India Rejects Ex-Japanese Minister's Claims, Says Bullet Train Talks 'At Considerable Variance With Facts'
India says talks with Japan are progressing smoothly and the first section of the 508-km bullet train corridor is still set to open in 2027.
- On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs rejected allegations from former Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara, who accused India of causing delays in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project.
- Makihara claimed the lack of progress was "entirely on the Indian side," alleging "sheer recklessness." His comments followed an opinion piece by Isao Tsujimura, who argued the project diverged from the Shinkansen model.
- Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the criticism as an "individual opinion" at "considerable variance with facts." He noted the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor is "progressing well," with the first section opening in 2027.
- Construction has accelerated in recent months, overcoming prior land acquisition and political hurdles in Maharashtra. Authorities confirmed the Surat-Bilimora stretch in Gujarat will be the first operational section.
- Japan will supply the E20 train series in the early 2030s, positioning the project for phased commissioning. The Centre maintains that India-Japan discussions on the high-speed rail remain on track.
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24 Articles
MEA says former Japan Ministers remarks at variance with facts, India-Japan discussions on high-speed train project progressing well - The Tribune
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.
Ex-Japan minister slams India bullet train minister as 'awful'
Hideki Makihara, Japan’s former Justice Minister has claimed that the minister in charge of the bullet train project was “especially awful,” adding that the Indian delegation pushed “their own self-interest right up to the very end.” Makihara claims to have been involved in the project, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR), which aimed to bring Japanese Shinkansen technology to the country. The 508-kilometre corridor is targeted for a ph…
India rejects ex-Japan minister's criticism of Bullet Train as 'individual opinion', says project going well
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India-Japan discussions on the high-speed rail project were progressing well and that claims made by the ex-Japanese minister were his own and varied from the facts of India's Bullet Train project.
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