With the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train station nearing completion, the Modi Government is also formulating plans for a 240-km-long bullet train corridor connecting Amritsar and Jammu. Once operational, the high-speed bullet train will especially benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The Vande Bharat services had already set new standards of speed and comfort in the Kashmir Valley. Now the proposed bullet train will revolutionize and boost tourism in the region.
Route Details
According to reports, the National High-Speed Rail Authority has sought bids for undertaking a ‘Final survey for alignment and aerial survey’ for the proposed Amritsar-Jammu Rail corridor (HSR). The new corridor will connect two pilgrimage sites – the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra, Jammu. The possible station routes are Amritsar, Batala, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Samba, and Jammu Tawi. Amritsar is a key commercial centre in Punjab, while Jammu is a major business hub in Jammu and Kashmir.
Government Plans Nationwide HSR Expansion
The NHSRCL is committed to the construction of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor. Earlier in July, the government told Parliament about its plans to expand the HSR network across the country beyond the MAHSR corridor to meet a surge in passenger traffic between key cities.
RITES, a Navratna PSU, previously started studying South India’s first proposed bullet train project, connecting Hyderabad and Chennai. India’s first bullet train, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, is expected to be operational by 2027. However, the entire project is estimated to be completed by 2029.
