India will launch its Bullet Trains as part of the country's promising efforts to phase out the old and deadly rail networks in the country, according to The Guardian. The new bullet train is worth $17 billion and will be covered through a loan the South Asian nation borrowed from Japan.
Present during the ceremony that announced future plans for India’s new railway system were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials from the local railway board and some government personalities. The bullet train will cover areas between the western region of Ahmedabad and the financial capital, Mumbai.
Indian Prime Minister Modi spoke during the event and said, “This is the new India and the flight of its dreams is endless.” He added that the bullet train is expected to provide speed and efficiency since it is also more humane and eco-friendly, The Guardian added.
Deadly trains
India’s new railway network that will carry their new bullet trains aims at upgrading the old and dangerous transport system that has claimed the lives of several people due to a derailment. There were several derailments that happened in the previous month alone.
At least 23 people died after they were trapped inside the coaches due to a massive train wreck, The Telegraph reported. The current train network that the locals use still dates back from the original network built by British colonizers over a century ago.
Every day, this network brings 23 million people around the country. The ceremony also revealed that the situation of the present system already has impacts on the safety of the people.
Vivek Sahai, the former chairperson of the local railway board told The Guardian that India operates more than 10,000 trains daily, which carry people “equivalent of the population of Australia.” He added that the financial investment required for a new and faster system might urge the country to still retain the older trains for the time being.
Financed by Japan
Led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan will cover most of the initial project cost through a $14 billion worth of loans that India has to repay, The Guardian reported. The loans will be repayable for over five decades.
However, several experts agreed with Sahai by saying that this amount of financial investment, no matter how huge, is still inadequate.
India needs more amount of money to complete these projects in the following years. Apart from the loans, the Indian government is also allotting $137 billion for the upgrades and measures to prevent any further derailment.
