Workforce of Indian Track contractors will be trained in highly specialised slab track technology of Japanese Shinkansen
Hiten Shukla, Gujarat: National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited(NHSRCL) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan Railway Technical Service (JARTS) for Training & Certification and Advisory Services for construction of Track works for Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor (Under Package No. MAHSR-T-1, T-2 and T-3). Managing Director, NHSRCL Shri Achal Khare, NHSRCL Director Project Shri Rajendra Prasad, Director Finance Shri A.K. Bijalwan, Minister Embassy of Japan in India Shri Shingo Miyamoto, Chief Representative (JICA India) Shri Katsuo Matsumoto, President JARTS Shri KONO Haruhiko, and other officials from JARTS, JICC, JR East attended the virtual ceremony.
The track packages for MAHSR project are now opened for participation by Indian Contractors with stipulation that the contractor’s workforce would undergo specialised technical training related to Shinkansen track technology, before the start of work at site. The slab track system used for Shinkansen- high speed rail in Japan, is highly specialised and requires use of special machines. Similar system will be adopted for MAHSR project.
As per the MoU, JARTS will provide training & certification (T&C) services (prior to start of works) and advisory services (during first execution). The services include preparation of training materials, classroom training and onsite training. The Track contractors will be required to execute separate service agreement with JARTS. The terms& conditions for service agreement has already been finalized and are part of MoU.
More than 1000 personals are envisaged to be trained and certified. Most part of training will be done in India, for which separate temporary training facility will be developed at Surat. As ‘Enclosed Arc’ (EA) welding for rail welding is presently not done in India, about 60 days training for EA welding is envisaged in Japan. In addition, depending on situation of Covid-19, onsite training at Japan may also be planned for some engineers.
This initiative will help in ‘Transfer of Technology’ and also upgrade the skill sets of Indian track engineers. This is also a step towards making India self-reliant in the field of construction of tracks for high speed rail.
Information on JARTS: Japan Railway Technical Service (JARTS) was established in 1965, the year following the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen in 1964, as an organization based in Japan for overseas railway technology cooperation. It was born mainly in response to request for technological cooperation from foreign countries inspired by the opening of the Shinkansen that heralded the age of high-speed railway. Ever since then and for a half century, JARTS has implemented technical cooperation with more than 60 countries and contributed to the development of railway across the world. https://www.jarts.or.jp/english.html
