Semi Hi-Speed Emus Set To Zoom Past Bullet Train Plans

NEW DELHI:  As Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to France and Germany, cooperation in modernizing India's giant but creaking railway system is to be a key focus area.

With bullet trains in India likely to take some years in the making, the government is set to go ahead with the purchase of a cheaper, safer and smarter option - a la the Metro trains - called train sets.

The prime minister's first stop will be in France on April 10 where the focus will be his Make in India initiative, according to diplomatic sources. While France has its famous TGV high-speed rail service, it is equally keen to offer its expertise in semi-high speed rail technology.

The railway ministry has announced global tenders for purchase of train sets called Electrical Multiple Units (EMU), and is looking at European countries, especially Germany, France and Spain, where such trains are popular.

The purchase initially could be off-the-shelf, with Transfer of Technology clause included so that manufacture could later be done in India, an official source told IANS.

The train sets, running on the existing broad gauge lines, would zip at speeds of 130-150 km/hour.

The move, announced in the Railway Budget by Minister Suresh Prabhu, is expected to "revolutionize" train travel in India.

The train sets would have an advantage over the Rajdhanis and Shatabdis in that instead of having a locomotive to haul the coaches, the carriages themselves are mounted with electric traction motors to power the trains. In suburban trains, usually two carriages have the motors.

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