SC supplies track material for high speed train (Shinkansen) in India
An era of high speed & semi-high speed trains in India
Contributed by Mr Sandeep Bhasin, Deputy Manager, SCIN Metal Products Dept
7 October 2022
India
SC will be supplying track material such as rails, turnouts, fasteners etc. to the first High Speed Rail (Shinkansen) in India. It is a great pride for SC Japan and SCIN to be associated with India’s most prestigious project.
India is one of the fastest growing economy in the World. India’s 2030 National Rail Plan (NRP) emphasises the creation of capacity before demand, making it more sustainable and efficient, cutting down the time with increase of speed of trains up to 130km – 160 km in Semi-High Speed Category.
With this vision and the marvel of Japanese technology, the Shinkansen is all set for construction in India. The designated speed of Shinkansen in India is 350 kmph for the first line. The project is funded by JICA under step loan and estimated cost for the first line is approximately USD 15 billion.
Indian Railways / Government of India designated Organisation, National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL) is presently working aggressively to run first Shinkansen on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Sector in India.
Japan Shinkansen (Image for representation purpose only)
Highlights of India’s First High Speed Rail Line are as follows:
| Route Length | 508.17 km |
| Line Details | Elevated Viaduct 10-15 mtrs above ground |
| Elevated Length | 468 km |
| Underground Length | 27 km |
| Under Sea Length | 7 km (part of underground length) |
| Rolling Stock | Japanese Shinkansen E5 Series 24 Trains – 10 Coaches Each |
| Capacity | 750 passengers |
| Track Gauge | Standard 1435 mm |
| Expected Completion | 2026-27 |
Future Projects for which Survey & Detailed Project Report shall be done by the Government of India:
| # | SECTOR | LINE-LENGTH |
| 1 | MUMBAI – AHMEDABAD (MAHSR) | 508 KMS |
| 2 | DELHI – VARANASHI | 865 KMS |
| 3 | MUMBAI – NAGPUR | 735 KMS |
| 4 | DELHI – AHMEDABAD | 886 KMS |
| 5 | CHENNAI – MYSORE | 435 KMS |
| 6 | DELHI – AMRITSAR | 459 KMS |
| 7 | MUMBAI – HYDERABAD | 711 KMS |
There are three (03) Track-Work Tenders called by National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited for the sector Mumbai-Ahmedabad in India. The main contractors for construction and laying of track are prestigious Indian companies.
| T-2 Track Work | 237.10 km | Ircon International Limited (An Indian Government Enterprise) has been awarded the contract for the laying of tracks. SC Japan participated in the tenders floated by the company for track material and would be supplying the material to the project. |
| T-3 Track Work | 114.60 km | Larsen & Toubro has been awarded the contract for laying of tracks. SC Japan participated in the tenders floated by the company for track material and is under final negotiations of the project. |
| T-1 Track Work | 114.60 km | Tender for the same is awaited. |
Track-Material to be supplied for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Project:
Standard Rails; Turnouts; Expansion Joints; Glued Insulated Joints; Fastenings; Reference Pins; Synthetic Sleepers; Inserts.
ACHIEVEMENT: For Standard Rails and Fastenings, Sumitomo has received Letter of Intent/Letter of Acceptance from IRCON.
The total expected Sales Volume for SC Japan under this 1st line of Shinkansen in India is expected to be USD 350-400 million for the supplies during 2023-2026.