With every kilometre of High-Speed Rail (HSR) providing about five times the capacity of conventional rail, developing HSR on the Golden Quadrilateral and its diagonals—about 10,000 km—is expected to significantly boost rail capacity and restore the status of rail as the first choice for transportation. This is a key insight of a new report by The Infravision Foundation (TIF), which has prioritised four HSR corridors. The study, authored by rail expert Dr Ramakrishnan TS, explains the technological, societal, environmental, and economic reasons for HSR corridors and how to implement them. It says HSR is the best solution for Indian Railways to prioritise, considering declining passenger traffic, rising congestion, and challenges in upgrading mixed-use infrastructure. Priority HSR corridors The report highlights that these four HSR corridors should be given priority and developed by 2035: Delhi-Rewari-Jaipur-Ajmer-Jodhpur-Ahmedabad-(Mumbai); Chennai-Mumbai via Tirupati, Bengaluru, Tumkuru, Davangere, Dharwad, Belagavi, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Navi Mumbai, with a spur to Goa; Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat-Karnal-Ambala-Chandigarh-Ludhiana-Jalandhar-Amritsar; and Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna-Kolkata. The first HSR project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai spans 508 km and uses the standard gauge seen in Japan’s Shinkansen. Twelve stations, including terminals, will be part of the project. Since 2017, Japan has supported 81 per cent of the project cost, focusing on civil infrastructure, station development, traction, rolling stock, signalling, telecom, and central monitoring systems adapted to Indian conditions. The 55-km HSR route between Surat and Bilimora is expected to be operational by July or August 2026. The 352-km Gujarat section (Sabarmati-Vapi) is likely to be commissioned by August 2027. TIF recommends extending this corridor to Delhi. There is a clear need to fast-track HSR in India, considering the growing demand for faster, more comfortable modes. Rail’s share in passenger transport has steadily declined while road transport has surged, reaching 89 per cent in 2010-11. Growth in national highways and roads through methods like DBFOT, Annuity, HAM, and IRC has removed supply constraints in road transport. Toll revenues and fuel cess also supported road funding. The rise of multi-axle AC buses and personal cars further met demand. All three modes were hit by COVID in 2020-22. While they have since recovered, air travel rebounded faster, and rail lagged. Rail AC travel nearly doubled from 2005-06 to 2022-23 compared to non-AC. Railways responded by increasing AC coaches. In 2017-18, domestic air travel surpassed AC rail travel, showing a preference for faster options. Luxury buses, making up 70 per cent of omni-bus travel, doubled the AC rail passenger volume in 2024. This shows that in the absence of rail AC tickets, passengers rely on luxury coaches. Proposed HSR fares are similar to these modes, but HSR and air offer faster end-to-end travel. India’s progress with semi-HSR — through the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) — aids transition to full HSR. The Delhi-Meerut RRTS can reach 180 km/h on standard gauge, while 66 Vande Bharat trains can achieve 180 km/h on broad gauge. These are significant Atmanirbhar Bharat achievements. India runs the fourth-largest railway system with a 1,35,207 km track length. It’s the ninth-largest employer globally and second in India, with over 1.2 million staff. But in terms of rail connectivity per square km or per million population, it lags countries like the US, Germany, France, and Japan. HSR can help Indian Railways reclaim its place as the preferred transport option and stay at the forefront of infrastructure development. All classes except 3AC are heavily subsidised. If 1AC and 2AC passengers move to HSR, it could reduce subsidies. This shift would also free up space in mail/express trains for more sleeper and second-class coaches. In other countries, HSR has expanded urban clusters along routes. If some corridors attract large passenger volumes, operating companies could cross-subsidise conventional rail services and enhance quality. Time for targeted spending The spending on HSR will be targeted spending. The development of HSR will also create opportunities to manufacture various subsystems of HSR, thereby facilitating Atmanirbhar Bharat. As India progresses towards becoming a developed nation, the value of time for all working individuals becomes a critical factor in travel choices. HSR will catalyse economic growth by substantially reducing end-to-end travel time. India has the option of developing subsequent HSR corridors with indigenous technology, at least for some subsystems, thereby making the country self-reliant in HSR technology. Travel by faster and more comfortable modes provides dignity of travel to citizens, which is an integral dimension of ease of living. There are other significant economic benefits. India imports about 87 per cent of its crude oil requirements. The electric traction of HSR would reduce oil dependency significantly more than aviation turbine fuel used in aircraft. HSR would contribute meaningfully towards India’s net-zero economy goal by 2070. India aims to become a developed economy before 2047, commemorating a hundred years of independence. A developed economy should have more than one option for fast travel. Air travel is also expanding; however, it has limitations in terms of coverage and a large footprint due to the associated modal shifts and first- and last-mile transportation required to access airports. HSR will fill this gap. Rail investments – No significant impact Despite spending about Rs 15 trillion till 2023-24, Indian Railways has been unable to show significant progress in its throughput, as the spending has been too thinly spread across too many areas. The Dedicated Freight Corridors, Mission Raftaar, and infrastructure augmentation through increased investment have not yielded significant results. The commissioning of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (EDFC and WDFC) has not yet brought notable relief from congestion on high-density corridors. About two-thirds of Indian Railways’ train infrastructure and human resources are used for passenger services, while they generate only one-third of overall revenue. Conversely, freight services, which use about one-third of the infrastructure and personnel, account for two-thirds of revenue. The routes used by both services are shared by mixed traffic. To meet the goal of doubling the average speed of goods trains and increasing the average speed of Superfast, Mail, and Express trains by 25 km/h in five years, Indian Railways announced Mission Raftaar in 2016. However, the implementation of this mission has been extremely slow. In the 2016-17 Railway Budget, the Railways announced Mission Raftaar for two “high-density” corridors — HDN1 and HDN3 — to alleviate congestion. These corridors comprise just 4.17 per cent of Indian Railways’ 68,426 km route length. Even if fully upgraded to 160 km/h, the remaining high-density routes would remain unaddressed. Only about 500 km of the 2,850 km of HDN1 and HDN3 have been upgraded to 160 km/h since the announcement of Mission Raftaar. A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) tabled during the 2022 Budget session highlighted that Mission Raftaar had not progressed. In response, the Railways stated that Mission Raftaar is not a standalone project and that it is impossible to quantify the total amount of money allocated or spent on it. Furthermore, the Railways cited an increase in the average goods train speed from 23.7 km/h to 41.2 km/h from FY 2016-17 to FY 2020-21. When the Railways cancelled numerous passenger routes during the pandemic and then resumed regular services, the average cargo train speed dropped to around 25 km/h. Both goals—doubling freight train speed and increasing passenger train speeds by 25 km/h—were not achieved. The average speed of freight or mail/express trains did not change between the announcement of Mission Raftaar in 2017 and 2024. Indian Railways admitted that Mission Raftaar cannot function in “mission mode” due to several barriers. For example, the speed of track sections with bridges cannot be increased if the bridges do not permit higher speeds as required. It is clear that speed improvements across the network will take significantly more time unless carried out at the same pace as electrification. However, unlike electrification, Mission Raftaar is a multidimensional project requiring large-scale coordination. The increase in passenger services has also not matched the level of investment made. The route length increased by only about 5 per cent (an additional 3,158 km) between 2014–15 and 2022-23. Although track length increased by about 16,574 km, it did not result in a significant increase in passenger traffic — from 1,147 BPKM in 2014-15 to 959 BPKM in 2022-23. The peak passenger traffic, during non-pandemic times, was in 2017-18 at 1,178 BPKM. Most of the funds were spent on works that had been backlogged for decades, such as electrification, safety, infrastructure maintenance, additional lines on congested routes, and procurement of new rolling stock. While such spending is essential to clear a massive infrastructure backlog, it has not yet yielded substantial outcomes. A strategic overview of the entire multifactor scenario is necessary. The Infravision Foundation study also recommends setting up the National High-Speed Rail Technology Corporation with four key tasks: demonstrate a new HSR system at 250 km/h, demonstrate an upgraded HSR system at 200 km/h, develop tilting HSR trains for speeds of 200 km/h, and radially align self-steering bogies for freight trains. India has the option of developing subsequent HSR corridors with indigenous technology, at least for some subsystems, thereby making the country self-reliant in HSR technology. Travel by faster and more comfortable modes provides dignity of travel to citizens, which is an integral part of ease of living. Learning from the world HSR pioneer countries have improved their systems with the guiding principle of “one size does not fit all”. Japan developed HSR on standard gauge with wide-bodied coaches, first at 210 km/h, then gradually improving to 350 km/h, while retaining narrow gauge for its conventional rail network. Italy developed “Pendolinos” (tilting trains) for both conventional and dedicated lines. France adopted a “mixed HSR” model. Germany used a dual strategy by upgrading conventional rail lines to 200 km/h and developing new HSR systems at 250 km/h or more. Austria did likewise to reach speeds of 200-230 km/h. Spain developed gauge-switching coaches to achieve interoperability between conventional Iberian gauge tracks and new standard gauge HSR lines. It also developed tilting trains for speeds above 200 km/h on conventional tracks. European countries benefited from using the same standard gauge, extending HSR services across borders. Depending on demand and speed restrictions, HSR in Europe runs between 200 km/h and 320 km/h, backed by substantial R&D. New HSR corridors have been built with the latest technology, enabling lower energy consumption. Even with reasonably addressed needs, these countries are investing in maglev and enhancing rolling stock speeds. The pioneer countries charted their own course based on unique needs, capabilities, and circumstances—India should do the same. Conclusion HSR requires wide discussion among policymakers, administrators, planners, and financiers. It presents a timely opportunity to revive rail as a low-carbon, long-distance transport solution. The Ministry of Railways’ decarbonisation efforts need strategic planning. The Infravision Foundation aims to foster this national debate. It’s time to fast-track HSR. ABOUT TIF TIF is the only national-level advocacy organisation and “think-and-do-tank” that is dedicated to the infrastructure sector in India, with particular interest in energy, transportation, water and sanitation, agri-infrastructure, social and economic infrastructure and policy reform. TIF recommends credible, evidence-driven interventions by government and private sector for boosting economic growth by investing in infrastructure. TIF has focused attention on several subjects of national importance, including rooftop solar, surety bonds, warehousing, compensatory afforestation, public transport, safe highways, sustainability ratings and PPP in infra finance. The HSR report can be downloaded here: https://theinfravisionfoundation.org/wp- content/uploads/2025/02/The-Case-For-Developing-High-Speed-Rail-Corridors-In-India.pdf TIF welcomes insights and feedback on our report. Please write to us on our website (https://theinfravisionfoundation.org)