For several years now, since he was CM of Gujarat, Narendra Modi has been obsessed with bullet trains. He even visited a railway station in China during his visit there as CM to see for himself a bullet train. It apparently fascinated him so much that it was one of his pet election campaign promises. Now as PM of the country, he seems intent on having the first bullet train connecting Mumbai with Ahmedabad, Gujarat. News reports indicate that the deal is likely to go to Japan and an agreement for building the bullet train may be signed as early as Saturday, during the visit of the Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe to India. The project is estimated to cost about US$15 billion, for which Japan has reportedly agreed to provide soft loans of US$8.1 billion over a period of the next decade.
The BJP is gung ho about the project, claiming it is fulfillment of one of PM Modi”s key electoral promises during the run-up to the 2014 general elections. However, the push for a bullet train connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad should be seen in the context of India’s vast but poorly run railways. Most of the country’s rail network is in need of overhaul. While political compulsions compelled the govt to launch dozens of new trains every year, maintenance and core assets including replacement of worn out tracks and locomotives and passengers coaches have lagged behind. Today, even though the country boasts of one of the of the largest rail networks in the world with about 12,000 trains running daily with a passenger traffic of 23 million and touching 8,000 stations a day, the network has not kept pace with advancement in technology, efficiency and passenger comfort. Most of the country’s rail stations are in need of a drastic facelift. Modernization seems to have eluded Indian railways all these years.
The BJP led govt at the centre should have done a reality check and been practical. While having a bullet train would appear to be glamorous, priorities dictate that this project should have been put on the back burner. Grandiose schemes which entail colossal costs but benefit comparatively a few may bring instant satisfaction but could turn out to be a white elephant in the long run. The PM, Modi should have acknowledged that the need of the hour is the modernization of the Indian railways including of most of its antiquated stations and replacement of its worn out locomotives and passenger coaches. The govt should have done a rethink, before going for the project. Unfortunately, there appears no one in this government who has the courage to stand up and speak out for fear of antagonizing the powers that be. And perhaps, its just too late. PM Modi appears to be determined to have his way. Hopefully, it should not be a case of acting in haste, while the country repents at leisure.
