Mumbai - Ahmedabad high-speed project takes stock

摘要

MR Achal Khare, managing director of India's National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL), which is responsible for implementing the Mumbai -Ahmedabad high-speed project, has been facing uncomfortable questions recently. These include how real are fears that the project - India's first high-speed railway - is likely to miss its December 2023 completion deadline and suffer higher costs. With execution work on the line at a standstill for the last three years, what is the justification to invite tenders to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on six other lines? What are the reasons for the variance in figures furnished by NHSRCL and the state governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra regarding land acquisition? How will the project re-start in Maharashtra following the decision by Mr Uddhav Thackeray, the state's new chief minister, to halt execution work on a scheme he describes as a "white elephant"?