How the Japanese Loan for India’s Bullet Train Is a Rip Off

https://thewire.in/ [6 years ago]

If the rupee’s purchasing power has dipped from 19.77 yen in 1985 to 1.72 yen today, then after 50 years can a rupee buy anything more than just a fraction of a yen?

India launches first bullet train project

www.bbc.com [6 years ago]

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has launched work to build India's first high-speed train in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat. Mostly funded by a $17bn (£12.78bn) loan from Japan, the bullet train will run between Ahmedabad city and Mumbai.

Does India need a bullet train?

www.thehindu.com/ [6 years ago]

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is a vanity project which has little or no justification on the grounds of economic viability or public service. Even the vanity angle — looking to position India among the ranks of developed countries — is a huge overreach.

Land acquisition for India's first bullet train between Mumbai-Ahmedabad begins

www.indiatoday.in/ [6 years ago]

The Indian Railway has begun land acquisition for the country's first bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Railways require 1,100 hectares of land for constructing the 508 km high speed corridor, for which land acquisition plan has been submitted to the local administration in 12 districts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. A top railway official said at that least 70 per cent of land has to be acquired before actual construction work begins.

Is PM Modi's Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project viable? Railways' RTI reply offers a hint

www.businesstoday.in/ [6 years ago]

The debate over viability of India's first bullet train project on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route is back again. This time it started with an RTI reply from Indian Railways that revealed over 40 percent of seats on all the trains on this route go vacant. The RTI was filed by Mumbai-based activist Anil Galgali.

Mumbai To Ahmedabad In Less Than 3 Hours: 10 Key Facts About Bullet Train

www.ndtv.com/ [6 years ago]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe today launched work on India's first bullet train, which will run between Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Mumbai. The train, which is expected to begin operating in 2022, will run at a maximum speed of 350 km per hour and will cover the 508-km stretch in under three hours. The ambitious project will cost around Rs. 1.10 lakh crore. Japan is giving a loan of Rs. 88,000 crore for the project at a minimal interest of 0.1 per cent.