Minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu recently concluded a ministerial and high-level consultations in Japan. These included bilateral meetings with the Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister; Taro Aso, deputy-prime minister and finance minister; Yoichi Miyazawa, minister of economy, trade and industry (METI); Akihiro Ohta, minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, and Yasuhisa Shiozaki, health, labour and welfare minister along with senior officials.
Prabhu also held meetings with heads of leading financial institutions. He highlighted that railways would be the next major destination for infrastructure investment in India and invited investment from Japan. Participation of Japanese railways and Japanese companies in various areas of Indian railways with the aim of modernisation and technology up-gradation was also emphasised in the discussions.
The items discussed and agreed in principle in the meetings includes;
– Technology cooperation with Japan for modernisation and upgradation of Indian railways.
– Participation in Indian Railways’ US$140 billion five-year action plan.
– Participation and assistance of Japanese railways and companies in zero accident mission of Indian railways
– An MoU between Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow and RTRI (Railway Technical Research Institute) Japan.
– Assistance for development of a legal and regulatory framework on HSR.
– Use of Japanese expertise and technology in solving problems of sanitation including the development of waterless, odorless toilets in trains and in stations.
– An official mission from Japan to India to study the opportunities for industries in the railway station development of the identified 400 stations.