National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) spokesperson Sushma Gaur said, "The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project will create more than 90,000 direct and indirect jobs in various categories during construction phase of the project which would lead to growth and prosperity of the country."

 

She said that more than 51,000 technicians, skilled and unskilled workforce will be required for various construction-related activities.

 

"NHSRCL is already exploring possibilities for providing training to unskilled labourers in various construction-related disciplines like bar bending, tile laying, construction, electrical works, concreting, plastering etc to improve their chances of employability and better earnings," she said.

 

She further said that the specialised training required for track laying will also be arranged by NHSRCL to the contractors' employees.

 

"More than 34,000 indirect employment opportunities will also be generated during the construction phase of the bullet train project," she said.

 

Gaur also said that 75 lakh MT cement and 21 lakh MT steel is expected to be consumed for creating 460 kms of viaducts, 26 kms of tunnels including a 7 km undersea tunnel, 27 steel bridges, 12 stations and many more supporting superstructures.

 

"These industries will provide employment opportunities in various categories, linked supply chain and allied services," she said.

 

The NHSRCL official said that some important construction-related tenders are expected to be opened and finalised in next couple of months, which will give a boost to the economy of the nation.

 

"These tenders are for design and construction of civil and building works involving viaducts, bridges, maintenance depots, stations (Vapi, Bilimora, Surat and Bharuch) and Surat depot, design and construction of civil and building works involving viaduct and bridges, crossing bridges, maintenance depot and station (Anand/Nadiad), and procurement, fabrication, check-assembly for 33 bridges for high speed rail corridor for crossing roads, rivers and other structures.

 

Gaur said that more than 64 per cent land has been acquired for the project which includes more than 82 per cent in Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and the rest in Maharashtra.

 

Modi and then Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe on September 14, 2017 had laid the foundation stone for the ambitious Rs 1.08 lakh crore ($17 billion) project.

 

The initial deadline to complete the ambitious project was December 2023. The bullet trains are expected to run at 350 kms per hour covering the 508-km stretch in about two hours. In comparison, trains currently plying on the route take over seven hours to travel the distance, whereas flights take about an hour.

 

Earlier this month, Railways CEO V.K. Yadav said that the bullet train project was progressing well but the real timeframe for the completion of the project can be gauged within the next three to six months when the status of land acquisition will be ascertained.