India and the United Arab Emirates have started talking about starting an underwater bullet train network between Fujairah in UAE and Mumbai in India.
According to a report in the Khaleej Times, the underwater rail network will enable residents to travel from Mumbai to Fujairah and vice versa in just two hours. The report also notes that apart from passengers, the 2000 km long route will be used to carry goods from one country to another including oil which will be exported back through a pipeline from UAE. The Managing Director and Chief Consultant of National Advisor Bureau Limited Abdulla Alshehhi talked about the rail network in the UAE-India conclave, the report added.
Alshehhi also stated that the “floating” network will connect India, UAE and other places in the same region.
The bullet train will have a speed of 1000 km per hour which will enable Indian expats to reach Mumbai in a span of only two hours, Alshehhi stated. The floating network will be connected with water and pipelines.
“This is a concept. We plan to connect Indian city of Mumbai with Fujairah through ultra-speed floating trains. The project aims to boost bilateral trade. There will be the export of oil to India from Fujairah port and import of excess water from Narmada River, north of Mumbai. In addition, other GCC partners can also improve export and import,” he was quoted as saying by the publication.
He also added that the thought will take some time to conceptualize. “We will do a feasibility study of the project. This is a concept but a cool project to look at,” Khaleej Times noted.
According to him, the super-fast rail network will bring a significant boost in the bilateral trade and the overall relation between the two countries, making transit and business easier.
India has a plan of connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad through super-fast rail network by 2022. China has a similar plan to connect Russia, Canada, and the U.S., Khaleej Times notes.