China to assist in high-speed rail corridors

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 20, 2014:  China will work with India to build one of the proposed high-speed train corridors. Indian Railways will identify the project to be developed with Chinese cooperation.

The China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group and other Chinese enterprises will conduct the feasibility study for one high-speed corridor and prepare a project report with its financing. China will also assist Indian Railways with its semi-high speed plans. It will help strengthen tracks so that the maximum speed of passenger trains can be increased to 160 kmph from 130 kmph.

To begin with, Chinese engineers will help commission the Chennai-Bangalore-Mysore corridor and help augment train for 160 kmph. After the recent successful trial on running a semi-high speed train from Delhi to Agra, Indian Railways has identified eight other corridors to run similar semi-high speed trains.

As per the action plan signed by both sides, Chinese experts will survey and design specified sections and train Indian personnel. The China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group will coordinate with the High-Speed Rail Corporation, a subsidiary Rail Vikas Nigam Limited. "A high-level team of officials will soon visit China," said a senior rail official.

The agreement signed by chairman Railway Board Arunendra Kumar and the administrator of China’s National Railway Administration, Lu Dongfu, talks of redevelopment of railway stations, training in heavy-haul transportation of Indian Railway personnel and setting up of a Railway University in India. China will help redevelop two stations.

Both sides agreed on a training programme for 100 personnel (five batches of 20 trainees for two-three weeks). Emphasis will be on onsite training covering operational and maintenance facilities, monitoring systems and traffic control. The Beijing Jiaotong University will start the first training programme next month.

Courtesy: Times of india