'They Don't Keep Promises': Japan Ex-Minister Hideki Makihara Blames India For Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project Delay

· Free Press Journal

New Delhi, July 17, 2026: Japan's former Justice Minister Hideki Makihara has blamed India for the prolonged delay in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, alleging that New Delhi's handling of negotiations and policy decisions disrupted the original plan based on Japan's Shinkansen technology.

He also claimed that India eventually excluded key Japanese rolling stock and signalling systems from the country's first bullet train project.

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Makihara, a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), made the remarks in a social media post, saying he was personally involved in the project.

Alleges India Broke Commitments

Criticising India's approach during negotiations, Makihara alleged that New Delhi repeatedly failed to keep its commitments and prioritised its own interests throughout the discussions.

"The Shinkansen project in India is something I was involved with myself, but what stood out in international meetings and negotiations was the sheer recklessness of the Indian side, repeated over and over. They just don't keep promises, no matter what. Even if they make a promise, they flip it right away. They keep pushing their own self-interest right up to the very end. The minister in charge was especially awful—if the top guy's like that, there's no way to have any decent dealings," he wrote in Japanese.

He further said: "For the honor of all the Japanese folks who poured their hearts into this, I have to say it: I feel 100% that the reason this hasn't moved forward is entirely on the Indian side. No results from Prime Minister Takaichi's visit either."

Makihara also shared a link to a Japanese article headlined: 'India Shinkansen' failure: Japan excluded from the signal system, the key to safety.

Claims Shift In Technology

Makihara alleged that India gradually moved away from Japanese signalling technology despite the project being launched in 2017 with Japanese technology and financed through low-interest Japanese yen loans.

“Despite Prime Minister Takaichi's visit, the ‘Indian Shinkansen’ project failed, and Japan was excluded from the signalling system, which is crucial for safety,” he wrote.

According to Makihara, civil construction on the 508-km corridor has progressed, but negotiations over Japanese trains and signalling systems faced repeated hurdles. He claimed the cost of Japan's E5 Shinkansen trains exceeded India's expectations, while India's insistence on internationally certified signalling standards delayed the adoption of Japan's DS-ATC system.

He further alleged that India eventually selected the European ETCS-Level 2 signalling system through a 2025 tender, effectively excluding Japanese technology. Makihara also linked the shift to India's growing indigenous railway programme, saying the success of the Vande Bharat Express prompted New Delhi to pursue its own high-speed train programme.

“India has considered this a success story and shifted its policy towards independently developing high-speed trains,” he said, adding that Indian-made B28 high-speed trains are expected to be used for the project's planned partial opening in Gujarat in 2027.

Expresses Disappointment

Reflecting on his experience during negotiations, Makihara said:

“I only have limited experience in India, but I know that when negotiating with Indians, staying silent is the way to lose. I have no way of knowing what happened in the intergovernmental negotiations, but I don't think that the lines that absolutely could not be crossed were properly recognised.”

Expressing disappointment, he concluded:

“For that reason, it is extremely regrettable that the Shinkansen of my homeland Japan did not become the standard system for India's high-speed rail.”

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'Shinkansen Trains & Our Signalling Are Inseparable': Japanese Engineer Questions India's Choice Of European System For Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor is India's first bullet train project and is being developed with Japanese Shinkansen technology through low-interest financing from Japan. While the project has made significant progress in civil construction after initial delays caused by land acquisition and execution challenges, India has also accelerated the development of indigenous high-speed rail capabilities, including the expansion of the Vande Bharat network, alongside work on the Japanese-assisted bullet train corridor.

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