Modi Hails Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train as India-Japan Flagship

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Japan, described the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) as a cornerstone of India-Japan collaboration, with passenger services expected to commence by 2028. In an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, Modi outlined India’s ambitious vision for a 7,000-kilometer high-speed rail network, emphasizing the role of the ‘Make in India’ initiative to ensure sustainability. “We are aiming to start passenger services in a few years, and I welcome Japanese companies to actively participate,” he said, highlighting the 508-km MAHSR project’s progress.

The MAHSR, India’s first high-speed rail corridor, will connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad, slashing travel time from seven hours to under three with Shinkansen E5 trains capable of 320 km/h. Construction, backed by a ₹88,087 crore (US$12 billion) low-interest loan from Japan’s JICA, has reached 44% completion as of May 2024, with the Gujarat section (Vapi to Sabarmati) slated for completion by December 2027 and the full corridor by December 2029. A 50-km stretch between Surat and Bilimora is expected to begin trial runs in 2026.

Modi noted Japan’s technological expertise, including the supply of E5 and E3 Shinkansen trains for testing and plans for next-generation E10 trains by 2030, alongside a 4,000-personnel training program. However, India is also developing indigenous bullet trains with a 280 km/h capacity, set to operate from 2030 to 2033, with BEML tasked to produce them at a lower cost than Japanese estimates.

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Beyond rail, Modi highlighted expanding India-Japan cooperation in ports, aviation, shipbuilding, and logistics, leveraging Japan’s technological edge and India’s manufacturing scale. He also praised the space collaboration, particularly the ISRO-JAXA Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission, which will explore the moon’s south pole, fostering innovation and real-world applications in agriculture and disaster management.

In defense, Modi underscored growing ties, including joint exercises and co-development of UNICORN masts for India’s Navy. With 1,500 Japanese firms in India and over 400 Indian companies in Japan, Modi called for deeper trade ties under the CEPA, noting Japan’s role in India’s infrastructure, from automobiles to pharmaceuticals. He emphasized India’s reforms, making it a hub for global companies targeting markets like Africa.

The MAHSR project, despite delays from land acquisition issues in Maharashtra and the COVID-19 pandemic, has overcome hurdles with 100% land acquired and key milestones like the 21-km undersea tunnel construction underway. Modi expressed confidence that this flagship project will catalyze economic growth, create 15 lakh jobs, and set the stage for India’s high-speed rail future.

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