Japan pips China to build India's first bullet train

(THETIMESOFINDIA)ThebullettrainaccidentinChinafouryearsagoalongwithlow-costfinanceandapromisetohaveasubstantial'MakeinIndia'componentandtransferoftechnologyclinchedthedealforJapantobuildthefirsthigh-speedtrainthatwillrunbetweenMumbaiandAhmedabad—withthepossibilityofextendingittoDelhiinfuture.

TheRs98,000croreprojectwasclearedbythecabinetonWednesdayeveningandissettobeannouncedduringJapanesepremierShinzoAbe'svisitlaterthisweek.

SourcestoldTOIthatacommitteeheadedbyNITIAayogvice-chairmanArvindPanagariyahassaidthattheShinkansenSystemhadthebestsafetyrecordwithnofatalitiesinadditiontothefactthatdelaysonatripdidnotexceedaminute.

Designflawsandweakmanagementaresaidtohavecausedacrashinthesouth-easterncityofWenzhouinwhich40diedandcloseto200wereinjured.Chinawaskeenonfundingandbuildingthecountry'sfirstbullettrainasitsoughttoenhanceitsrailwayfootprintacrosstheglobe.

Butthereisstillchanceforothers.AlthoughJapaniskeentofundothersimilarprojects,thegovernmenthaskeptthewindowopentopartnerwithothercountries,sourcessaid.

Inthecomingyears,upto70-80%ofthecomponentscouldbemanufacturedinIndia.TheJapanesegovernmenthasofferedtechnicalsupportandwaswillingtodrivethelocalmanufacturingandtechnologytransferinitiativewithinaspecifiedperiod,saidsources.Inaddition,ithasofferedfundingat0.1%,comparedtothe0.3%capdecidedbyIndiarecently,withthetenureoftheloanat50years,alongwitha10-15yearmoratorium.Ofthetotalprojectcost,aroundRs17,000-18,000crorewouldbethecostofland.