India’s Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will serve as the debut platform for Japan’s cutting-edge E10 Shinkansen bullet trains, reflecting deepening ties between the two nations.
The Indian Ministry of Railways announced on Monday that both India and Japan will simultaneously launch the next-generation E10 Shinkansen bullet trains. As the successors to the E5 model currently operating in Japan, the E10 trains represent a significant technological advancement in high-speed rail.
This collaboration underscores the strengthening technological and economic partnership between India and Japan. The decision to introduce the E10 trains in India highlights Japan’s trust and willingness to share its celebrated high-speed rail technology with a key international partner.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, India’s first high-speed rail line, will utilize E10 trains following successful trials with the E5 model. The E10 series is slated for its commercial debut in Japan by 2030, aligning with the timeline for full connectivity of the Indian rail project to Mumbai.
A statement from the Indian Ministry of Railways emphasized the strategic partnership underpinning this venture: “The Japanese Shinkansen [system] is currently running E5 trains. Next generation trains are E10. In the spirit of strategic partnership between Japan and India, the Japanese government has agreed to introduce E10 Shinkansen trains in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project.”
This rollout marks the first instance where Japan has simultaneously launched its most advanced rail technology both domestically and internationally.
Trials for the E10 high-speed trains are scheduled between 2026 and 2027, with full-scale commercial service anticipated by 2027. The trains will cover a route connecting 12 stations, with limited-stop services reducing end-to-end travel time to just over two hours. Achievements in speed are notable, reaching almost 200 miles per hour, with the route spanning across Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Maharashtra.
The project began construction in September 2017 and has seen significant progress, with five of the 12 planned stations completed and others nearing completion. Additionally, 15 river bridges have been constructed, with four more set to be completed soon.
Recent reports suggested that India might opt for domestically produced trains for the project, rather than partnering with Japan. However, the Ministry of Railways refuted these claims, maintaining that the collaboration with Japan remains in place. The Press Information Bureau of India reiterated: “Some articles and social media posts claim that the Ministry of Railways has decided to not run the Japanese bullet train on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route. This claim is misleading. The Railway Ministry has made no such decision. Work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor is progressing as per the planned schedule.”
With commercial operations targeted for a 2027 rollout and the concurrent debut of the E10 in Japan set for 2030, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is poised to become a symbol of international collaboration in rail technology, melding Indian ambition with Japanese innovation.