Need For Speed: Bullet Trains Will Curtail Pollution & Road Congestion

Long ago, the wealthy in New York lived in the heart of the city. But, when transport networks such as buses became common, this population moved to suburbs, as they could afford to do so. Ordinary workers, on the other hand, could not afford traveling by buses, as the cost of travelling was higher relative to their incomes.  When railroads were built, distances lost significance. Invention and usage of buses, railroads, elevators, automobiles and subway networks played a huge role in making space within the reach of the common man. 

When bullet trains came into being in 1964 in Japan, they revolutionised the travel method in that country. Ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to New Delhi, the government has cleared the Japanese proposal to build the first bullet train line in India. The expense of this bullet train line, which would connect Mumbai with Ahmedabad, is estimated to be $14.7 billion. 

A look at how this will help Indian cities:

In the speedy lane

While on the one hand India does not have high-speed public transport networks, its infrastructure also doesn't give commuters the scope to travel by cars. For a car-based nation to be successful, there are three key requirements:

1. Speed

2. Air-conditioning

3. Privacy

This is not true about India because roads are extremely congested. In cities like Mumbai, for example, trains are the only way to cut down your travel time. This is also the reason why trains are extremely crowded in the city.

Not fast enough?

In China, the highest speed of conventional trains is about 150 km per hour and the highest speed possible to bullet trains is about 350 km per hour. This suggests that so much is possible in Indian cities. The commute could become much quicker. More people will be able to access labour markets, especially in cities like Mumbai, where many people spent one-three hours commuting.

Penny wise

Relative to income levels, transportation costs are still high in India when compared to the rest of the world. Even though western academics find Mumbai's monthly train fare cheap, relative to income levels, it is among the highest in the world. Even today, affordable housing projects in the periphery are shunned by low- income households, because they cannot afford to commute hours. So, even when government builds affordable houses elsewhere, they quickly move back to a slum in the central city. An affordable and speedy transport network can change this forever.

The bullet-proof method

Bullet trains will also lead to many other benefits:

The potential labour market of people will be larger.

Many firms now are located close to the city centre because of frequent interactions with other firms and government bureaucrats and politicians. This is especially true in Indian cities where regulatory constraints are higher. Real estate developers often have to receive approvals from various government authorities. Such firms will be able to move to the periphery. 

The amenities people have access to will become greater. 

People will be more able to walk, bicycle or take mass transport to work because roads are less congested.

Air quality in Indian cities would improve.

Maintenance costs of roads and other infrastructure will decline.

Markets will become more integrated with greater access and quicker transportation.