India and Japan may see the simultaneous launch of the latest version of the bullet train, Shinkansen Alfa-X, aka Shinkansen E10, in 2029-30, and Tokyo, India’s partner in the ambitious bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is alright with India running two indigenously made high-speed trains on the track, which is expected to be ready in 2026-27, three people familiar with the matter said.
India was previously expected to get the Shinkansen E5.
It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s keen interest in the project and his excellent rapport with the Japanese leadership that saw a very positive outcome from two recent high-level official visits to Japan led by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in September and December 2024, the people added, requesting anonymity. The E5’s maximum speed is 320km/h, while the E10, which is still undergoing trials in Japan, can run at a top speed of 400km/h.
“It is the first time that a developed nation has agreed to launch its latest product simultaneously in its own country as well as in a foreign land,” one of the people said. Compared to E5, the new model is a state-of-the-art machine, safer and faster, and the US and Taiwan are also eyeing this model, he added.
India could complete the necessary infrastructure, including a special track for the bullet train, by 2026-27. Instead of keeping the infrastructure idle, the two partners have agreed that India could test and launch its two prototype bullet trains in 2027 using the same infrastructure between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the people said.
Indian Railways’ production unit Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has already awarded the ₹867 crore contract to manufacture and commission the two semi high-speed trains to BEML Ltd in October 2024. The two indigenous trains are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026. They may have a top speed of 280km/h, but can be operated at around 249km/h.
“Japan has recently given its consent to the plan where India can utilise infrastructure for its indigenously made trains,” a second person said.
This person added that it was only after this that the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), on Saturday, January 18, “floated a global tender for design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of signalling and train control system on Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project.”
NHSRCL, the railways ministry, the ministry of external affairs, the government of Japan and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) did not respond to e-mail queries. MAHSR was approved by the Cabinet in December 2015.
The infrastructure construction for the bullet train project is “literally on a fast track” with the minister for railways himself supervising every development, the people said. On Saturday, he supervised construction of a 21-km long undersea tunnel, India’s first such, between Bandra-Kurla Complex and Shilphata.
The $17 billion MAHSR project is a joint project of the Centre, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is being executed by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) , NHSRCL. The SPV has been formed with a shareholding of 50% by the Centre and 25% each by governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Approximately 81% of the cost of the project is being funded through a soft loan by the Government of Japan through JICA.
JICA’s loan to MAHSR is for a tenure of 50 years at 0.1% interest rate and with a moratorium period of 15 years. Thus, the loan repayment will be done in 35 years, according to NHSRCL. The project will launch the country’s first bullet train covering the 508 km from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai to Sabarmati, near Ahmedabad, in about two hours and seven minutes. The train will run at 320 km per hour and have stops at Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and will terminate at Sabarmati.
