Letters: Time to change track

The column "Why high-speed rail is viable" (December 9) by Ramakrishnan T S is a brilliantly written and debated piece on the need, viability and execution of high-speed rail in India - a project that was conceived a long time ago but continues to hang fire due to trivial issues.

As the column rightly points out, funding should no longer be a key concern as Japan has agreed to finance the project at an astonishingly low interest rate. Time is money in today's times.

While a large section of the population still travels in general class, in future many of them will demand and be able to afford faster and reliable means of travel. The government needs to foresee this demand and put the requisite infrastructure in place lest, as always, it wants to be on the cusp of change without being prepared.

Several points need to be kept in mind while awarding this project: A reliable partner for execution - a firm that has worked on similar projects before and can execute them in a timely manner - realistic projections of growth, availability of land, zero red tape and funding for the latest world-class technology.

A country's development only increases with the development of its infrastructure. The government may construct all the houses and other infrastructure it wants, but if it cannot transport people in a short time, everything else will take a back seat. We have long been dependent on roads. Air travel is picking up but will take time. Waterways are also being focused on. It is time rail is given its due share of importance and development.

Gaurav Gupta, Pune
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