JAPANTIMES

East Japan Railway Co. will tout its Shinkansen system in Kuala Lumpur to help win an order for a high-speed railway project that will link Malaysia and Singapore, informed sources have disclosed.
 
The JR East group is expected to run Shinkansen posters as early as next month on a four-car monorail to be introduced on a route in central Kuala Lumpur, according to the sources. The 8.6-km monorail route extends through downtown districts such as Bukit Bintang.
 
The group also hopes to increase the number of Malaysian tourists to Japan by promoting its Gala Yuzawa ski resort in Niigata Prefecture. Snowy venues are a popular destination for Malaysian visitors, according to JR East.
 
Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to build a high-speed railway by 2020 that will connect Kuala Lumpur with Singapore in 90 minutes. In addition to Japan, China and European countries also appear to be interested in the project.
 
Transport minister Akihiro Ota made a sales pitch for Shinaksen technology in a meeting with Malaysian ministers last month.