Modi, Abe to launch Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail link will be built with the Shinkansen Bullet Train technology of Japan. The leaders agreed to launch the work for the project in 2017 and the train would be operational in 2023.

Tokyo is also keen to support other high-speed rail link project New Delhi is planning across India. The leaders are likely to discuss the use of the technology to link like New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

Sources said India and Japan were keen to further strengthen the partnership in high-speed railways.

Agreeing on the importance of human resource development in operation and maintenance of high-speed rail network, the two leaders wanted to start the preliminary work to set up High-Speed Rail Institute and develop its training module

The sources also added that the two prime ministers would review collaboration in expanding and modernising conventional railway system in India.

Modi and Abe will discuss ways to speed up commercial implementation of India-Japan civil nuclear cooperation agreement signed last year. The agreement came into force on July 20 last with the exchange of diplomatic notes between Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Japan’s Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu.