A delegation of BJP MPs from Gujarat, which called on the Railway Minister, Mr Dinesh Trivedi, in New Delhi, has demanded new railway projects and infrastructure for the western State, including a bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Terming the bullet train as a “dream project” of the Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, the parliamentarians briefed Mr Trivedi about the final report of the pre-feasibility study, already submitted to the Ministry of Railways. They requested the Minister to announce this project as a special project in the upcoming Railway Budget for 2012-2013, according to an official release here on Friday.

The MPs also demanded a new train from Ahmedabad to Amritsar and from Surat to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as a number of people residing in Surat are from those regions. They also sought the construction of a third track between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

The proposed project of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), involving construction and augmentation of new rail links to connect ports in Gujarat to freight corridor, will be the engine for economic resurgence of the country.

The development of rail infrastructure for DMIC-Gujarat has a total cost outlay of Rs 38,094 crore. Out of the 24 industrial nodes to be developed along the DMIC, six are in Gujarat.

Keeping that in view, doubling and connectivity of railway lines is imperative to cope with the huge requirement for movement of goods from ports to the large hinterland.

By strengthening the port connectivity in Gujarat through rail links, congestion of road traffic and carbon emissions could be reduced and help Mumbai to be decongested, the MPs said.

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