Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) said in a press release Wednesday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan’s Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) in Tokyo the previous day. The MOU lays out future cooperation between the two companies in knowledge sharing and railway maintenance.
Taiwan’s high speed rail system is largely based on the Japanese shinkansen bullet train, with the technology and trains being built by Japanese companies. THSRC Chairman Chiang Yao-chung (江耀宗) says that Taiwan’s HSR is the first case of the shinkansen being exported outside Japan, and JR has worked with Taiwan since the beginning. He says that the cooperation between the two companies over the past few years will be deepened by the new MOU, leading to better services for passengers.
Chiang says that since the opening of Taiwan’s HSR, it has been recognized internationally for its operation, safety, and technological development. He adds that THSRC was invited to co-organize the 2024 annual meeting of the International High-speed Rail Association (IHRA), demonstrating its influence.