The new N700ST trainsets for Taiwan High Speed Rail were unveiled at a factory in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The order covers 12 trainsets and totals TWD 25.8 billion (approximately ¥126 billion). Meanwhile, India’s high-speed rail project, which was scheduled to adopt Japanese Shinkansen technology, is reportedly expected to face continued delays after failing to reach agreement on the opening schedule and rolling-stock procurement.
The new N700ST trainsets for Taiwan High Speed Rail were unveiled at a factory in Yamaguchi Prefecture. A consortium of Hitachi and Toshiba is responsible for manufacturing them, and the 12-trainset order has a total value of TWD 25.8 billion. By contrast, India’s high-speed rail project, which was supposed to adopt Japanese Shinkansen technology, has been significantly delayed, with no agreement reached on rolling-stock procurement because of price and delivery timing.
Reports by overseas media have shed light on why Taiwan chooses Japanese-made equipment despite its high cost, and on how Japan’s export track record is unfolding differently in India.
Bloomberg looks back at the decision under the 2015 Japan-India agreement to build a 508-kilometre section. It reports that Japan was expected to finance 81% of the initially estimated cost of INR 976.3 billion.
India’s Ministry of Railways has said that discussions with Japan are proceeding smoothly and indicated a policy of providing E10-series trainsets in the first half of the 2030s. Construction is also reportedly advancing rapidly.