New Delhi, April 25
India and Japan on Thursday reviewed the progress of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway (MAHSR) project during the 17th Joint Committee meeting held in an online format.
Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw co-chaired the meeting along with Masafumi Mori, Special Advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister.
From the Indian side, the meeting was also attended by top officials from the Railways and the Ministry of External Affairs as well as the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL).
Executives from relevant ministries and agencies, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Economy, Trade and Industry, Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as well as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) participated in the meeting from the Japanese side.
"At this meeting, we confirmed the progress of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project and held technical discussions to ensure the steady progress of the project going forward," said a statement issued by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
"The Japanese government will continue to work closely with the Indian government to realise the introduction of the Shinkansen system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed railway," it added.
Earlier this week, in an exclusive chat with the IANS, Vaishnaw said that "significant progress" has been made in the construction of various stations for India's first bullet train.
"More than 290 km of work has already been done. Bridges have been built over eight rivers... The work is going on at a very fast pace with the target of opening the first section in 2026," he revealed.