THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

The operator of the planned Chuo Shinkansen Line reiterated its desire to export Japanese maglev technologies to the United States during an international conference on high-speed rail systems in Tokyo on Oct. 22.
 
Yoshiyuki Kasai, honorary chairman of Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai), expressed his hope that U.S. railway authorities will embrace the maglev technologies.
 
“The construction of a maglev line will finally commence in Japan, but since the planned line in the United States is shorter, the maglev project could get under way there earlier than in Japan even if construction starts later,” Kasai told about 300 participants at the meeting organized by the International High-Speed Rail Association (IHRA).
 
The IHRA is a joint sales promotion body set up by Japan’s four operators of Shinkansen bullet train lines, train manufacturers and other corporations.
 
During the conference, former U.S. Senate majority leader Tom Daschle said plans to introduce maglevs in the United States are gathering momentum, as evidenced by past discussions about the technology between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama.
 
Daschle, who is serving as an adviser to Northeast Maglev (TNEM), a partner company of JR Tokai to promote maglev technologies in the United States, said a maglev line could connect Washington and New York within one hour, a trip that now takes about three hours by plane.
 
During the conference, participants also discussed the possibilities and hurdles of exporting Shinkansen high-speed railway systems worldwide.
 
An honorary member of India’s Parliament attending the conference said the introduction of Shinkansen technology in India would create new way of life for Indians. The lawmaker also said Japanese companies will need to reduce construction costs and operate Shinkansen at lower fares in the country.
 
After the conference, Masafumi Shukuri, the IHRA’s chairman, called for public-sector financial institutions and other sources of funding to grant financial assistance for the project to export Shinkansen technologies.
 
He said he believes the Shinkansen system has a competitive edge over foreign high-speed rail systems from mid- and long-term perspectives.
 
(This article was written by Shinpei Doi and Ryo Inoue.)