Discussion on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train is going well between India and Japan. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the first section will start in 2027. Japan will deliver E-20 series trains in the 2030s, till then Indian trains will be used in the project.
New Delhi [भारत]July 17 (ANI): The government on Friday said talks between India and Japan on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train are going well and Japan will provide the E-20 series trains in the early 2030s.
Answering questions during a regular media briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the first section of the bullet train will be opened in 2027. India is close to completing its first bullet train corridor – the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR). The first high-speed rail service is expected to start from Surat to Vapi in August 2027.
Refutation of former Japanese minister’s ‘delay’ statement
Asked about a former Japanese minister’s comment about ‘delays’ in the project, Jaiswal said the opinion was far from the facts. He said, ‘We have seen the post which has been mentioned. This is a personal opinion and is quite different from the facts.
He further said, ‘India-Japan talks on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train are going really well. Japan will deliver E-20 series trains, but only in the early 2030s. The train in question is still in the development stage. Meanwhile, construction work has progressed rapidly. The first section will be opened only in 2027. Therefore, both sides agreed to start operations with the Indian high-speed train.
Jaiswal said the signaling equipment has been ordered and it is as per international standards. He said, ‘No Japanese proposal was received in this regard. The implementation of the project is in line with the common goal of starting the high-speed train project as soon as possible.
In a post on X, former Japanese minister Hideki Makihara had blamed the Indian government for the delay in the MAHSR project.
India-Japan joint statement
In a joint statement issued after bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi during his visit to New Delhi this month, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail as a major project between India and Japan.
Prime Minister Takaichi said Japan fully understands India’s goal of starting commercial operations on priority sections in 2027 and is committed to providing necessary support. He acknowledged the goal of introducing the E10. They also expressed their desire to explore possible ways of cooperation on future high-speed corridors to achieve India’s vision of a 7,000 km national high speed rail network.
Prime Minister Modi invited Japanese companies to explore opportunities to participate in the development of the future corridor and expressed his readiness to facilitate such participation, which the Japanese side welcomed.
They also shared the idea of accelerating private sector-led cooperation and investment in high-speed rail and mass mobility with the aim of combining Japan’s advanced mobility technologies with India’s excellent human resources and market potential. To this end, they welcomed the signing of the MOC on Next Generation Mobility Partnership between the two sides. (ANI)
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