Hyderabad To Mumbai In Just 3 Hours: High-Speed ​​Rail Corridor’s DPR Ready

Hyderabad: Currently, traveling from Hyderabad to the nation’s financial capital, Mumbai, takes approximately 12 hours by road and nearly 15 hours by train. Plans are afoot to introduce the Hyderabad-Pune-Mumbai High-Speed ​​Rail Corridor, which will enable passengers from Hyderabad to reach Mumbai in just three hours aboard a bullet train, travelling at a maximum speed of 300 km per hour.

The National High-Speed ​​Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) recently informed the state government that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been finalised after completion of the survey.

The corporation stated that once the construction of the corridor is completed, the journey from Hyderabad to Mumbai via the bullet (high-speed) train will take a minimum of 2 hours 55 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours 13 minutes. The project features another interesting aspect – an underground stretch spanning 35.30 km that will be constructed across three specific locations in Maharashtra. In the Khandala Ghat section of this corridor, tunnels will be excavated through the hills at 13 different points, covering a total distance of 24 km.

The construction of the high-speed rail corridor will resemble the elevated tracks built on pillars, similar to the metro rail system in Hyderabad. This proposed high-speed rail corridor, designed to traverse hilly terrains, underground sections, and river crossings, boasts several unique features.

In the Union Budget presented on February 1, the Central Government announced seven high-speed rail corridor projects spanning across nine states, including three from Hyderabad. While the Hyderabad-Chennai and Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridors are currently in the survey phase, the survey for the Hyderabad-Pune-Mumbai project has been completed, and the NHSRCL has already prepared its DPR.

The total length of the Hyderabad-Pune-Mumbai high-speed corridor is 671 km. Of this, 93 km (14 percent) lies within Telangana, 121 km (18 percent) in Karnataka, and the largest segment, 457 km (68 percent), in Maharashtra.

The distinctiveness of this project extends beyond the bullet train. The stations where the train will halt will have unique characteristics and plans are currently being formulated to construct these premises in accordance with international standards. It has been estimated that 247 acres of land will be required for each station complex for setting up buildings, parking lots, and other amenities.

The NHSRCL has requested the state government to provide a substantial amount of land for this purpose. During recent meetings, first with the Minister for Roads and Buildings, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, and subsequently with Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao and Special Chief Secretary (Transport & R&B) Vikas Raj, officials from the organisation outlined the details of the project and the specific cooperation required from the state government. While Kokapet and Vikarabad were initially identified as the locations for high-speed rail stations within the state, Shamshabad has now been added to the list.

The site for Shamshabad station is yet to be finalised but it will be situated in the vicinity of the airport. The NHSRCL has requested the state government to allocate a total of 247 acres for the construction of the station buildings and complexes at Vikarabad and Kokapet. Additionally, the organisation has requested a significant parcel of land for the establishment of a depot.

A total of 101 bridges are slated to be constructed along the route of this project. Of these, 13 will be steel bridges. Considerations are on for construction of 29 massive bridges across major rivers. Specifically, a 360-metre-long bridge will be built over the Mula-Mutha River, a 280-metre bridge over the Bhima River, and a 225-metre bridge over the Bori River.

Estimates regarding the projected volume of passenger traffic along this route have also been formulated. It is estimated that 63,494 people will travel daily on the inaugural year and the figure is projected to reach 95,050 by 2041, 1,22,727 by 2051, and 1,52,092 by 2061.

The existing railway station is located 2.3 km from the Vikarabad High-Speed ​​Rail Station, while Vikarabad town lies at a distance of 3 km. The land designated for the proposed station area is privately owned.

Regarding the Kokapet High-Speed ​​Rail Station, the proposed metro rail station (Kokapet Neopolis) is situated 0.5 km away, the Outer Ring Road is merely 0.01 km away, and the Lingampally Railway Station is located 13 km away. The land designated for this proposed station area is a mix of private and government ownership.

Each bullet train will consist of 16 coaches and accommodate a total of 1,215 passengers. To support the project’s operations, a massive bullet train depot and workshop will be established in Maharashtra’s Thane while another depot will be set up in Hyderabad. An Operations Control Centre has been proposed for Mumbai.