India’s first dedicated high-speed train test track is being constructed in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. The project will be ready by 2024.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 819 crore. This would be the first such electrified dedicated test track in the world after its completion. Testing of broad-gauge high-speed trains can be done here.
The total length of the testing track is around 59 km and work is being undertaken in two phases.
The work for testing will be done by Lucknow-based Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), which identified this site under the NWR, which is a first-of-its-kind project of Indian Railways.
In Phase-I where 25 km of straight track is being constructed, 40 percent of the work has been completed. Tenders have been issued for Phase-II wherein 34 km will be constructed with features such as curves and elevation so that those parameters can also be tested.
The target for Phase-I has been set for March 2024 and for Phase-II is December 2024.
This will be a green project, and all of its stations will be operated on solar power. This track will be helpful in increasing the safety and speed of trains in India.