Proposed Underwater Bullet Train Link Between DUBAI TO MUMBAI Is Underway

 Proposed Underwater Bullet Train Link Between

DUBAI TO MUMBAI Is Underway

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has seriously been considering and recently the proposal is finding some sort of momentum for an ambitious project to construct an underwater train system connecting Dubai and Mumbai, aiming to revolutionize travel and trade between the two cities. If realized, this project would not only transform regional connectivity but also position the oil-rich UAE at the forefront of an innovative infrastructure development regime.

Project Overview:

Route and Distance: The proposed underwater train would span approximately 2000 km, linking Dubai with Mumbai via a submerged tunnel beneath the Arabian Sea.

Travel Time and Speed: Designed for high-speed transit, the train is expected to cover the distance in under two hours, with proposed speeds reaching up to approximately 1000 km/h.
Construction and Design: The plan involves laying two large, curved concrete tubes on the seabed, anchored by industrial pontoons for stability. These tubes would house the train tracks and additional pipelines for transporting oil, gas, and water between the UAE and India. Innovative features like transparent windows are envisioned to offer passengers views of the underwater marine life environment.
Economic and Trade Benefits: Beyond passenger transport, the tunnel is intended to enhance bilateral commercial trading by facilitating the export of oil and gas from the UAE to India and the import of fresh potable water from India's Narmada River to the UAE.
Feasibility and Investment: A feasibility study is underway to assess the project's technical and financial viability, with initial investments estimated to be in the billions of USDs.

In addition to reducing travel times, it could also offer picturesque views using see-through windows if the project is deemed feasible.

Mumbai Fujairah Train Link

Future travelers from Mumbai to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will have the option to pick their mode of transportation instead of just mandating an airline if an ambitious project to connect the port cities of Fujairah and Mumbai by underwater train service materializes. The UAE’s National Advisory Bureau Limited (NABL) has begun considering such a project and will soon seek a feasibility report for the final countdown.

The UAE is well known for its ambitious projects, such as the Burj Khalifa, tallest skyscraper in the world and the iconic Palm Islands built off the coast of the city of Dubai. However, for the next ambitious project, it is willing to cross the Arabian Sea and connect the financial capital of India, Mumbai, with its port city of Fujairah.

The plan first came to light nearly seven years before in 2018 but is now being actively pursued as Dubai looks to stamp its innovative footprints on impressive constructions again, with Saudi Arabia also aiming for a definite piece of the pie.

The travel time to Dubai is slightly over three hours by air and does not include the pre-flight formalities at the airport. By switching to a train, the UAE hopes to shave off at least one hour of travel time, and the train can travel at speeds as high as 1,000 km an hour.

However, the project is not just meant to serve only passengers who are averse to taking the air routes by choice. Instead, Dubai is looking at it as a means to expand bilateral trade with India. Fujairah’s port city will export oil to India while bringing fresh water from the Narmada River to the UAE.

The distance between the two destinations is less than 2,000 km, but construction in deep water is a very big challenge indeed. Initial reports also suggest that instead of lining the tunnel with opaque bricks, the project could use see-through windows to offer picturesque views of the sea and underwater marine life.

Details of the type of trains to be used and construction to be undertaken will be explored through a feasibility report, but undoubtedly the project also requires a lot of investment, running into a few billion USDs, if not more.

Conclusion

One thing is for sure: it will not be the money that will be the primary concern for UAE authority on whether the project takes shape, or not. The technical feasibility of constructing underwater infrastructure is the foremost hurdle that has been overcome before the construction of the Channel Tunnel, connecting England and France.

The difference is that the Channel Tunnel is merely 56 km long, and the train runs at a relatively slower speed of 112 km/h while traveling through it. Dubai’s plans, in comparison, are highly ambitious as it looks to build a project over 50 times larger and run a train around ten times faster. But that’s the risk the country is willing to take to stay on top of the game, where Saudi Arabia is looking to compete with its plans of a linear city and creating artificial waterfronts to adorn a city under construction.

By Prof. (Dr.) Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya

(The writer is a Hyderabad-based freelance author, journalist, speaker, leadership coach, and Emeritus Professor of Management Studies)