Bullet train can wait, needs more feasibility study: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu

IndiaToday.in  New Delhi, May 21, 2015Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday said the much-hyped bullet train project needs more feasibility studies before the government decides on its implementation.

Speaking at Aaj Tak Manthan in New Delhi, the rail minister admitted that the bullet train will take more time. "Since it is going to be a new animal in India that requires a lot of feasibility studies before arriving at any concrete decision, the main focus is to improve current infrastructure including increasing the speed of exiting trains," said the former Shiv Sena leader, who joined the BJP a day before he was sworn in as the rail minister on November 9, 2015.
Prabhu was confronted by former Rail Minister Lalu Yadav, who dismissed the project, calling it impossible. "It won't be possible to roll bullet trains out in India as it needs massive investment on infrastructure," Lalu said.
Bringing the bullet train in India was one of the electoral issues in last Lok Sabha polls. In his interim Rail Budget presented by former Rail Minister Sadananda Gowda, a Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train was planned. Gowda had proposed Rs 100 crore for the infrastructure development for the high-profile project.