News Release 2018

The Railway Technical Research Institute and the French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Development and Networks (IFSTTAR) held the Workshop on Scour and Erosion from November 27 to 29, 2018 in France.

On November 22, 2018, the Railway Technical Research Institute and University of Southampton held the 4th Workshop on Track Maintenance between UK and Japan in Winchester, UK.

Three of RTRI’s researchers won the UIC Global Research & Innovation Awards 2018.

The 58th Plenary Meeting of the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)/TC9 (Electrical Equipment and systems for railways) (IEC/TC9) took place from November 19 to 22 this year at the Station Conference Manseibashi in Tokyo. The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has served as the Japanese national mirror committee for IEC/TC9 and organized the Plenary Meeting in Japan as a host country committee.

The Railway Technical Research Institute and SNCF held the 8th collaborative research seminar from October 17 to 19 this year in Paris.

President of the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI), Dr. Kumagai, visited the headquarters of the French National Railways (SNCF) and had a meeting with President of SNCF, Mr. Guillaume Pepy, and the executives managing technology-related divisions on the research collaboration.

Dr. Eisuke Masada, Chairman of the Railway Technical Research Institute was awarded the Gaston Maggetto Medal at the 20th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications (EPE) for his years of contribution to the development of power electronics technology, for the first time as a Japanese. The medal-award ceremony took place on September 18 this year in Riga, Latvia.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) developed “Ballast Stabilization Method Using Biodegradable Polymer” as a low-cost ballast maintenance measure to prevent aged ballasted tracks from subsiding.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) set up Team for Advanced Obstruction Detection System on September 1 in order to promote utilization of the advanced obstruction detection system in level-crossing of commercial-service lines.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has been developing a superconducting feeder cable system. This year, under the support by JR East, the team has connected the system to the power-feeding system of the Chuo Line and conducted power-feeding tests for the first time at home and abroad. In the testing, it was proved that this system is effective in maintaining stable voltage by reducing electrical resistance.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) introduced a new supercomputer and its opening ceremony was held on May 18. With this machine, we will be able to run simulation programs to analyze railway technical issues with more reality and to provide more practical and direct solutions. It will also be used for the research to apply information and communications technology to railway systems.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) started the ICT Innovation Project.

The Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) will co-host, with international organizing committee members, the 12th World Congress on Railway Research (WCRR 2019) which is scheduled from October 28th to November 1st in 2019. Since last year, the preliminary office for WCRR 2019 has been working, and on April 1 this year, the WCRR 2019 Headquarters were launched at RTRI, staffed with new members. At its opening ceremony, RTRI’s President Kumagai and General Manager Uzuka who leads the Headquarters’ team made following statements.

On March 1, 2018, at the German Embassy, Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), concluded a Letter of Intent to build a close relationship and a collaboration agreement on research in the field of large-scale 3D model experiments on micro-pressure waves .