Bullet train project: India formulates first green rating system

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) has collaborated with National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) to develop the world's first exclusive green rating system for the upcoming 508.17 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor. According to NHSRCL, the special purpose vehicle set up by the Railway Ministry to implement the bullet train project in India, the green rating system will be used to enable the new bullet train corridor's stations to use energy-efficient technology during the design and construction phase. The IGBC's green rating for the bullet train project aims to ensure environmental sustainability while also improving passenger comfort. According to a study by the International Union of Railways, the carbon emissions for a 600 km trip by high-speed rail per passenger are 8.1 kg, compared to 67.4 kg for car travel and 93 kg for airplane travel. According to Achal Khare, Managing Director, NHSRCL, the exclusive green rating programme for the bullet train developed by CII-IGBC will assist the organisation in ensuring the adoption of futuristic green concepts during the operations designing and construction phases of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor. Between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the country's first bullet train corridor will run, with a total of 12 stations along the way. When completed, the high-speed rail will travel at a top speed of 320 km per hour, similar to the Shinkansen or Japan bullet train. According to NHSRCL, it will take two hours and 57 minutes to travel between Maharashtra and Gujarat (including stops at all stations). Image Source Also read: Bullet train project: Railway stations in Gujarat to be developed Also read: Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project faces bottlenecks