Japanese Engineer Warns of Delays to Mumbai Bullet Train Over Signalling System Change
A Japanese railway engineer has raised serious concerns over the progress of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor, warning that India's decision to reject Japan's Shinkansen signalling system could cause major delays. Hideki Makihara, a metro vehicle consultant who was previously associated with the Bullet Train project, criticized India's handling of the project earlier this month following a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Makihara, who currently lives in Delhi, shared his criticisms in a detailed blog post on X. He claimed that repeated changes in commitments and decision-making by Indian negotiators had stalled the 508-km high-speed corridor, which is designed for trains operating at speeds of up to 320 kmph. He alleged that negotiations were marked by "recklessness" on the Indian side and that project delays were entirely India's responsibility.
A central issue raised by Makihara is the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited’s (NHSRCL) decision to float a tender in January 2025 specifying the European Train Control System Level-2 (ETCS-L2) as the signalling standard. Makihara argued this choice effectively rules out Japan's proprietary DS-ATC signalling technology, noting that two different signalling systems cannot operate simultaneously on the same line. He stated this decision departs from the spirit of the 2015 India-Japan cooperation agreement.
Furthermore, Makihara expressed doubts regarding India's plans to deploy domestically manufactured B28 high-speed trainsets built by BEML. While BEML has experience with metro coaches, Makihara pointed out that the company has no experience building high-speed trains and will likely depend on European suppliers. He warned that the railway depots currently under construction were designed specifically for Japan's E5 Shinkansen trains, which could lead to compatibility challenges.
According to Makihara, Japan had proposed supplying two Shinkansen trainsets free of cost for testing, crew training, and inspection. However, he alleged that this proposal did not materialise after India decided against adopting the Japanese signalling system.
