Sir — This refers to the article, “Removing the bullet from the trains” (September 16) by RC Acharya. The writer has hit the nail on its head by saying that the price-conscious Indian passengers will not be willing to pay higher tariff of high speed trains. Even the Shatabdi Express had to be discontinued on some routes because of financial non-viability. All the selected routes for bullet trains are already covered by air, so what is the guarantee that a passenger will opt to travel by bullet trainsIJ
Just for experience, someone might travel once, but not on a frequent basis. In fact, increasing the speed of existing trains, which could in turn save up to 25 per cent time, is a more pragmatic idea. Capital investment in bullet train project is huge and viability is a big question. The Government must reconsider its decision.