Piyush Goyal assures people of safety in new Bullet Train project

Rattled by the recent spate of train derailments in the country, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday, assured the people about the ambitious project and said that that the bullet train has not seen a single accident in Japan.

"It has been a zero accident train in Japan and I am sure the track record will remain the same in India," Piyush Goyal said.

Ahead of Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of the bullet train project, Goyal said that the country's rail network will be transformed and revolutionised with the initiative.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given directions for a holistic development of the Indian Railways," Goyal said, adding, India's transport sector is all set to change and "it is indeed a matter of celebration."

Goyal further said that the new initiative will help boost the employment in the country.

"The coming of bullet trains to India will not only boost employment, but also will help India to export it," he said.

Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will also be visiting India to attend the 'Bhoomi Poojan' and foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs. 97,636-crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail link, using Japanese bullet-train technology.

During the visit, Prime Minister Abe will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi and is expected to serve as the "top salesman" for the adoption of the Shinkansen technology by other Indian railway systems, with China also aiming to win orders for the projects, the Japan Times had reported, earlier in August.

The 500-km railway will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad in Western India, with services planned to commence in 2023. This train is based on Japanese high-speed technology called Shinkansen, known for its safety and comfort.

India has pledged to build high-speed railways, focused on the four major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

When Prime Minister Modi went to Japan last November, he travelled by Shinkansen with his Japanese counterpart from Tokyo to Kobe to visit a bullet-train plant of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., a maker of Shinkansen cars.