* It was reported that Financial RoR of Mum-Ahm HST Project is only 4% and economic rate of return is a respectable 12%. It means Govt shall be benefited indirectly (more development jobs, industries, business, revenue, environmental benefits) due to development spurred by the HSTs and a part of which have to be logically ploughed back to HST by way of budgetary support to make the project viable. This money infused is literally a subsidy, but in total scenario is not as HST project deserves to get a share of benefits it will bring to nation.
* Tokyo-Osaka(500kms) is probably the only HST project which is self supporting, which is due to a combo of very high traffic of about 4...
more...

lac pax/day and a reasonable fare structure (yen equivalent of 6000-8500 Rs). The price appears high for Indians, but not so for Japanese with percapita income 20 times of India (nominally) and 6 times of India on Purchasing Power Parity. SHT fares shall in general be too high for Indians & the actual traffic & actual RoR is likely to be lower than estimated figures rather than the other way.

In south east asia itself currently multiple HSR projects are in pipeline,
1. Indonesia is going ahead with their HSR with chinese partnership (jakarta - bandung has been awarded to chinese, discussion on for Surabaya line)
2. China to Thailand via Laos (Already work started on this, obviously China is making this)
3. Singapore - Kuala Lumpur line currently both, china and japan...
more...

are competing for this
4. Thailand (Bangkok) - Kuala Lumpur line - Again china and japan are competing for this.
Even countries with no major railway network are trying to build faster railway infrastructure, since railway will move people and material in large volume, air has its limitations since its tightly coupled with fuel prices and cant move large volume as railway could.
Everything is a vanity before it becomes a necessity Television, Fridge, Air conditioners, Mobile Phone all started out as a vanity item. Even during the age of bullock cart traditional steam engine train would have been a vanity item (all you need to do is just dig up the cost of building those lines apply inflation correction to see how much it would cost in today money). people could have easily argued all we need is good smooth roads for the bullock / horse driven cart to go.