In a major development for India’s first high-speed rail corridor, Japan will provide two sets of its celebrated Shinkansen trains at no cost. According to the Japan Times, the move is aimed at helping test and inspect the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor, which is currently under construction. The two train sets, one each from the E5 and E3 series, will be delivered to India in early 2026 after being fitted with inspection equipment. They will be used to collect crucial data, especially regarding India’s environmental challenges, such as high temperatures and dust.
India’s Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor is a landmark project in the country’s infrastructure development. By utilising the Shinkansen trains, officials will be able to collect data on driving conditions, including the effects of high temperatures and dust, the outlet reported. The testing phase will also aid the possible future production of E10 trains in India, which is scheduled to be adopted in the early 2030s.
Until the arrival of the next-generation trains, India plans to use domestically made semi-high-speed trains on the new rail link after modifications to increase their speed, according to the Japan Times.
Notably, funding for the bullet train project is largely being sourced through low-interest yen loans from the Japanese government. This will cover about 80% of the project’s overall costs. However, with the expenses on the rise, the two governments plan to create a new yen loan framework that will enable the introduction of E10 trains, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Japan for a bilateral summit.
The project is supported by the East Asian nation’s iconic Shinkansen technology and therefore is of great significance to the Japanese government as well, as per the outlet.
The E5 And E3 Shinkansen Models
The E5 series is known for its sleek design and cutting-edge technology. The E3 series, on the other hand, offers a blend of efficiency and passenger comfort. These trains have become an icon of Japanese engineering, and their introduction in India is set to provide crucial data on track and operational performance.
About the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project
The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has been tasked with constructing the Ahmedabad-Mumbai High-Speed Rail Corridor. The ambitious project has been making steady progress since work began in November 2021. As part of the corridor, bridges have been built over six rivers – the Par and Auranga in Valsad district, and the Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, and Venganiya in Navsari. There are a total of 24 river bridges on the MAHSR corridor, of which 20 are in Gujarat and the remaining are in Maharashtra.
“The bullet train project has to be seen from the perspective of integrating economies. In the first corridor that Indian railways are doing, Mumbai, Thane, Vapi, Baroda, Surat, Anand and Ahmedabad – all these economies will become one single economy. So you can have breakfast in Surat, go and complete your work in Mumbai, and come back with your family in the night,” Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said last year.