500km wall along Delhi-Mumbai train route to make travel faster
What's the story
Commuting between Delhi and Mumbai via train might soon become much faster and smoother with the Central government approving the construction of a 500km boundary wall along the railway track to restrict human and cattle interference.
The wall is the first step towards making the Delhi-Mumbai route a high-speed corridor.
Here's what Railways officials have in mind.
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The wall is indispensable from a safety point of view
"This is good from the safety point of view. The locomotive pilot is always tense, fearing an accident if the train is running at a high speed. Cattle interference and encroachment is common...and a wall is a must," said former Railway Board chairman, RK Singh.
High-speed corridor
Track changes lined up after wall construction
Once the wall has been constructed, track changes that allow express trains to travel at 160km/hour will be undertaken, said Railways officials.
Currently, trains running on the Delhi-Mumbai route can reach speeds of up to 130km/hour.
But, owing to the possibility of interference during the journey, trains rarely travel at top speed.
The fastest train, Rajdhani, takes 16 hours from Delhi to Mumbai.
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States will have to share responsibility too
"But state governments will have to pitch in to ensure there is no further damage to the wall and any encroachment should be treated as criminal offense," added Singh, emphasizing the importance of state-level commitment to the success of the plan.
Costs
The wall is expected to cost the Railways Rs. 500cr
Railway Board chairman Ashwin Lohani has confirmed the aforementioned plans.
The fencing, Lohani said, would primarily be done in urban areas along the 1,384km-long Delhi-Mumbai route at a cost of Rs. 500cr. Reportedly, the wall, made of concrete, will be 8-10-feet-high.
Additionally, the Railways is also considering implementing a similar model along the Delhi-Kolkata route.