From Mumbai to Ahmedabad in the blink of an eye. Well, almost.
Talks on the long-awaited Shinkansen bullet train service - the first such in India - between the two cities are on the agenda this week as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Japan. In fact, Mr Modi is likely to meet Indian drivers undergoing training in Japan to operate the advanced trains.
The MAHSR, or Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project was launched in September 2017; Mr Modi and then Japan PM Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone at Gujarat's Sabarmati.
That was preceded by four years of feasibility studies by Indian Railways and Japan's International Cooperation Agency. Two years later a MoU was signed, with Japan agreeing to fund 80 per cent of the project via a soft loan. However, over the next few years there were delays.
But construction has since picked up. The first section is to open in Gujarat by 2027 and the full route is expected to be operational by 2028 and run the 508km in two hours, seven minutes.
Mr Modi and current Japan Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, are also expected to explore other bullet train projects in India; in 2009 five other high-speed rail corridors, including one from Pune to Ahmedabad and another from Delhi to Amritsar, via Chandigarh, were also shortlisted.
So what are these bullet trains?
It is a high-speed rail network similar to those operated by other countries, including France, with whom India had initially considered constructing this project. China, South Korea, Turkey, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium are some others that have these services.
A 'bullet train', the service must operate at 250+ km per hour and run on dedicated tracks.
E10 Shinsaken Series
The initial plan was to buy the E5 Shinkansen series.
However, due to project delays and advances in technology by Japan in the meantime, India was offered the next-generation E10 series, the design of which is inspired by the famous sakura, or cherry blossom, flowers and includes at least one key upgrade - the train is earthquake-proof.
Specifically, the E10 has 'L-shaped vehicle guides' to ensure it does not derail during a quake. It also has lateral dampers to reduce shaking, minimise damage and, again prevent derailment.
Among a host of other new features, compared to the E5 series, the bullet trains India are expected to get have more luggage space, dedicated window seats for wheelchair users, and a re-designed, flexible seating plan that can be set up either for more passengers or more cargo.
Designed by the East Japan Railway Company, the E10 has a maximum speed of 320 km per hour, which is the same as the E5 series. However, the E10's top speed is electronically limited.
Unlimited, the next-gen train can run at 360 km per hour.
The E10 also has more advanced brakes that reduce stopping distance by 15 per cent; i.e., the train can come to a full stop from its top speed in less than 3.4 kilometres compared to the four kilometres that the E5 needs. This is a particularly critical upgrade for India, given high population density along railway lines and tracks that run through seismically active zones.
Other advancements in technology include re-designed and more efficient engines and, at some point in the future, the ability to support fully automatic operations, although that may be a point of concern in India given the number of train accidents every year.
The E10, which will replace the E5 and E2 trains in Japan, are expected to be operational in that country by 2030. Japan has offered interim sets - one E5 and one E3 - for use till then.
The E5 will run the Mumbai-Ahmedabad service when it begins in 2027.
In Japan this week, Mr Modi will visit the factory where the E10 is being developed.
Inside The E10
Compared to the E5, India's new bullet trains will have wider seats and a special business class with leather recliner seats, as well as built-in desks and onboard Wi-Fi.
The E10 will have forest green-coloured interiors. (Image posted on X by @kotecinho)
The colour scheme will be shades of green.
'Come, Make In India'
Meanwhile, in his first address in Japan, Mr Modi pitched India as a manufacturing destination for Japanese businesses. "Japan has been a key partner for India from semiconductors to start-ups. Japanese companies have invested over $40 billion in India," the Prime Minister said.
READ | "Make In India, Make For The World": PM Modi's Pitch In Japan
Japan-based media platform Nikkei Asia has reported that Japan will invest 10 trillion Yen ($68 billion) to boost bilateral business with India over the next decade. The focus is on multiple sectors, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, environment and medicine.
