JR Tokai vies for Florida rail system

NAGOYA (Kyodo) Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) plans to apply for prebidding screening to build a high-speed railway system in Florida, company officials said Monday.

The railway will join forces with 11 other Japanese firms so it can gain an advantage over its European and Asian rivals in pitching its shinkansen system, they said. The application is likely to be submitted this month.

The company wants the contract in Florida to act as a springboard for expanding the shinkansen system globally. Florida plans to construct a 130-km rail line between Tampa and Orlando at a cost of more than $2 billion, or about ¥160 billion. The project is getting federal funding.

Florida is expected to start prebidding screening this month to appraise the technical capabilities and finances of the bidders, which are expected to include companies from Germany, France, South Korea and China. It will likely narrow down the field to four groupings by February, before formally accepting bids around next summer.

source: Japan Times

JR Tokai unveils plans for maglev train cars

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) has unveiled preliminary plans for its maglev train cars, scheduled to go into service in 2027 on the maglev bullet train line to be built between Tokyo and Osaka.

The first generation of maglev trains on the planned Linear Chuo Shinkansen has been dubbed the "L0," with "L" for "linear." The leading car will have a 15-meter-long nose, while the entire train will be painted in the white and blue livery of Tokaido Shinkansen Line trains in a pattern designed to enhance the impression of speed, the rail company said.

The car designs will retain the same basic specifications as the test cars at the maglev test track in Yamanashi Prefecture. However, the frame will be switched to a boxier design similar to the current N700 bullet train model, allowing more space for seats and overhead luggage racks. Each car will have seats for 68 passengers, except for the lead and rear cars, which will each seat 24.

JR Tokai has said that it will commission 14 of the new maglev cars, five of which will run on the extended test track at the end of fiscal 2013. The rail company will test a 12-car version sometime after fiscal 2015 in preparation for putting the train into regular service.

source: Mainichi