NEW DELHI: Amid inordinate delay in finalizing deal for acquisition of Japanese Shinkansen Bullet trains for India’s first high-speed train Mumbai-Ahmedabad CorridorThe Ministry of Railways has called for tenders for a signaling system that will allow Vande Bharat Trainswith a maximum design speed of 280 km/h, to circulate on this section.
Although the ministry had earlier claimed that Shinkansen trains would debut on the Surat-Bilimora stretch in August 2026, it is now clear that these specialized high-speed trains may not be a reality before 2030. The operation of Shinkansen trains in The entire corridor, the foundation stone of which was laid in September 2017, would only be possible in 2033, sources said.
This became evident after the National High Speed Railway Corporation (NHRSCL) last week floated the tender for the signaling system for running Vande Bharat trains, which are being developed as India’s indigenous bullet trains. . According to the specifications, the successful bidder must design, manufacture, supply, install and maintain the train signaling and control system. This will be the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level-2, different from the Japanese DS-ATC signaling for Shinkansen trains.
The duration of the ETCS-2 contract is seven years from the date of award of the work. Sources said the deployment of ETCS-2 in the corridor will ensure infrastructure utilization. The plan is to start commercial operations of Vande Bharat trains on this track in 2027.
“It makes no sense to leave this capital-intensive project unused due to lack of Japanese trains. Even when Vande Bharat trains are operational, installation of Japanese signaling system for Shinkansen trains can be carried out. “The timeline for introduction of E-10 series trains (an advanced version of bullet trains) in 2030 or later may be finalized once trains meeting Indian conditions are available,” a source said. .
According to the plan, once the Shinkansen trains are fully operational, the advanced versions of the Vande Bharat trains and the ETCS will be moved to other projects.
Neither the Ministry of Railways nor the NHSRCL responds to queries regarding the signaling tender and the schedule of operation of the Shinkansen train on this corridor. However, officials said they are confident of getting the best Japanese bullet trains for the project by 2030, and that the Vande Bharat trains, which will be introduced as an interim arrangement, will meet passengers’ expectations.