India to adopt JR East's new E10 shinkansen trains
A final decision on the introduction of the next-generation shinkansen series is expected to be made when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Japan for a summit meeting, the people said Monday, adding that there is a possibility that the meeting will take place in August.
The E10 trains, being developed for JR East's Tohoku Shinkansen line, are expected to be put into service in the South Asian country in the early 2030s.
Japanese and Indian authorities are in talks over how to select a company to operate the Japanese-style signaling system necessary for running the E10 trains. They and Indian railway operator National High Speed Rail plan to conduct hearings of Japanese firms soon.
The E10 trains are slated to enter service in Japan in fiscal 2030 and are seen being introduced on the Indian high-speed rail line connecting Mumbai to Ahmedabad soon afterward.
A total of 24 sets of 10 train cars are expected to be delivered for the Indian railway, with some likely to be produced in the South Asian country.
A rendering of East Japan Railway's E10 series of shinkansen bullet trains |
East Japan Railway / via Jiji
Japan plans to create a new yen loan framework, with the interest rate to be decided later, as the railway project is likely to cost more than expected in light of the E10 adoption. The loan will be available to use not only for train cars, but also for the development of areas around stations.
The Indian government aims to start commercial operations on some sections of the high-speed line in August 2027. Until the E10 trains are delivered, it plans to run Vande Bharat semihigh-speed trains after modifications to increase their speed.
Tokyo had initially planned to get India to adopt JR East's current mainstay E5 series trains for the high-speed line, but the country expressed disapproval over what an Indian government source described as a price tag significantly over the international standard, as well as postponements in the delivery period.
New Delhi was considering using train cars produced domestically, but the Japanese government was unwavering in seeking the adoption of Japan-made trains for what is considered a flagship project for Japan-India cooperation.
To break the deadlock, Tokyo proposed the adoption of E10 trains in negotiations at the end of last year, which the Indian side signaled it would accept.
The Japanese government also proposed the newer train model because introducing the E10 trains would coincide with the completion of efforts to set up a Japanese-style signaling system for the line.
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