Japan ex-minister blames Indian govt for bullet train delays; India hits back
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Japan ex-minister blames Indian govt for bullet train delays; India hits back")
A view of the ongoing construction work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project on July 17, 2026. Photograph: (ANI)
Former Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara blamed the Indian government for delays in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, accusing it of pursuing its own self-interest to the very end, but India dismissed his remarks as an individual opinion that was at variance with the facts.
Former Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara has blamed the Indian government and officials for the delay in the ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, which is being executed in collaboration with Japan. Makihara accused the Indian side of "sheer recklessness", repeating "over and over" and walking back on commitments by pursuing its "own self-interest right up to the very end."
“For the honour of all Japanese folks who poured their hearts into this, I have to say it: I feel 100 per cent that the reason this hasn’t moved forward is entirely the Indian side,” Makihara wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
The former minister also singled out the minister in charge, calling him “especially awful”, and added, “if the top guy’s like that, there’s no way to have any decent dealings”.
Makihara made the remarks in response to an opinion piece in a Japanese news outlet, which claimed that the "Indian Shinkansen" project had diverged significantly from its original proposal, including the use of a different signalling system that excluded Japan.
MEA rejects allegations
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The Ministry of External Affairs rejected Makihara's claims on Friday, describing them as an “individual opinion” that was at “considerable variance with facts”.
"We have seen the post. This is an individual opinion and is at considerable variance with facts. India-Japan discussions on Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR are progressing well," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that India will begin operations on the first phase of its maiden bullet train service from August 15, 2027. He said the high-speed rail corridor will open in phases, beginning with the Surat-Bilimora section.
Responding to questions about Makihara's remarks, Jaiswal said, "We have seen the post that has been referred to. It is an individual opinion and at considerable variance with facts. Japan will provide E10 series trains, but only in the early 2030s. The train in question is still under development. Meanwhile, construction work has rapidly progressed. The first section will be opened in 2027 itself. Therefore, both sides agreed to start the operations with the Indian high-speed train."
"The signalling equipment has been ordered accordingly and is in line with international specifications. No Japanese offer was received in this context. The project execution is in line with the common goal of starting the high-speed train project at the earliest," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Pawan Khera cited the former Japanese minister's post to criticise the government, calling it “another feather in PM Modi and the Reel Minister’s cap”. He accused the government of handling the project in “such a disgraceful way that the government’s incompetence is now being criticised even by foreign officials”.
Spanning 508 kilometres across 10 cities, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in 2017. The project, which is being funded 81 per cent by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), was originally scheduled for completion in 2023 but has since faced repeated delays and cost overruns.
