Ahmedabad: India and Japan are expected to announce a partnership for manufacturing the next-generation E10 Shinkansen bullet trains in India during the ongoing visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Japan, a news report said.

The collaboration aims to further strengthen economic ties between the two countries, with both sides having agreed in principle on the joint production of the E10 Shinkansen, which is based on Japan’s ALFA-X experimental train. The project will complement ongoing work on the 508 km Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor.

According to the report, this reflects PM Modi’s vision and his strong relationship with Japan. The partnership has progressed from simply procuring bullet trains to manufacturing them in India.

The E10 Shinkansen trains for India will be specially adapted for local conditions. Despite delays and cost overruns on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail project, Japan remains committed to the initiative, sources said.

Previously, India was set to receive the older E5 Shinkansen, but Modi’s interest and rapport with Japanese leadership paved the way for the E10 version. Manufacturing the trains in India is expected to be mutually beneficial, meeting domestic transport needs while potentially supplying other countries. India’s cost-effective production combined with Japanese technology and quality standards makes the venture a project of excellence.

Safety remains a top priority for Japan, particularly given the Shinkansen’s record of zero passenger fatalities or injuries since 1964. DeshGujarat