Japan Offers Russia its Bullet-Train Technology

The Japanese Government plans to offer Shinkansen bullet-train technology to assist Russia's planned improvement to its national railway networks, government sources said this week.

The improvement programme includes the 9,300km Trans-Siberian Railway, which runs between Vladivostok and Moscow, part of the state-run Russian Railway Company.

The Japanese Government is expected to work out details of the assistance programme by autumn, establishing a working group of government officials and corporations from both countries.

Japan's Shinkansen high-speed railway network has been developed over more than 35 years and covers all main trunk routes.

The bullet train runs largely on conventional steel rail mounted on concrete sleepers, but the fastest services use dedicated tracks to avoid conflict with slower trains.