India-Japan hold first meeting on capacity development on railways safety

Sixty Indian Railways officials will be trained in varied areas of safety in Japan, the transporter said Wednesday, after the first meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee for India-Japan project on capacity development on railway safety.

"A Japanese study team shall work with NR (Northern Railway) officials over a period of two years. The project also envisages first-hand exposure and training of 60 Indian railway officials in Japan in the identified areas," the statement stated.

The meeting was chaired by General Manager, Northern Railway, TP Singh, and attended by railway board officials as well as representatives of the Japanese government.

The Indian Railways is having extensive cooperation with Japan. At present, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Projects are under implementation.

Annually, 300 railway officers are being trained by the Japanese government on high speed rail.

The projects on Capacity Development on Railway Safety' has been launched to share the best practices in area of safety, the statement said.

The preliminary discussions between Ministry of Railways, India and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan started in January, 2017 and a Memorandum of Cooperation on Railway Safety was signed between two countries in February, 2017.

This Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at cooperation in rail safety particularly in welding, rail-inspection, track circuit and latest technology related to inspection technology of track and rolling stock maintenance.