The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) on Thursday said the Gujarat leg of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train may open first if it could not acquire land in Maharashtra in the next three months.
NHSRCL MD Achal Khare also said at a virtual press meet that the deadline of 2023 for completing the project was not feasible, and civil works on the Gujarat side were expected to be completed by 2024.
The NHSRCL has acquired 95 per cent of the land for the 352-km stretch of the project in Gujarat but has been able to acquire only 23 per cent of land for the 156-km stretch in Maharashtra.
“Of the 352-km stretch, we have acquired 95 per cent of land thanks to the cooperation of people as well as the Gujarat government,” Khare said, adding that the remaining five per cent will be acquired by mid-June.
“The NHSRCL has been able to acquire 23 per cent land so far in Maharashtra. If we are able to acquire about 70 per cent to 80 per cent land in the next three months, we can start the entire project together,” he said.
Surjitt Sahani
