India's Quest for a Bullet Train: Where It Stands Now
As a reporter present there, I can attest to the excitement and fanfare that reached a fever pitch. The project was widely regarded as a quantum leap in India's development journey ー with the help of its trusted friend, Japan.
Prime Minister Abe was accorded a grand welcome. The city of Ahmedabad decked up all throughout the route of his cavalcade's journey. Prime Minister Modi also joined in the parade.
The high-speed rail project's groundbreaking ceremony was the clear highlight of that bilateral visit, which further solidified India-Japan relations and elevated Mr Abe as one of the most popular heads of state. Indians recognized his steadfast commitment to Japan's role in advancing the country's stride towards becoming a developed nation.
Much has happened since then. Originally planned for a 2022 launch, the bullet train project has hit several delays. There were multiple reasons, but one was the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, unfortunately, one of the original visionaries of this project, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was assassinated in Japan. His loss was deeply felt in India, too.
Now, the project has a revised deadline of 2026 for a partial launch. At the same time, it remains one of the most enigmatic and symbolic infrastructure projects in India's modern history. Bullet train construction in Ahmedabad, India. (©National High-Speed Rail Corporation)
Despite the excitement surrounding the project, there were multiple teething troubles. At the very beginning, land acquisition became a huge obstacle as multiple farmer organizations raised their dissatisfaction at the allegedly inadequate compensation proposals. They further objected that land had been earmarked for takeover without proper consultations and assessment of the entire project's impact on them.
One highlighted problem was from a socio-economic perspective. Farmers widely believed that because they came from a poorer background, riding on the bullet train would remain out of their reach. Back in 2018, I interviewed multiple farmers who were agitating against the project near Mumbai. All of them echoed the same sentiment ー that the bullet train was an amenity for the rich. Poor farmers, they argued, were being asked to sacrifice their ancestral lands for a 'vanity' project.
I reached out to a couple of them for this report, and their mindset had changed quite a bit. Mr Moreshwar Balya Douda (63), who was one of the village heads organizing resistance to the project, was one. He said: (©National High Speed Rail Corporation)
"We may not actually use the bullet train, but we later realized that it might bring a lot of prosperity to the region as it could become an industrial hub. Our children need jobs, and with industrialization, well-paying jobs can become a reality here."
Douda is a resident of Palghar, one of the less industrialized districts of Maharashtra state. He lives around a 2-hour drive from the state's capital city, Mumbai. Eventually, by offering more compensation through a sustained dialogue and minor changes in the route, the government won over the farmers. However, it did consume a lot of time.
Environmental impact concerns were also a cause of delay. The high-speed rail corridor would pass through an ecologically sensitive mangrove forest region near the coastal areas of Mumbai. It necessitated the cutting down of thousands of trees.
The National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC), the organization responsible for implementing the project, was required to submit extensive mitigation plans. These detailed the efforts it would undertake to offset the loss of mangrove forests. Multiple lawsuits were filed, and they dragged on for years.
Japan has been an indispensable partner in this project. Very recently, it was reported that Japan would gift India E3 and E5 series Shinkansen trains for free to run trials. This additional help followed the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)'s significant loan to India at the inception of the project. At that time, JICA earmarked a loan for INR 880 billion ($10.3 billion USD) at a very nominal interest rate. That prompted PM Modi to term the project "a big gift from Japan to India"
However, because of the complexities of the project, there was also some friction over the years, leading to delays. For example, according to the JICA loan contract, only Japanese Shinkansen makers can apply for tenders to sell trains to India. However, their tender filing has been delayed.
The delay did not go well with India, which considered using indigenously made bullet trains to ply on this route instead of Japanese Shinkansen. It prompted India's railway minister, Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw, to visit Japan in December 2024 to iron out the differences. Japan's recent decision to gift E3 and E5 series trains and the renewed vigor in the project can be attributed to Mr Vaishnaw's Tokyo visit. (©National High Speed Rail Corporation)
Initially pegged to cost INR 1080 billion ($12.65 billion ), the cost has ballooned due to the delays. Estimates now exceed INR 1600 billion ($18.7 billion ).
Nevertheless, the work is now going on in full steam. And the adjusted 2026 deadline for partial launch of the high-speed rail looks plausible.
As of April 15, according to data shared exclusively with JAPAN Forward by the NHSRC, 298 km out of a total 508 km of viaduct construction between Ahmedabad and Mumbai has been completed. Pier work, girder casting, and pier foundation are in place for 374 km, 320 km, and 393 km, respectively. There are 12 stations planned, and work has started on the 3 elevated stations.
NHSRC has also started working on seven mountain tunnels and one undersea tunnel, the first of its kind in India. The 21 km tunnel connecting two areas within Mumbai has also started.
Japan has already made an indelible imprint on India's development story. Be it the Maruti Suzuki-inspired personal vehicle revolution or the construction of Delhi Metro, one of the longest metro routes in the world that has transformed Delhi's transportation landscape, Japan's partnership is second to none. (©National High Speed Rail Corporation)
Once partially completed, when the first bullet train rolls out in Gujarat, it will be a monument to India's aspirations and progress. Just as importantly, though, it represents the enduring nature of the special strategic relationship India and Japan share.
Despite certain hiccups, the present numbers clearly show how the project is being steamrolled. The government of India recently stated that, beyond the connectivity part, once completed, this project would transform the economic landscape of Ahmedabad and the entire corridor.
For a country like India, which still has extreme poverty and suffers from underdevelopment, such a project of regional connectivity can be truly transformative. Look for it to usher in a new era of development far beyond its identity as just a rail connection.
Author: Devadeep Chowdhury (New Delhi)
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