Japan gifts India two Shinkansen trains for trial run before bullet train launch

Japan will gift India two Shinkansen bullet train sets, E5 and E3, as a token of appreciation. These trains are equipped for inspection purposes on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) route, which is currently under construction.

Scheduled to arrive in early 2026, the trains will play a key role in familiarizing Indian engineers with Shinkansen technology before the line becomes operational.

According to a Japan Times report, both countries plan to introduce the next-generation E10 series Shinkansen trains on the MAHSR line in the early 2030s.

A 48-kilometer section of the route between Surat and Bilimora is expected to open in August 2026 as part of Phase 1.

Other sections will be launched in phases as construction progresses.

Progress in Maharashtra has been slower, primarily due to delays in the arrival of tunnel boring machines (TBMs).

Tunnel construction, especially in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), is projected to take at least five years, pushing the state's completion timeline to 2030 or later.

So far, 292 kilometers of viaduct have been constructed for the bullet train project.

Additionally, girder casting has reached 320 kilometers, pier foundation construction spans 393 kilometers, and pier work has been completed over 374 kilometers.

Bridge construction has been completed across 14 rivers, including the Par (Valsad district), Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, Venganiya, Kaveri, and Kharera (Navsari); Auranga and Kolak (Valsad); Mohar and Meshwa (Kheda); Dhadhar (Vadodara); Vatrak (Kheda); and Kim (Surat).

Moreover, five pre-stressed concrete bridges and seven steel bridges have been completed. In Gujarat, work is underway to install noise barriers along the viaduct.