From Trading Markets.com: JR Tokai chief urges U.S. to introduce Japan's N700 bullet rail system. What system should we adopt? The Japanese, Chinese, French or from some other European model? Or should we develop our own?

Link: CJPRF JR Tokai chief urges U.S. to introduce Japan's N700 bullet rail system

JR Tokai chief urges U.S. to introduce Japan's N700 bullet rail system
Tue. June 30, 2009; Posted: 10:08 AM


WASHINGTON, Jun 30, 2009 (Kyodo News International - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX)
 CJPRF Central Japan Railway Co. Chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai on Monday appealed to the U.S. administration of Barack Obama to adopt Japan Railway's state-of-the-art N700 Series bullet train system for a proposed new high-speed passenger rail system.

Kasai, now visiting Washington D.C., made the appeal at a meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Raymond LaHood, Kasai told a news conference after the meeting.

The chief of the key Japanese railway operator, known as JR Tokai, said he told LaHood the N700 Series system would satisfy the needs of the United States most suitably among a range of high-speed rail systems now available from various rail car makers worldwide.

He quoted LaHood as replying that Washington is keen to consider the creation of U.S. jobs in choosing a rail system.

Kasai said that he told LaHood that adopting the N700 Series would have considerable positive effects on U.S. employment.

Obama has recently called for the country to move to a system of high-speed rail travel which would better ease congestion and air pollution as well as save energy.

In a related lecture Kasai gave to officials from the U.S. public transportation sector, he briefed them on the N700 Series rail cars' performance in connection with their speed, safety and environmentally friendly features.

Kasai called on the officials to adopt the N700 technology as an integral system including rail infrastructure-related machines and their controlling systems as well as rail cars.

Describing reactions from the U.S. side, Kasai said, "My perception is that U.S. considerations over the high-speed rail network have just started and it is necessary for us to make a long-sustained effort." Today's meetings "mark just the beginning of the effort," he said.

"We must step forward" in marketing efforts, rather than letting the Japanese government do it, he added.

To see more of Kyodo News International, go to http://www.kyodonews.com
Copyright (c) 2009, Kyodo News International