Citizens are getting a chance to name India’s first bullet train and design a mascot for it. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), which is executing the project, has invited the public to suggest names for the train that will make its inaugural run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai in 2022, offering a Rs 50,000 cash prize for the winning entry.

An NHSRCL spokesperson said a name will provide an identity to the Japanese-made bullet train and help people establish a connect with it. “To encourage people’s participation, an open online competition has been organised on www.mygov.in, where participants can submit their entries till March 25, 2019,” the spokesperson said.

The corporation has also invited designs for a mascot that will represent the train — like Air India’s Maharaja or Indian Railways’s Bholu, the train manager elephant. The winner stands to win ₹1 lakh. “The mascot essentially should be a well-designed character that will personify the value system of NHSRCL and will also be able to communicate effectively,” said the NHSRCL spokesperson.

Of the 508.17-km-long bullet train corridor, 155.76 km will be in Maharashtra, 348.04 km in Gujarat and 4.3 km in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Centre has set a deadline of completing the project by August 15, 2022 — India’s 75 years of Independence.

The name of the train and the mascot will be shortlisted by a nominated committee, and the winners will be awarded cash prizes and certificates of participation. There will also be five consolation prizes of ₹50,000 in each category for entries that are deemed as good as the winning entry but may miss out because of minor details.

The bullet train project will save passengers travel time, help reduce pollution, and offer enhanced safety. The introduction of the country’s first bullet train, known as the Shinkansen in Japan, will mark India’s shift to an era of high-speed trains capable of hitting speeds of up to 350 km per hour.

Modi and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone for the project in Ahmedabad in 2014.

First Published: Feb 25, 2019 06:36 IST