Ahead of polls, BJP promises full throttle on road, rail expansion

Bullet train corridors, sleeper Vande Bharat, zero ticket wait time, expressways in manifesto

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday promised a slew of infrastructure initiatives, many already in the works, in its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as part of the government’s plan to expand and modernise the country’s road and railway network.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the BJP’s Lok Sabha poll manifesto, outlining his vision for ‘Viksit Bharat’.

“We are constructing the first Bullet Train Corridor in the country. Using the experience gained so far, we will initiate feasibility studies for Bullet Train Corridors in North, South and East India,” the BJP said.

The 508-km long Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor worth Rs 1.08 trillion aimed to be completed by 2022 when it was announced. It is expected to be delayed by at least six years, owing to political differences and technical delays.

 

Business Standard reported in March the likelihood of the new bullet train corridors being a key part of BJP’s poll pitch to voters. However, feasibility studies for seven bullet train corridors have been in the works for more than two years now and some have been completed as well. 

In 2022, the Centre told Parliament that seven corridors were currently under consideration — Delhi-Varanasi (813 km), Delhi- Ahmedabad (878 km), Mumbai- Nagpur (765 km), Mumbai- Hyderabad (671 km), Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysore (435 km), Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar (459 km), Varanasi-Howrah (760 km).

The seven projects were put on a fast track for early preparation works such as feasibility studies and detailed project reports, which are necessary to establish the economic viability of infrastructure projects through a metric known as internal rate of return (IRR).

“We will expand the railway network to increase capacity for passenger as well as cargo transportation. We have constructed 31,000 km of railway tracks in the last ten years. We are now adding 5000+ km of new tracks every year and will continue to add new tracks at this pace for the next few years,” the manifesto said.

Watch: BJP Manifesto, key promises and initiatives

“We will significantly increase passenger carrying capacity by 2030 to significantly reduce the waiting list,” the BJP said.

Since Covid-19, the Ministry of Railways has been working on a multi-trillion-rupee plan to decongest the railways, which has also suffered major safety failures in the past.

A triple train crash in June 2023 in Odisha’s Balasore killing 300 people and a dearth of general coaches for the poor had sparked severe criticism from the opposition parties last year.

According to previously announced plans, the railways will expand capacity primarily on three fronts – track network, rolling stock equipment standards, and software development to broaden the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’s (IRCTC’s) digital ticketing capabilities.

While the Centre has been constructing railway tracks at a significant pace, the new infrastructure has been aimed at catering to the ever-increasing demand for coal – the national transporter’s rainmaker.

The BJP has also committed to continue its expansion of modern transit services such as Vande Bharat sleeper trains, Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors, and new-age general/sleeper coach trains – Amrit Bharat. In his speech during the launch of the BJP's manifesto, PM Modi said the Vande Bharat prototype would now be expanded, "Vande Bharat train network to every corner of the nation, introducing three models: Vande Bharat Sleeper, Vande Bharat Chair Car, and Vande Bharat Metro."

With national highway construction numbers being upwards of 10,000 kilometres every financial year, the BJP looks to increase the quality of highways and connect villages through the Gram Sadak Yojana.

“We will strengthen the modern road connectivity ecosystem to 15,000 km of access-controlled highways. We will construct ring roads around major cities to improve mobility and decongest cities,” BJP said.

INFRA push

- First bullet train corridor being constructed; will initiate feasibility studies in North, South, and East India

- Expand railway network to increase capacity for passenger as well as cargo transportation

- Strengthen modern road connectivity ecosystem to 15,000 km of access-controlled highways