Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Partial Opening in 2027

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Japan to Gift Shinkansen Trains to India for High-Speed Rail Testing

By TRH News Desk

New Delhi, April 16, 2025: Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail Corridor, also known as Bullet Train project, is likely for partial opening in 2027. India and Japan are likely to ink a new pact on funding arrangement for E10 Train Set on the high-speed corridor during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Tokyo visit soon, said Japan Times in a report.

The report, quoting officials from Japan and Ministry of Railways in India, said that the full opening of the high-speed rail corridor is likely only in early 2030s. The Bullet Train Project is running behind schedules.

“Japan will provide India with two of its iconic shinkansen trains free of charge to support the development of the nation’s first high-speed rail project,” Japan Times quoted sources saying.

One train set each from East Japan Railway’s (JR East) E5 and E3 series will be delivered to India in early 2026, it said. “Before shipment, both trains will be retrofitted with specialized inspection equipment to collect critical data on operating conditions such as high temperatures and dust, factors that could impact future rail operations in the region,” added the report.

It also stated that plan is afoot for manufacturing Japan’s latest high-speed E10 trains in India. Construction is underway of bridges, tracks, and stations on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai corridor.

The report also stated that the “Japanese government is expected to announce a new yen loan framework to fund the introduction of E10 trains during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Japan for a bilateral summit”. Modi was expected to visit Japan in latter parts of the last year but no date yet has been announced. He visited Tokyo for Quad Summit in September 2024.

The report also stated that India originally had planned to use the E5 series for passenger services on the line. “However, rising costs and delays prompted a reconsideration, with India leaning toward deploying domestically produced trains,” it added.

The report also stated that “Japan proposed a new arrangement late last year: to supply next-generation E10 series trains for full operation by the early 2030s and to gift the E5 and E3 models for inspection use in the interim”.

Edo Naito, a Japan-based strategic affairs commentator, said in a post on LinkedIn, that “India makes an excellent call in going with Japan’s latest E10 Shinkansen technology for its high-speed lines connecting Mumbai to Ahmedabad”.

“Japan will also provide the global best, signaling system that has supported Japan’s unmatched operational safety record for over 60 years,” he added. Late Shinzo Abe, ex-Prime Minister of Japan, had signed the pact for the high-speed rail corridor with late Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India.

“The proposal helped break a negotiation stalemate, with India signaling a willingness to move forward,” added the report. The gifted shinkansen sets are expected to play a vital role in preparing India’s infrastructure for high-speed rail operations and may serve as a steppingstone toward future domestic production of E10-series trains, it added.

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