MEA says former Japan Minister’s remarks ‘at variance with facts’, India-Japan discussions on high-speed train project progressing well

NEW DELHI: Discussions between India and Japan on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train are progressing well and Japan will provide the E-20 train series in the early 2030s, the government said on Friday.

Answering queries during regular media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jasiwal said the first section of the bullet train will be opened in 2027.

India is nearing completion of its first bullet train corridor — the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR). The first high-speed rail service is expected to commence in August 2027 from Surat to Vapi.

Asked about remarks of a former Japan Minister about “delay” in the project, Jaiswal said the opinion is at considerable variance with facts. “We have seen the post that has been referred to. It is an individual opinion and at considerable variance with facts,” he said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “… India-Japan discussions on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train are in fact progressing well. Japan will provide the E-20 train series but only in the early 2030s.… pic.twitter.com/Pdpd2fmPM7

— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2026

“India-Japan discussions on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train are in fact progressing well. Japan will provide the E-20 train series but only in the early 2030s. The train in question is still under development. Meanwhile, construction work has rapidly progressed. The first section will be opened in 2027 itself. Therefore, both sides agreed to start operations with the Indian high-speed train,” he added.

Jaiswal said signalling equipment has been ordered accordingly and is in line with international specifications. “No Japanese offer was received in this context. The project execution is in line with the common goal of starting the high-speed train project at the earliest,” he said.

In a post on X, former Japan Minister Hideki Makihara had blamed the Indian government for delays in MAHSR project. In the joint statement released after the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi during her visit to New Delhi this month, the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail as a flagship project between India and Japan.

Prime Minister Takaichi stated that Japan fully understands India’s target to commence commercial operations on priority sections in 2027 and remains committed to extending the necessary cooperation. They acknowledged the goal of introducing the E10. They also expressed willingness to explore possible ways to cooperate on future high-speed corridors to achieve India’s vision of a national High Speed Rail network of 7,000 km.

Prime Minister Modi invited Japanese companies to explore opportunities to participate in the development of the future corridors and conveyed his readiness to facilitate such engagement, which the Japanese side welcomed.

They also shared the view to accelerate private sector-led cooperation and investment in High Speed Rail and comprehensive mobility, with the aim of combining Japan’s advanced mobility technologies with India’s excellent human resources and market potential across India.

To this end, they welcomed the signing of the MoC on the Next-Generation Mobility Partnership between the two sides. (ANI)