Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a ceremony on Thursday to inaugurate the start of a project to build a new high-speed railway in India employing Japanese bullet train technology.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Abe at the ceremony for the railway project that will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad, before holding their summit in Gandhinagar in the western state of Gujarat.
Abe, Modi agree to boost defense, maritime security cooperation
(Pool photo)
"I, the Japanese government and Japanese companies are determined to work as one to provide complete support for Prime Minister Modi's decision" to introduce Japan's shinkansen technology, Abe said during the ceremony held near Sabarmati railway station in Ahmedabad.
He noted that Japan's shinkansen system has never experienced a fatal accident since beginning operations in 1964.
"Japan will share freely its knowledge concerning railway safety, including the shinkansen, and work together in ensuring the safety of railways across India," he said.
The new line is expected to shorten travel time on the 500-kilometer journey between the two western India cities to less than three hours from eight, with India aiming to start operation by 2023.
