NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Friday dismissed claims made by a former Japanese minister blaming India for delays in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, saying the remarks were “an individual opinion” and “at considerable variance with facts.”When asked about the claims during a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “It is an individual opinion and at considerable variance with facts. India-Japan discussions on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train are, in fact, progressing well.”The remarks came after former Japanese internal affairs minister Hideki Makihara, in a social media post, alleged that delays in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shinkansen project were due to the Indian side repeatedly failing to honour commitments.He also claimed Japan had been excluded from supplying the signalling system, which he described as central to the project’s safety, and said the lack of progress on the project was entirely India’s responsibility. MEA rejected the claims as the spokesperson reiterated that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project was progressing well.He assured that India and Japan’s discussions on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project were “in fact, progressing well.” He said Japan would provide the E10 train series in the early 2030s as “the train in question is still under development.”Meanwhile, “construction work has rapidly progressed” and the first section of the corridor “will be opened in 2027 itself.” Both sides had therefore agreed to begin operations with an Indian high-speed train, he said, adding that the signalling equipment had been ordered “in line with international specifications” and that “no Japanese offer was received in this context.” Jaiswal added that the project execution was “in line with the common goal of starting the high-speed train project at the earliest.“
