![\"Japan](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132157615,imgsize-79940,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/132157615.jpg\" "\\"Japan")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: Japan reaffirmed its support for India’s ambitious high-speed rail programme, backing the government’s target of starting commercial operations on priority sections of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor by 2027. The commitment came during bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi<\/a> and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi in New Delhi, where both sides also agreed to deepen cooperation on next-generation mobility and future high-speed rail projects.The two countries signed a memorandum of cooperation on the Next-Generation Mobility Partnership, combining Japan’s expertise in advanced mobility technologies with India’s manufacturing capabilities, skilled workforce and growing transport market.Looking beyond the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, PM Modi invited Japanese companies to participate in India’s long-term vision of building a 7,000-km national high-speed rail network, signalling the government’s intention to rapidly expand bullet train connectivity across the country.<\/p>\n At the centre of the India-Japan partnership is the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor, India’s first bullet train project, being built using Japan’s world-renowned Shinkansen technology and operational standards.Once operational, the corridor will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad from the current eight to nine hours by road to less than two hours. The trains have been designed for a maximum speed of 350 kmph, while commercial services are expected to operate at 320 kmph.Construction on the project began in September 2017, with commercial operations on priority sections targeted for 2027.The corridor stretches across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, connecting 12 stations at Mumbai (BKC), Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.Sabarmati station is being developed as a major multimodal transport hub integrating the bullet train with the metro, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and the conventional railway network.Nearly 90 per cent of the route is elevated, with construction being carried out using the Full Span Launching Method, a bridge-building technology being deployed in India for the first time that significantly speeds up construction compared to conventional methods.<\/p>\n Among the project’s most significant engineering achievements is a 21-km tunnel section in Maharashtra, which includes India’s first undersea railway tunnel.Around 7 km of the tunnel will pass beneath Thane Creek, constructed using a combination of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) and Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs). The project also uses India’s largest rail tunnel boring machine, equipped with a 13.6-metre cutter head.The corridor includes 25 river bridges, 28 steel bridges, earthquake detection systems and advanced weather monitoring systems capable of detecting heavy rainfall and strong winds to improve operational safety.By 2026, several major construction milestones had already been achieved, including tunnel breakthroughs in Palghar, deployment of Tunnel Boring Machines at Vikhroli and Sawli, launch of a 130-metre steel bridge near Bharuch, and installation of heavy portal beams across active railway tracks in Ahmedabad.<\/p>\n Beyond faster travel, the project is expected to create a significant economic impact. Officials estimate that the corridor will generate around 4,000 direct jobs and 35,000 to 40,000 indirect employment opportunities, while nearly 40,000 workers are currently engaged in construction.To support the country’s growing high-speed rail sector, India has established a dedicated High-Speed Rail Training Institute in Vadodara to develop domestic expertise in bullet train technology.The project is also a key component of the government’s Make in India initiative, with Indian companies supplying steel, cement, electrical equipment and other materials for construction, while local industries are gradually building capabilities in advanced railway engineering.<\/p>\n The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is only the first phase of a much larger national strategy.The union budget 2026-27 announced plans for seven additional high-speed rail corridors, including Delhi-Varanasi, Chennai-Bengaluru and Mumbai-Pune, together spanning nearly 4,000 km and expected to attract investments worth around Rs16 lakh crore.With the inclusion of future corridors, the government aims to create a 7,000-km high-speed rail network, making bullet trains a key pillar of India’s long-term transport infrastructure strategy. During the bilateral meeting, PM Modi specifically invited Japanese companies to participate in the development of these upcoming corridors.The joint statement also noted the shared goal of introducing the next-generation E10 Shinkansen trains on India’s high-speed rail network in the future.<\/p>\n While the bullet train project remains the flagship initiative, the India-Japan partnership now spans several strategic sectors.Both leaders highlighted the importance of India’s North Eastern Region in promoting a stable and resilient Indo-Pacific under the Act East Policy. Japan reaffirmed its support for road construction, bridges and disaster risk reduction projects in the region while both countries agreed to strengthen industrial value chains linking the Northeast with the Bay of Bengal and BIMSTEC economies.The two Prime Ministers also reviewed progress on other Japanese-supported infrastructure projects, including Mumbai Metro Line 11, Bengaluru Metro Phase 3, healthcare and education infrastructure in Maharashtra, and sustainable horticulture projects in Punjab.<\/p>\n The two countries also agreed to strengthen cultural and educational cooperation.According to the joint statement, visitor exchanges between India and Japan crossed 540,000 in 2025, with both governments committing to promote two-way tourism and expand cooperation on consular affairs.The leaders reaffirmed support for Japanese language education in India through the Nihongo Partners programme and recognised the growing role of anime, manga, gaming and films in strengthening cultural ties between young people in both countries.<\/p>\n India and Japan are also expanding cooperation at the state and city level.The two Prime Ministers welcomed the establishment of the India-Japan Governors’ Network for Friendship and Exchange, highlighting partnerships between Yamanashi Prefecture and Uttar Pradesh, Toyama Prefecture and Andhra Pradesh, Shizuoka Prefecture and Gujarat, Hamamatsu City and Ahmedabad, Wakayama Prefecture and Maharashtra, San’in Region and Kerala, Ehime Prefecture and Tamil Nadu<\/a>, Fukuoka Prefecture and Delhi, and Kitakyushu City and Telangana.Taken together, the agreements position the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train not merely as India’s first high-speed railway but as the foundation of a much broader India-Japan partnership encompassing advanced mobility, infrastructure, manufacturing, regional connectivity, education, technology and cultural exchange.<\/div>\nMumbai-Ahmedabad remains the flagship project<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
India’s first undersea railway tunnel<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Economic impact and Make in India<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
The 7,000-km high-speed rail vision<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Partnership extends beyond railways<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Growing people-to-people ties<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
States and cities deepen cooperation<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n