The controversy began after former Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara, who served briefly in 2024, responded on July 15 to an opinion article written by senior Japanese railway engineer and Delhi-based metro vehicle consultant Isao Tsujimura. The article argued that India's first high-speed rail project had significantly diverged from the original Japanese Shinkansen model.
In a post on X, Makihara claimed that his personal experience with the India-Japan Shinkansen project matched Tsujimura's assessment. He alleged that international meetings and negotiations were repeatedly marked by what he described as the "sheer recklessness" of the Indian side.
Makihara further alleged that Indian officials routinely failed to honour commitments made during negotiations.
"They just don't keep promises, no matter what. Even if they make a promise, they flip it right away," he said.
The former Japanese minister also accused Indian authorities of negotiating solely in their own interest.
"They keep pushing their own self-interest right up to the very end. The minister in charge was especially awful. If the top guy's like that, there's no way to have any decent dealings," Makihara stated.
Expressing disappointment over the pace of the project, he added, "For the honour of all the Japanese folks who poured their hearts into this, I have to say it: I feel 100% that the reason this hasn't moved forward is entirely on the Indian side."
Makihara also referred to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to India in July 2026, claiming that despite the high-level engagement, the project failed to achieve meaningful progress.
However, attempts by India Today Digital to verify Makihara's direct involvement in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project did not find any concrete evidence supporting his claimed role.
The remarks were prompted by an opinion article published on July 15 by Isao Tsujimura, a senior Japanese railway engineer who currently resides in Delhi and works as a metro vehicle consultant. Although Tsujimura clarified that he has no professional role in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, he said he has closely monitored its development over the years.
Writing after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's July 1-3 visit to India, Tsujimura noted that discussions between Prime Minister Takaichi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi covered several strategic issues, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor.
According to Tsujimura, the project has gradually drifted away from the original Shinkansen vision that Japan intended to introduce in India. He recalled attending the groundbreaking ceremony in Ahmedabad in September 2017 as an observer, describing an atmosphere filled with excitement as Japanese and Indian flags were displayed throughout the city.
Tsujimura further claimed that officials privately knew the original target of commencing operations in 2023 was unrealistic under Indian conditions. Despite this, he said both countries initially appeared committed to implementing the project according to Japanese high-speed rail standards.
The controversy also drew political attention in India. Referring to Tsujimura's article, Congress leader Pawan Khera posted on X on Friday that a former Japanese minister personally associated with the India-Japan Shinkansen project had claimed the initiative had failed despite Prime Minister Takaichi's visit and that Japan had been excluded from the signalling system, a component crucial to railway safety.
Meanwhile, Indian government sources rejected suggestions of any breakdown in cooperation. According to ANI, official sources stated on Friday that discussions between India and Japan regarding the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project are progressing smoothly.
The sources further stated that Japan will provide the advanced E10 series train in the early 2030s. The train remains under development. Both countries have also agreed that initial operations will begin using an Indian high-speed train while the project continues in line with the shared objective of commencing services at the earliest possible date.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor remains India's first Bullet Train project and the centrepiece of strategic infrastructure cooperation between India and Japan.
The 508-kilometre corridor will connect Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai with Ahmedabad through 12 stations located across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Designed for an operational speed of 320 kilometres per hour, the corridor is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities from approximately eight hours to around two hours.
The project is based almost entirely on Japanese Shinkansen technology, incorporating Japanese ballastless track systems, signalling standards, operational safety protocols, and train technology. It is being financed substantially through long-term concessional loans provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Despite criticism from the Japanese side, construction has recently accelerated after years of delays primarily caused by land acquisition challenges and political changes. Significant progress has been reported across viaducts, tunnels, and station construction.
Indian authorities have announced that the first operational section, likely between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat, is expected to begin phased passenger services from August 15, 2027. The remaining sections of the corridor are planned to become operational in stages thereafter.
India is simultaneously preparing for domestic manufacturing of future high-speed trainsets through Indian Railways' Integral Coach Factory and BEML Limited while continuing to receive technological support from Japan for the initial fleet.
The recent pace of construction has also reinforced India's broader vision of expanding a nationwide high-speed rail network connecting major cities including Delhi, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
While Makihara's remarks have exposed apparent differences over the evolution of the flagship India-Japan infrastructure partnership during the past nine years, Indian authorities continue to maintain that there are no issues with Tokyo and that construction is advancing at its fastest pace since the project's launch, with the country's first high-speed rail services expected to begin in phased operations from August 15, 2027.
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