Besides the agreement on cooperation for the ambitious bullet train project, India and Japan have also inked two additional “comprehensive technological cooperation” agreements for modernisation and upgradation of Indian Railways.
One such significant Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was between Railway Ministry and MlIT, Japan on technological cooperation. The areas of cooperation includes railway safety; rolling stock like train sets/EMUs; information sharing for station development and land value capture; information sharing for environment friendly sanitation technology in trains signalling and telecommunication; railway electrification; civil structure and railway track system; train control system; mitigation of natural disasters and any other areas jointly determined by both sides within the scope of this MoC.
A senior railway official informed that another important MoU was on a technological understanding between the Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) and Railway Technical Research Institute Japan. Both the RDSO and JRTRI are key railway research organizations in respective countries.
“The broad areas of technical cooperation include safety in train operation; advanced techniques of maintenance; use of environment friendly technologies; throughput enhancement measures and any other area jointly agreed upon by the parties.
A senior railway official said the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu during his Japan visit this year had wide-ranging discussions on various aspects of railways - covering modernization, safety and technology upgradation of Indian Railways.