JTREC trains (Source – JTREC website)

1. Dutch-Japanese team shortlisted to compete for West Midlands (UK) Franchise:

“The U.K. Department for Transport (DfT) announced on 7 April 2016 that three bidders have been shortlisted for the West Midlands passenger franchise, including West Midlands Trains Ltd, a subsidiary of the Abellio Transport Holding (Dutch national passenger rail operator (NS) Group), with JR East and Mitsui & Co. as minority partners. The new operator will take over the franchise in October 2017, with the contract award expected to be made in June 2017.

The DfT also announced that the consortium of JR East and Mitsui & Co. has been awarded a new Pre-Qualification Questionnaire Passport, which enables the consortium to express interest in franchises for the next four years, in an easier and less cumbersome way.”  (Source: JR East Newsletter #20)

For further information, please check:  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/three-train-companies-shortlisted-to-compete-for-west-midlands-franchise

2. Franco-Japanese team shortlisted for new trains in Liverpool (UK):

“Merseytravel, an executive body that provides professional, strategic and operational transport advice to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, announced on 11 January 2016 that five bidders including a team composed of  French and Japanese companies have been shortlisted for a contract to supply around 50 EMUs (Electric Multiple Units) for the Merseyrail network.

The Franco-Japanese team is composed of Mitsui, a major Japanese trading company, J-TREC, JR East’s subsidiary rolling stock manufacturing company, and France’s Alstom.

Bids are due to be submitted by the end of April and a preferred bidder will be identified towards the end of the year. The project is likely to cost around £400m.

This joint action between French and Japanese companies is the first of its kind in the European Union, and concrete business results are expected.”     (Source: JR East Newsletter #19)

For more information about J-TREC, please click:  http://www.j-trec.co.jp/eng/index.html

The official announcement by Merseytravel can be accessed from:  http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/about-us/media-centre/news/Pages/Another-step-towards-new-Merseyrail-trains-as-bidder-shortlist-announced.aspx

Congratulations! Great to see EU-Japan Industrial Cooperation and breakthroughs in the highly sensitive Railways Sector !!!  What do you think?