TECHNOLOGY- BOOSTING TRAVEL OPTIONS – IN NEW AGE
India’s first high-speed rail corridor connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad is the talk of the town with the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd at the helm. SPAN writer Paromita Pain takes a look at what is special about this high tech travel option
High-speed railways have become a familiar sight around the world, with successful operations in Japan, China and Western Europe. Joining the club recently is India. The cutting-edge high-speed railway (HSR) corridor spanning 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is designed to improve connectivity and ease travel between the two major cities.
Playing a pivotal role in its implementation is Brijesh Dixit, the executive director of the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL).
“HSR has so many benefits beyond fast transportation, such as energy efficiency, fostering technological advancements, unlocking land value, and regulating urbanisation, with many spin-off benefits across other sectors as well,” says Dixit.
Explaining why Mumbai-Ahmedabad was chosen as India’s first high-speed rail corridor, he says, “The intercity distance of about 500 km is ideal for HSR. There is a huge passenger demand and potential for industrial and economic growth in this corridor.”
Large-scale projects like this inevitably face challenges. These range from navigating social and environmental concerns to integrating new technologies and ensuring effective monitoring. However, Dixit’s recent experience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a Humphrey fellow has equipped him with valuable perspectives on the technology-led systems approach, which is the essence of HSR as well.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program in the field of technology policy and management at the MIT is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education to strengthen leadership among international professionals who work together to tackle both local and global challenges.
Cutting-edge research
A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Dixit has always been passionate about working in the field of engineering and technology. While at MIT, Dixit joined a high-speed rail research group, collaborating with the officials responsible for Japan’s Shinkansen high-speed trains. This experience provided him with insights into “high-speed rail developments not only in Japan but also in other regions like the Middle East, Europe and the United States itself,” he says. Additionally, Dixit studied statistical modelling and big data, automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), planning and transportation optimization. He also wrote a detailed review paper on train asset management using sensing and data analytics.
With his learning at MIT, combined with his exposure to international systems, Dixit feels he is well equipped to make an impact, not only in the railways but in other sectors too. “Being at MIT exposed me to cutting-edge research and educated me to think big and be innovative,” he says. Importantly, he learned to analyse things from first principles, a method that simplifies complexities.
Immersive learning opportunities
Dixit’s Humphrey cohort had a retreat in Maine and off-campus visits in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. “As part of the fellowship program, I visited and interacted with U.S. institutions and with the railroad industry,” recalls Dixit. He was also invited to participate as a panelist on “Urbanization and International Development” at Harvard University. “I made friends from across the world,” he says, adding that this experience broadened his perspective and enabled him to learn about different countries, their cultures and their challenges. “There are many other remembrances of my Humphrey fellowship,” Dixit says, “and it was perhaps the most productive period of my professional career.”
During the fellowship, Dixit discovered his passion for writing poetry on matters of nature, science and technology. “I have completed my book of poems titled Nature, Science and My Musings; A Poetic Odyssey through Some Existential Questions,” which is to be published soon,” he says.
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