basis, that is hardly an example of 90% occupancy. Maybe some routes are doing well, surely not all.

By the way, I have travelled by HSR before, have you?

No HSR, but these, and these are good enough:

Rajdhani: High Speed Howrah Rajdhani on a curve : WAP-4 hitting 130 kmph flat!! - YouTube (traveled many times)
Howrah-Mumbai Mail: Indian Railways: Mumbai to Kolkata - YouTube (video taken by me)
Double Decker Express: Double Decker Express (Howrah-Dhanbad) with HWH WAP-7 - YouTube (on my wish list)

Of course, it is not, China is different from India. Just because it is a white elephant in India doesn't make it one in China. Why kind of people would have a distorted logic like that.

It's absolutely fine by me if PRC wants to keep wasting its money on loss making bragging-rights-earning projects like HSR. Good luck to y'all!

 

[Tolaha]

I know its OT, but the most interesting thing that I noticed in the image that you posted was that even the railway tracks in Taiwan are marked. Nice! :thumb:

As far as I know, India does not update its map with new road developments in PoK. One needs to "show" what it believes in!

 

[Ray]

Pmaitra,

I have travelled by Dooronto.

It is fast and the comfort level fascinating!

 

[sob]

I do not think that HSR in Kerela will work. One has to understand that this is one state that has refused to implement Toll Highways. This is one reason why most of the projects of NHAI are not coming up in Kerela.

If they are not ready to pay Rs. 30 to Rs. 50 toll then do you see HSR becoming popular.

 

[amoy]

Okay that's not to be a comparison btwn India and China again. The point here is infra is often leading the way for other developments (Chicken vs. eggs). The same shall be true of Kerala. As railway is funded by state budget taxpayers money at least are not squandered elsewhere.

Mr Mattster has grains of salts in the link given

Its not a bust. They just need to lower the prices.
Their plan on amortizing the cost of the project in 10 years is too unrealistic. It should be more like 30 years, and then they can drop the price by 50-60%.

And also valid for india

The huge cash injection in the rail system is expected to boost employment and demand for raw materials, and promote real estate as land and towns near the new railways are also developed.

But more than a way to spur growth in the face of the financial crisis, the railway investment is a much-needed cash injection in an industry that has been relatively neglected.

"China's railways have long lagged in development, so rail transport is the bottleneck of the nation's economic and social growth, the weak point of the transport industry, and urgently needs faster expansion," said Lu.

China's railway network is already one of the most extensive in the world, but it has come under pressure as the nation's economy has boomed, giving many of the country's 1.3 billion people more opportunity to travel.

Chinese New Year is a perfect illustration of the bottlenecks that grip the country's railways, when scenes of havoc take hold at stations throughout the nation as people desperately try to get a place on a train to go home.

China's vast territory, full of natural resources such as coal that need to be moved from far flung regions to the cities, also highlights the importance of the railway network in the country.

 

[amoy]

I know its OT, but the most interesting thing that I noticed in the image that you posted was that even the railway tracks in Taiwan are marked. Nice! :thumb:

As far as I know, India does not update its map with new road developments in PoK. One needs to "show" what it believes in!

Sir, it's not abt "belief", travelers to Taiwan are in million per year. And u know what? We have cruises to TW. And Taiwan controlled islands like Kinmen and Matsu can be seen through telescope from here.

That's called "foresight" or "vision":thumb: