{"id":2008,"date":"2021-02-03T12:33:18","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T07:03:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/railsamachar.com\/english\/?p=2008"},"modified":"2021-02-03T12:33:21","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T07:03:21","slug":"how-the-plan-to-build-dfcs-became-an-escape-route","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/railsamachar.com\/english\/?p=2008","title":{"rendered":"How the plan to build DFCs became an escape route !"},"content":{"rendered":"

Will the Railway Board bite the bullet and revise its plans?<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Instead of Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train line on Standard Gauge, Railway should have built a 200-250 kmph Conventional High-Speed line on Broad Gauge that would have been much cheaper and far more beneficial<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
Alok Kumar Verma, IRSE (Rtd.)<\/span><\/h5>\n

How the plan to build Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) became an escape route to delay higher speed on the Indian Railway network.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the DFC project was announced, Railway Board said, “when DFC is built in 5 years, upgrade work for raising speed on Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai lines will be started”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The original plan was to start upgrading these 2 vital routes in 1997-2002, but it was put on the back-burner. As time passed traffic reached saturation levels, making it difficult to undertake upgradation of track.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I have said instead of the DFCs, new 200-250 kmph lines should have been built.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today the situation is that the DFCs won’t be completed in the next 5 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, the plan of upgrading the above 2 routes will be delayed by at least 15 years (2010-25).<\/span><\/p>\n

Another question arises:<\/strong> Why did Railway Board not start upgradation works on the other routes where congestion was not there in 2005?<\/span><\/p>\n

Even now there are many routes with no congestion where upgradation can be undertaken.<\/span><\/p>\n

China raised speed on its existing trunk routes between 1997-2007 in stages to 160 kmph, 180 kmph and finally 200 kmph.<\/span><\/p>\n

European and several other railways also did it in the same manner in the 1970s and 80s.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that India still does not have a single line with 200-250 kmph speeds shows that Railway Board is not serious about Raising Speed.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact instead of Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train line (on Standard Gauge), Railway should have built a 200-250 kmph Conventional High-Speed line on Broad Gauge that would have been much cheaper and far more beneficial, except that it would take 3 hrs from Mumbai to Ahmedabad whereas the Bullet Train can do it in 2 hour 15 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

What can be done now:<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

1. First take a policy decision that no more Bullet Train lines and DFC lines for next 15 yrs.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Upgrade existing lines, wherever feasible, and build new Conventional High Speed lines for 200-250 kmph.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Convert ongoing Eastern and Western DFCs to normal mixed traffic lines. It is doable.<\/span><\/p>\n

This way we can build about 15,000 to 18,000 km Conventional High Speed lines to cover four ends of the country at an expenditure of about INR 6 lakh crore.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now consider that at the current rate of INR 300 crore per km, that amount will be needed to build a line from Delhi to Chennai.<\/span><\/p>\n

Will the Railway Board bite the bullet and revise its plans?<\/span><\/p>\n

Else, travel by car and airplanes will go on booming causing much harm by way of Climate change, diversion of land, air pollution in cities and congestion on the roads.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

How the plan to build Eastern and Western DFCs became an escape route to delay higher speed on the Indian Railway network.<\/p>\n

When the DFC project was announced, Rly Board said when DFC is built in 5 yrs, upgradation work for raising speed on Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai lines… https:\/\/t.co\/McxZNm1uyP<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/8ONpo4IKMw<\/a><\/p>\n

— Trains Are Best, Alok Kumar Verma, IRSE (Retd) (@trains_are_best) March 1, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n