India-Japan group to examine high speed rail corridor issue

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) India and Japan have decided to set up a high-level working group to examine various issues related to establishment of high speed rail corridors in the country. The decision was taken during a meeting between India's Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi and Japan's Minister for Land Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Takeshi Maeda here Thursday. "We have taken a decision that at a very high level of decision making there is going to be a working group between Japan and India. We have to find out where do we begin," Trivedi told reporters here today. He was asked about the progress of the proposed high speed corridor project in the country. Stressing the importance of high speed trains for the country and its economy, Trivedi said he has discussed the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and with the Japanese Prime Minister and they are "very serious" about the project. Known for its expertise in running bullet trains, Japan has shown keen interest in India's ambition to run high speed trains. Japan's External Trade Organisation and Oriental Consultancy along with Parsons Brinkhoff India have recently bagged a contract to carry out pre-feasibility study of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada-Chennai corridor in the country's south, one of the six corridors identified by Indian Railways for high speed train operations. To a pointed question if high speed train operations are possible in India, President of East Japan Railway Company Satoshi Seino replied in the affirmative. Seino, who is part of the Japanese delegation, also said "I believe by cooperating with our Indian counterparts, we will certainly ensure that Indian railways will have sufficient technology to operate high speed rail as these trains require high level of technology." On the issue of extending financial assistance to projects, a delegate member said no concrete plan has been finalised as yet but added "it is an issue which needs to be explored from now onwards". Japan had extended financial assistance for the Dedicated Freight Corridor Project and Delhi Metro. PTI