Golden Quadrilateral project on the anvil.

The government recently unveiled an ambitious plan to modernise and speed up the railways. President Pranab Mukherjee, in his address to the joint session of both the Houses of Parliament, listed the Golden Quadrilateral project to link four Metro with high-speed trains as the top priority of the government. 'Modernisation and revamping of railways is on top of the infrastructure agenda of my government, which includes a Diamond Quadrilateral project of high-speed trains,' Mr Mukherjee said in his address. The railways, under the new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is pushing the bullet train project.

The feasibility study of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai is being undertaken jointly by India and Japan and in a few months the report would be ready, which will cover all aspects, including costs and revenue model. The railways is also mulling to go ahead with the New Delhi-Patna bullet train project, while five more such proposals are under consideration of the Rail Board.

Howrah-Haldia and Hyderabad-Chennai are also rail lines on which the railways is mulling running bullet trains.

The Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed rail corridor, which is about 543 km long, would cost the railways '60,000 crore, which would be executed under the public-private-partnership mode.

While the high speed trains run at over 300 kmph, the railways is also actively considering the proposal to raise the speed of trains on existing tracks in semi-high speed mode, which could be 200 kmph without requiring separate corridors.

The Delhi-Agra track can sustain train speed above 160 kmph but due to high density population along the tracks has been prohibiting the railways to go ahead.

The Rail Board is mulling the idea of raising the fence along the Delhi-Agra track to allow trains to run at a speed of 160 kmph but due to high density population along the tracks has been prohibiting the railways to go ahead.

Asian Age