NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD/SURAT, OCT 3
Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism, Hiromasa Nakano, arrived in Surat on Thursday and was accorded a traditional Garba welcome upon landing at the airport. Later, he and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw toured the high-speed rail (HSR) construction site, reviewing essential infrastructure, including the track slab laying car and the track slab adjustment facility.
Expressing satisfaction with construction quality and pace, both leaders praised the Indo-Japanese partnership driving the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train corridor.
‘Quality and pace reflect strong Bharat–Japan partnership’
On social media ‘X’, Minister Vaishnaw posted: “Visited the Surat HSR site with H.E. @Hiro_NAKANO_ today. Witnessed track slab laying & adjustment facility. The quality standards and rapid pace of work reflect the strong Bharat–Japan partnership.”
He further noted in a follow-up post: “Travelling with H.E. @Hiro_NAKANO_ aboard Vande Bharat Express from Surat to Mumbai.”)
In his interactions, Minister Nakano reportedly expressed confidence in India’s execution and affirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting the project — reinforcing a shared vision of technological excellence and infrastructure-driven growth.
Advancing India’s First High-Speed Rail Corridor
The Surat segment is an integral part of India’s first high-speed rail line connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Running at speeds up to 320 km/h, the corridor promises to dramatically shorten travel times while catalysing economic development along the route.
The Ministers’ inspection underlines the deep strategic collaboration between New Delhi and Tokyo in realizing this flagship infrastructure. The Surat site visit follows closely on the heels of Japan’s continued support for advanced rail technologies and knowledge partnerships.
With the Surat–Mumbai stretch evolving rapidly, the leadership reiterated that quality assurance, timeline adherence, and seamless execution are core to project success.
