MUMBAI: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed corridor is on well on track as the Union railway minister announced in New Delhi that a feasibility study for it will be completed in 18 months.

While the study will be by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the business development model by SNCF, France, is expected to be prepared by April 2014.

The high-speed train is expected run via Thane and Virar from Bandra Terminus, Bandra-Kurla complex or LTT in Mumbai.

The feasibility study for the Rs 63,000-crore project is expected to be complete by May 2015. The train will run at a maximum speed of 320kmph and will traverse the 534km distance between the two cities in two hours.

The fastest train (120kmph) to run on this sector is the Duronto, which takes around seven hours from Mumbai Central to Ahmedabad.

The authorities have planned the corridor via Thane as they want to keep the option open to connect Pune to Ahmedabad. Railway officials said the Pune connectivity may not attract ridership, but Maharashtra may back out as the major beneficiary would turn out to be Gujarat. The corridor will link major towns of Gujarat but important centres in Maharashtra will not be connected.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed

Length - 534km

Estimated cost : Rs 63,000 crore

Estimated travel times : 2 hours

Maximum Speed : 320 kmph.

Stations : 11

Status: Feasibility study to complete by

May 2015.

Tentative routes (stations)

Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Dahanu, Vapi,

Valsad Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand and Ahmedabad.

