Maha Deputy CM Fadnavis assures Japanese officials of fast-tracking bullet train, other infra projects

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis (File image)

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured Consul General of Japan in Mumbai Fukahori Yasukata of fast-tracking infrastructure projects like bullet train, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Fadnavis gave the assurance on Wednesday during a meeting with Yasukata and other Japanese officials. The bullet train project is aimed at running the train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai on a high speed rail corridor at a speed of 320 kmph, covering a distance of 508 km and 12 stations.

The train is expected to reduce the travel time between the two cities to about three hours from the current six hours. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw last month said they are confident of achieving the target of running the country's first bullet train between Surat and Bilimora (in Navsari district) in Gujarat in 2026 as good progress has been made in this direction.

Apart from the high-speed rail project (bullet train), which will connect Mumbai and Gujarat's commercial hub of Ahmedabad, the JICA funding is also coming for the Mumbai Metro-3 line and the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) projects. MTHL, once completed, will be the longest sea bridge in the country with a length of 21.8 km.

Besides Yasukata, Deputy of the Mission Kaneko Toshilhiro and other senior Japanese officials were also present at the meeting. Fadnavis, in a social media post, said, "We discussed JICA-funded projects like Bullet Train, MTHL and Metro-3 line. I assured them that this government is committed to fast-tracking all these projects and ensuring timely completion."