Travelling at a speed of 300 km/h, reducing a six-hour-long train journey to two hours — that’s what Indian Railways’ new bullet train from Delhi to Amritsar via Chandigarh can do.
This train will complete the 458-km-long journey in two hours and three minutes. At present, the Delhi–Amritsar Shatabdi Express takes six hours. The train will make stops at Panipat, Ambala, Chandigarh, and Ludhiana.
According to The Times of India, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said,
We have already tested the train to run at the speed of 180 km/h which was successful and after watching its results, Amritsar will be linked with a high-speed train.
As per the 2015 price level, it has been recommended to have a base fare of Rs 4.5 per km. This indicates that one will have to spend a minimum of Rs 2,061 while travelling from Delhi to Amritsar. The 258-km journey between Delhi and Chandigarh will take one hour and 12 minutes and will cost a minimum of Rs 1,161. Presently, the minimum fares for Delhi–Amritsar and Delhi–Chandigarh are Rs 890 and Rs 650 respectively.
The project is expected to be completed in between six and eight years and will cost Rs 61,412 crore, as per the 2015 price level. The bullet train is expected to start functioning by 2025. However, the final call for the project’s implementation will be taken by the railway ministry once the study for other high-speed rail corridors is completed.