India Rejects Japanese Ex-Minister's 'Recklessness' Claim Over Bullet Train Project

Hours after a former Japanese minister alleged on social media that India had displayed 'sheer recklessness' in its bullet train project, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected the claim as a 'personal opinion…at variance with facts' and said discussions between both countries were progressing well.

Hideki Makihara, former justice minister and a leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, posted on X about the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. He wrote: 'The Shinkansen project in India is something I was involved with myself, but what stood out in international meetings and negotiations was the sheer recklessness of the Indian side, repeated over and over. They just don't keep promises, no matter what. Even if they make a promise, they flip it right away. They keep pushing their own self-interest right up to the very end.'

The Japanese politician also alleged that the recent visit to India by Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was a failure. He claimed that the reason for the project's lack of progress was entirely on the Indian side.

Responding to the allegations, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: 'It is an individual opinion and at considerable variance with facts. India-Japan discussions on Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed train are in fact progressing well. Japan will provide E10 series trains, but only in the early 2030s. The train in question is still under development. Meanwhile, construction work has rapidly progressed. The first section will be opened in 2027 itself. Therefore, both sides agreed to start the operations with Indian high speed trains.'

Jaiswal added that signalling equipment has been ordered in line with international specifications, and no Japanese offer was received in that context. The Indian Railways has announced that the first 50-km section (Surat-Bilimora) of the 508-km project will be made operational with an India-made bullet train set (B28) designed for 280 kmph. Two sets are being developed by BEML in Bengaluru.

India is currently deploying the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2-based signalling in the Surat-Bilimora section, scheduled to be operational by August 2027. A report tabled in Parliament in March by the Standing Committee on Railways had pointed to 'challenges' in procuring rolling stock from Japan for the project.