Japanese bullet train makes inroads into the U.S.

Japan`s Shinkansen bullet train is likely to make inroads into the U.S. market for the first time. The Kyodo News said Wednesday that the 400 kilometer long high speed rail that runs between Dallas and Houston in Texas will introduce the Shinkansen system. A staff at Texas Central Partners that is in charge of the project said the company promised 100 percent to use the Shinkansen technology and wants to start the service in 2021.

When the service is launched, it will take more than one hour and a half between two certain areas that takes three hours by car. Texas Central Partners is currently in the process of procuring construction costs worth 10 billion dollars to 12 billion dollars, and is examining getting some financing from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

In the mid of the month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited India where he had summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders confirmed the technology exports to the 505 kilometer stretch between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The project will be made on the condition that 80 percent of construction costs worth 15 billion dollars is financed through loans.

Shinkansen bullet train is Japan`s core infrastructure export item. Since Japan introduced the world`s first bullet train system in 1964, it has accumulated related knowledge for more than half a century. Shinkansen is evaluated as superior to any other bullet trains in terms of safety and accuracy.

Japan and China have been fiercely competing to win orders to build high speed railways overseas. In September, Japan suffered an unexpected defeat by China over the bull train project linking 150 kilometers of Jakarta and Bandung. Japan almost won the bid, but due to lack of government guarantee, it lost to China at the last minute. China had offered one-third of what Japan presented for construction costs. A Japanese government spokesman had strongly protested by saying, "It is difficult to understand and is matter for regret."

While Chinese President Xi Jinping was visiting the U.S. in September this year, China and the U.S. agreed to build a 370-kilometer high speed railway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. China is also pushing for its high speed rail exports to Thailand and Malaysia.

peacechaos@donga.com