Vaishnaw inspects bullet train track slab manufacturing factory in Gujarat

Surat/Vadodara, Nov 30 (PTI) Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday inspected a track slab manufacturing factory for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project near Surat in Gujarat.

Vaishnaw said all the equipment at the factory in Kim was initially brought from Japan before their manufacturing was started in India, which will be beneficial for upcoming construction projects.

“This factory at Kim is the largest in India and one of the largest track slab factories in the world. The workers have a very high skill level here. Those engaged in validation, test and check also have a very high skill level, and they have maintained very good standards,” Vaishnaw told mediapersons after the visit.

He said the experience in manufacturing equipment in India after initially bringing them from Japan will benefit future construction projects.

The track slab manufacturing factory, set up near Surat to support India’s first bullet train project, is designed to produce high-capacity ballast-less track slabs using advanced Shinkansen technology.

This unit will play a crucial role in ensuring the stability and performance of the bullet train’s tracks, according to the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the project execution agency.

This facility will produce track slabs for 237 km of high-speed rail track for MAHSR corridor in Gujarat & DNH (352 km), it said.

The Railways Minister also visited a facility of Plasser India, a manufacturer of track maintenance machines, at Karjan near Vadodara.

He said the educational course on the design, manufacturing and testing of machines will be taught at Gatishakti University in Vadodara to help create new opportunities for youth.

“The Austrian company has the world’s biggest plant in India which also exports. I inspected the products to be exported to Australia, Argentina, and two to three other countries. The skill level of our engineers and technicians is also increasing significantly,” the Railways Minister said.

Vaishnaw participated in the 2nd convocation of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, formerly National Rail and Transportation Institute, in Vadodara.

India’s first bullet train link is being constructed between Mumbai and Ahmedabad using Japan’s Shinkansen technology to create a high-frequency mass transportation system.

The project has been funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with a soft loan of Rs 88,000 crore.

The Rs 1.10 lakh crore project, expected to be completed by 2022, faced hurdles in land acquisition.

The government has set a target to run the first phase of the bullet train between Surat and Bilimora in south Gujarat by 2026.

The NHSRCL has completed the 100 per cent land acquisition for the project across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.