A model of a Shinkansen by East Japan Railway Company. (Photo: Melissa Goh)

Japan is pulling out the stops in making a pitch to Singapore for the proposed High-Speed Rail (HSR) project to Kuala Lumpur.

The country’s Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Mr Keiichi Ishii, hosted a symposium in the Republic on Monday (Aug 28) to tout its wares for the project, with Singapore’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in attendance.

Japanese public sector officials and companies cited the safety, reliability and sustainability of its Shinkansen High Speed Rail system as selling points for the Singapore-Malaysia joint project.

Since the Shinkansen opened in 1964, the system has experienced zero fatalities in its decades of operations and the average annual delay per train is under a minute, they said.

Potential ideas for collaboration between the two countries were thrown up, including for the Shinkansen system to be manufactured in Singapore and for the two countries to develop design and implementation policies for the HSR together. The latter includes working out how space in the project’s Singapore terminus is utilised and enhancing transportation links around the station.
Japanese representatives said its Shinkansen system will be able to complement the network of trains, buses, taxis and even shared bicycles currently in the Republic.