News Release

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has developed a method for determining rail replacement cycles by quantitatively evaluating rail condition using an index representing the soundness of rails against fatigue caused by repeated train passages (hereafter “soundness against fatigue”).

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) is pleased to announce that its researchers have received the ISO Excellence Award from ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) in recognition of their contributions to the development of international standards in the field of railway track engineering. The award ceremony was held on Thursday, June 11, in Berlin, in conjunction with the plenary meeting of ISO/TC 269/SC 1.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) appointed new executives at today’s regular meeting of councilors, and the subsequent meeting of the board members approved the titles of Directors as listed below. Dr. Ikuo Watanabe and Mr. Akira Yamazaki, who had served as Directors, and Mr. Fumiyasu Wakahara, who had served as Auditor, resigned.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has developed a method for constructing a three-dimensional (3D) track space (hereinafter, “the method”), which can reproduce trackside equipment and the surrounding environment in 3D from video images taken by video cameras in the train cab.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) established the Railway International Standards Center (RISC) and, together with RISC member organizations, has been promoting activities related to international standards, including the international standardization of railway technologies.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) issued ISO 24675 2:2026 “Railway applications—Running time calculation for timetabling—Part 2: Distance-speed diagrams and speed curves,” an international standard proposed and led by Japan, on April 15, 2026.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has developed a method for automatically generating train crew schedules for timetable revisions (hereafter, “crew schedules”) using a dedicated program, thereby enabling substantial labor-saving and reduction of reliance on specialized skills compared with conventional manual preparation by personnel.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has developed a system that, during train operation, detects abnormalities in pantographs and overhead contact lines in real time and, by sending alerts to train crew and automatically lowering pantographs, mitigates damage caused by such abnormalities and reduces the impact on subsequent service disruptions.

RTRI Develops AI-based Method for Visibility Enhancement

RTRI Develops Automated Visual Inspection System for Vehicle Underbody

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) held the “30^th Anniversary Seminar of SNCF-RTRI Collaborative Research” in Tokyo on November 28.

The 14^th World Congress on Railway Research (WCRR 2025) was held from November 17 to 21, 2025 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, USA, hosted by MxV Rail.

RTRI Develops Onboard Track Patrol Support Application “Train Patroller®”

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) successfully held the 38^th Annual Conference, titled “Sophistication of Core R&D Technologies—Creating Sustainable Railway Systems.”

Two researchers from the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI), Mr. Kunihiro Kawasaki and Mr. Kazumasa Kumazawa, were recognized at the FY2025 Industrial Standardization Business Awards, sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Mr. Kawasaki received the METI Minister’s Award, and Mr. Kumazawa received the Innovation and Environment Bureau Director-General's Award. The awards ceremony was held in Tokyo on October 21, 2025.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI), in cooperation with the IZUHAKONE Railway Co., Ltd. Sunzu Line and the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), has installed a superconducting feeding system on commercial railway lines^[Note] and has conducted demonstration tests under actual operating conditions. The results confirmed that power transmission can be achieved while maintaining a stable superconducting state.