PM Modi’s Japan visit: Deal for next-gen E10 Shinkansen bullet trains likely

Talks on the much-delayed Shinkansen bullet train project—the first of its kind in India—are set to feature on the agenda during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan this week.

PM Modi is also expected to meet Indian drivers currently training there to operate the advanced trains.

The E10 Shinkansen, derived from Japan’s ALFA-X experimental train, will be jointly manufactured in India under an agreement in principle between the two countries.

The collaboration will deepen economic cooperation and build on the ongoing 508-km Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail project.

E10 Shinkansen is a high-speed rail system, akin to those running in countries such as France—India’s first choice for collaboration on the project. Nations like China, South Korea, Turkey, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium also operate such services.

Commonly known as a 'bullet train', this service requires dedicated tracks and must maintain speeds above 250 km per hour.

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project was launched in September 2017, when Modi and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone at Sabarmati in Gujarat.

This followed four years of feasibility studies by Indian Railways and Japan’s International Cooperation Agency. Two years later, a memorandum of understanding was signed, with Japan committing to fund 80 per cent of the project through a soft loan. Progress, however, was stalled for several years.

Construction has since accelerated. The first stretch in Gujarat is scheduled to open in 2027, with the full 508-km route expected to become operational by 2028, cutting travel time to two hours and seven minutes.

Modi and Japan’s current Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, are also expected to discuss expanding bullet train services in India.

Back in 2009, five other high-speed rail corridors—including Pune–Ahmedabad and Delhi–Amritsar via Chandigarh—had been shortlisted.

The Indian version of the E10 will be specially adapted to local conditions. Despite delays and cost overruns in the Ahmedabad-Mumbai project, Japan remains committed, a second person noted.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Tokyo on August 29 for an annual summit with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, attend a business forum, and the following day travel with Ishiba on the Shinkansen to Sendai to visit a semiconductor facility and meet Japanese governors.

The train journey itself is seen as a reaffirmation of Japan’s support for India’s bullet train ambitions.

The E10 Shinkansen will be part of a new transport-mobility partnership likely to be unveiled during the visit.

Tokyo has also agreed that the E10 will launch simultaneously in India and Japan, overturning an earlier plan that would have given India the older E5 model, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Manufacturing in India is expected to be a win-win, catering to India’s rising transport needs while also allowing exports to third countries.

The E10, still under trials in Japan, is designed for speeds up to 400 kmph compared to the E5’s 320 kmph.

Based on ALFA-X test innovations, it is expected to enter service by 2030.

In India, the first 50 km of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai corridor in Gujarat is expected to become operational in 2027, with the remainder by 2029.

Safety remains paramount for Japan, which highlights the Shinkansen’s flawless record — no passenger fatalities or onboard injuries since 1964.