E Sreedharan, the retired civil engineer, who led the construction of the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro underlined that Narendra Modi’s bullet train project isn’t really needed in the country currently. He also asserted that the average speed of most prestigious trains has come down.
“Bullet trains will cater only to the elite community. It is highly expensive and beyond the reach of ordinary people. What India needs is a modern, clean, safe and fast rail system,” Sreedharan told Hindustan Times in an interview.
Sreedharan is popularly known as the “Metro Man”. He rubbished the claim that Indian Railways has made rapid progress in the past few years. “I do not agree that the Indian Railways has made rapid progress. Apart from bio-toilets, there is no technical upgradation,” Sreedharan said.
“Speed has not increased. In fact, the average speed of most prestigious trains has come down. Punctuality is worst – officially 70 per cent, actually less than 50 per cent. Accident record has not improved. I feel Indian Railways is 20 years behind those of advanced nations,” he added.