'Feasibility study on A'bad-Mumbai bullet train by July 2015'

Union Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the feasibility study on the proposed Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project will be completed by July 2015.

"On the bullet train project, we will be getting an interim study report by the end of the next month. A small report has already been issued by the Railways," he said.

"On feasibility, we will get a study done by July 2015. That report will cover the commercial, technical and financial study. Some of these topics have already been looked after in the earlier studies. One third studies have already been done," Gowda added.

'Diamond Quadrilateral project', announced during the railway budget, would be taken up on the public private partnership (PPP) mode, he said.

"We have announced, in our (railway) budget, that the 'Diamond Quadrilateral' connectivity across the metros in the country would be taken up. Mumbai, Ahmedabad stations would be taken up on priority. As of now the total cost of the project will be around Rs 60,000-65,000 crore (Rs 600 - 650 billion). We want to do it on PPP (public private partnership) mode," he said.

Gowda further said that his ministry is planning to take up work on a high-speed rail corridor between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, with the train travelling at a top speed of around 150 kmph.

On the budget allocation for Gujarat, home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gowda said, "In the budget, Rs 952 crore (Rs 9.52 bilion) have been allotted to the state, out of which nearly Rs 912 crore (Rs 9.12 billion) have been allotted for the ongoing projects. Of Rs 912 crore, Rs 105 crore (Rs 1.05 billion) have been allotted for the new line, Rs 573 crore (Rs 5.73 billon) for doubling up of railway lines and Rs 139 crore (Rs 1.39 billion) for the gauge conversions," he added.

Ahmedabad railway station's renovation project will be taken up by the ministry, while Sabarmati railway station will also be upgraded, the minister said.