Japan to gift Shinkansen to India for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project

In a significant development, Japan will provide two Shinkansen train series (E5 and E3 ) as a high-speed railway for free to India in response to support testing and inspection activities along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor.

According to a report by The Japan Times, both series will be delivered to India in early 2026, equipped with inspection and data collection. It will also pave the way concerning challenges faced after the effects of high temperatures and dust.

The governments of Japan and India are planning to introduce JR East's next-generation E10 series Shinkansen trains for the approximately 500-kilometer high-speed rail corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, with deployment targeted for the early 2030s. However, the E10 trains are unlikely to be ready in time for the line’s partial launch, which is scheduled for August 2027.