Tokyo: Construction of the high-speed train corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will start in 2018 and the train service will be operational from 2023, said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose country will be building the rail network.

At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Abe said the designing of the project will begin by the end of this year. He said the ambitious project “symbolises a new dimension in the special relations" between the two countries.

Abe hoped that introduction of the rapid train network will spur further economic growth in India as he recalled that such a thing had happened in Japan when high speed rail system ‘Shinkansen’ was introduced in 1964.

Modi will be travelling by Shinkansen train, whose speed ranges from 240 kms per hour to 320 kms per hour, from Tokyo to Kobe on Saturday. “Prime Minister Modi will see tomorrow (Saturday) for himself that it is the safest technology in the world," Abe said.

“In terms of specific projects, we remain focused on making strong progress on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project. Our engagement and agreement on cooperation in the financial sector will help us in accessing greater resources for infrastructure development," Modi said.

Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar later said that the two leaders would be performing ground-breaking ceremony for the project sometime next year.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Share Via