Kolkata, Nov 2 (IANS) Pre-feasibility studies for the proposed six high-speed rail corridors in the country under the 12th Five Year Plan will be completed soon, a Planning Commission official said here Friday.
The six corridors are Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar (450 km), Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad (650 km), Hyderabad-Dornakal-Vijaywada-Chennai (664 km), Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulam (649 km), Howrah-Haldia (135 km), and Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna (991 km).
“The viability of each corridor identified for pre-feasibility study is being examined by consultants. Efforts are being made to complete all such studies expeditiously,” said Manoj Singh, adviser, transport, Planning Commission.
He also said the Indian Railways would undertake at least two detailed projects reports and develop one corridor of about 500 km for construction on a pilot basis.
On the Dedicated Freight Corridor, Singh said the average speed of freight trains will go up from 25 kmph to 70 kmph which will reduce the transit time by less than half from the present level.
He said under the 12th Plan technology for the railways would get a major upgradation with the help of heavy hauled freight trains of 15,000 tonnes capacity and 1500 metres length.
The railways expansion under the current plan include 4,000 km of new lines, 5,500 km of gauge conversion, 7,653 km of track doubling and 6,500 km of electrification.
