The Indian Railways (IR) ha hired a Japanese consortium to conduct a pre-feasibility study for running a high speed bullet train on the Hyderabad-Chennai high speed rail corridor.

The railways have selected Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) and Oriental Consultancy along with Parsons Brinkhoff India for conducting the study on the proposed route for running the high speed trains. The proposed Hyderabad-Vijaywada-Chennai stretch is 664 km long between the two south Indian cities.

The consortium is expected to submit a report in seven months time. The study will cost about Rs 3.5 crore to the IR. There were a total of 13 bidders for the study including Korean, French, British and Spanish consultants. With the allotment of the order, the RI has undertaken studies for four routes for running bullet trains.

The IR ahs entered into agreements with French firm Systra for Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad route spanning 650 km and UK-based consultant Mott McDonald for pre-feasibility study of the longest Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna route streaking 991 km. The railway has also hired Spanish consultant Eneco for a similar study on Howrah-Haldia route, which will be 135 km long.

The department is yet to select consultants for 450 km Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar route and Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Thiruvananthapuram route spanning 869 km. the railway is also establishing a National High Speed Rail Authority for expediting the work on the bullet train projects.