HS2 hosts Japanese high-speed rail experts

HS2 Ltd welcomed ten experts from the Central Japan Railway to its Birmingham headquarters at the end of January.

The team from CJR, which pioneered Japan’s iconic Shinkansen ‘bullet train’, came to discuss how the UK’s new high-speed rail network is being developed and what it will mean for the West Midlands.

They also shared their experiences of operating one of the most successful high-speed networks in the world, and visited the site where enabling works are under way for Birmingham’s new HS2 station at Curzon Street.

HS2’s Director of Railway Operations Ben Rule said: “In developing HS2 we have drawn on the experiences of other countries’ investment in high-speed rail - and who better to have that dialogue with than the bullet train pioneers?”

CJR’s Shigeru Araki added: “The railway HS2 Ltd is delivering for the UK takes high-speed rail travel to the next level. It was exciting to see their plans coming to life at Curzon Street, which I’m sure will be a magnificent station for Birmingham and the whole West Midlands.”