News Release
No. 201909

December 12, 2019

The New Master Plan “RESEARCH 2025” Developed
The Railway Technical Research Institute developed a new master plan “RESEARCH 2025” for thefive years starting 2020 as a concrete plan to fulfill RTRI’s vision “We will develop innovativetechnologies to enhance the rail mode so that railways can contribute to the creation of a happiersociety”.

Master Plan - Research and Development Creating the Future of Railways - RESEARCH 2025
1. Introduction
We are facing increasingly complicated social issues including the global environmental
problems, social impact of the aging population, and regional disparity of economy. Under
such circumstances, “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) were adopted by the United
Nations in 2015. The Japanese government also proposed “Society 5.0” and the governmenthas been addressing the goal of realizing a sustainable society where issues will be solved
with state-of-the-art technologies and all the people can enjoy the benefit. Internet of Things(IoT), big data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) have been enabled by the rapid
advancement of computing technologies and high-speed, large-capacity communications
technologies and they have been pushing forward the global-scale innovation toward
digitalized society.
Since the Japanese economy is gradually recovering, the traffic volume of Japanese railways
has been steadily increasing with an increasing number of inbound tourists. However, there isa concern that the number of railway users will decline in a longer term, due to declining total
and productive-age population resulting from the decreasing number of children and aging
population and diversified working patterns. Furthermore, railways are facing an urgent need toprovide more effective solutions to the issues of extreme weather events, aging railway
infrastructure and labor shortages. In addition, railways are expected to play an increasingly
important role in creating the services that connect different transport modes seamlessly.
Railway researchers and engineers have been seeking to change railway systems drasticallyin order to address a number of issues by using digital technologies. It is also important thatseveral organizations cooperate and share information to solve increasingly complicatedtechnical issues.
Against such a background, RTRI developed a new master plan “RESEARCH 2025” for the five years
starting 2020 as a concrete plan to fulfill RTRI’s vision. We need to look into the railway technologies
in the decades ahead. At the same time, we are expected to provide the society with timely R&D

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outcomes that will be befitting the changing business environment and developing technologies.
Therefore, the term of this master plan has been set to be 5 years until the fiscal year 2024.
2. Basic policies
Under the changing social and technological conditions, we will emphasize improving further safetyof railways and enhancing resilience to extreme and frequent natural disasters. We will introduce
digital technologies into all fields of research and development and innovate railway systems. We willproduce high-quality research outcomes by pursuing excellence across all fields of activities andenhancing the global presence of Japanese railway technologies to promote further overseasdevelopment. The following are basic policies of RTRI’s activities.
(1) Enhancing safety with an emphasis on improving resilience to natural disasters
Research and development to further improve safety and stability of railway transport is essential. Inparticular, RTRI will be focusing on the research and development to enhance resilience to increasingly
serious and frequent natural disasters such as heavy rainfall, strong wind and major earthquakes. We will
also intensify the research and development to prevent failures of ground facilities and vehicles and toaddress aging of these facilities. We will conduct disasters and accidents investigations and propose
restoration and prevention measures as an impartial third-party organization.
(2) Developing innovative railway systems based on digital technologies
RTRI will emphasize the research and development to introduce to railways digitaltechnologies including IoT technology, big data analysis and AI combining advanced
information processing and high-speed telecommunications network such as 5G. With thedigitalization, we will develop labor-saving technologies such as autonomous train operationand digitalized maintenance in order to solve the labor shortage in railway operation. We will
also promote research and development for the speed-increase on Shinkansen that will notdamage the trackside environment and energy-saving railway operation. In addition, RTRI will
start an endeavor to create new customer services such as MaaS (mobility as a service) andcontribute to the innovation of railway systems.
(3) Creating high-quality research outcomes by pursuing excellence across all fields ofactivities
RTRI will continue the research and development for railways in the future, practicaltechnologies to be quickly introduced to railway operation and basic research to analyze thephenomena specific to railways. We will further improve our simulation technologies andconstruct test and research facilities with originality. At the same time, we will continue togather the know-how on railway technologies, develop human resources, address the issues
on railways with cross-sectional teams and build trust through creating and providing highquality research outcomes at home and abroad.

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December 12, 2019(4) Enhancing international presence of the Japanese railway technologies
We will seek to enhance international presence of the Japanese railway technologies throughcooperation with overseas railway operators and research organizations and intensified
information sharing. We will play a leading role in the strategic activities of international
standardization to support overseas advancement of Japanese railways.
(5) Creating a work environment to help the employees develop their full potential andundertake challenging tasks
Respecting each of our personnel, we will develop researchers who are able to address theneeds of railway operators and produce creative research outcomes from a global perspective.
We will continue to improve safety and hygiene at workplace, pay attention to the mental
health and work-life-balance of employees and provide a comfortable and open work
environment where employees can be relaxed and proud of their work.
3. Activities of RTRI
RTRI will implement the following eight fields of activities for public-interest purposes:
Research and development

Investigation

Technical Standard Services



Information services



Publishing and TrainingDiagnosis and ConsultingInternational StandardizationQualifications

RTRI will also strategically and systematically promote the activities of the Railway Technology
Promotion Center and Railway International Standards Center in coordination with rail-related
engineers in other organizations and contribute to enhancing international presence ofJapanese railway technologies. In addition, we will implement profit-making activities topromote the wide use of R&D results by railway companies.
【Research and development】(1) Principles for research and development① Enhancing safety with an emphasis on improving resilience to natural disasters
RTRI will focus on R&D to enhance safety. In particular, we will develop a system to evaluate
the risks of natural disasters in real time and to support quick train operation control to ensure
safety and early recovery by utilizing the weather and earthquake data measured by theadvanced, high-density observation network of a public institution and our simulation3

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technologies.
② Developing innovative railway systems based on digital technologies
RTRI will gather basic knowledge and knowhow on advanced information processing
technologies and high-speed telecommunications network and send researchers to researchorganizations dedicated to each field on a long- and short-term basis. Through these efforts,
we will develop research capability to fully utilize the most advanced digital technologies. We
will outsource the research work that requires use of AI technologies.
③ Creating high-quality research outcomes by pursuing excellence across all fields ofactivities
RTRI will address basic research and development that will solve railway-specific issues andwill be the source of innovative technologies and, at the same time, intensify the developmentof practical technologies having strong impact on actual railway operation. In particular, RTRI
will increase the resource to be appropriated for the development of much-needed practicaltechnologies.
RTRI will further strengthen collaborative relationships with universities, research institutes andcompanies at home and abroad and address railway technical issues with multidisciplinary
approaches. RTRI will keep effectively providing quality research outcomes by using newlyconstructed large-scale test facilities and further construct facilities with originality directly
contributing to research and development.
(2) Goals and pillars of research and development“Cost reduction” such as labor saving inmaintenance

Goals of R&D“Harmony with the environment” such as lowcarbon power feeding networks“Improvement of convenience” such as further
speed increase
Three pillars of research and development,“Research and development toward the future ofrailways”, “Research and development oftechnology for practical use” and “Basic research

4Pillars of R&D

resilience to natural disasters

R&D for practical use“Improvement of safety” such as enhancing theR&D toward
the future of railways

and development:

Basic research for railways

RTRI has set the following four goals of research

Improvement of safety
Cost reduction
Harmony with the environment
Improvement of convenienceNews Release
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December 12, 2019

for railways” have also been set in order to promote research and development effectively withefficient use of the resource.
(3) Research and development toward the future of railways
Aiming at introduction to commercial services within a few decades, RTRI will address theresearch topics needed by the society and railway operators. In particular, RTRI will putemphasis on the issues in the fields where RTRI has outstanding research capabilities andunique test facilities and the topics that require multidisciplinary approaches.
The following six research targets have been set:Enhancing resilience to extreme weather disasters

Autonomous train operation

Labor saving by digital maintenance

Low-carbon power feeding networks by coordinated power control

Speed increase on Shinkansen considering trackside environmentImproving simulation technologies(4) Research and development of technology for practical use
RTRI will develop technologies quickly effective for actual railway operation in order to provide
railway companies with practical and timely solutions.

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December 12, 2019(5) Basic research for railways
RTRI will intensify basic research and development that will solve railway-specific issues andwill be the source of innovative technologies. The topics for the basic research will beprediction of weather disasters, running stability of vehicles and improvement of tracksideenvironment in the area of “Analysis and prediction of phenomena”, the mechanism andinspection methods for deterioration and damage and human factors in “Building analysis,tests and assessment methods”, and wear and service life extension and AI in “Introduction ofnew technologies, materials and research methods”.
[International standards activities]
RTRI will strategically promote international standardization for railways in order to maintainand improve Japanese railway technologies and to support their advancement into overseasmarkets.
As a Japanese mirror committee of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) andIEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), RTRI will propose draft railway standards
from Japan and take the lead in reflecting Japanese design policy and technologies in thestandards proposed by other countries. At the same time, RTRI will conduct research into thestandardization activities by internationally influential railway-related organizations and takenecessary actions. Together with related organizations, RTRI will also address the other issues
regarding standardization which the Japanese railway sector is currently facing, including
codifying Japanese technologies and knowhow and examining the certification scheme.
[International activities]
In order to enhance its technical capabilities and global presence, RTRI will expand joint
research activities with overseas universities and research bodies, increase the number ofresearchers who will be sent abroad and improve the quality and quantity of the informationthat RTRI will globally share. RTRI will also boost the speed and quality of its research
activities through intensifying investigations of the latest overseas research trends andaccepting a larger number of visiting researchers from overseas. RTRI will continue its
contribution to developing Japanese railway technologies to overseas markets. For thispurpose, RTRI will support railway operators and related companies to advance into overseas
markets, help their human development and promote overseas development of RTRI’stechnologies.
4. Management of RTRI
Observing Japanese laws and regulations and its articles of incorporation as a public-interest
corporation, RTRI will seek sound and fair management.

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[Compliance with laws, rules and ethical codes and concepts]
RTRI will provide educational programs and on-the-job training regularly in order to raise theemployees’ awareness of work ethics and to ensure their compliance with laws, rules andethical codes and concepts.
[Information control]
RTRI will strictly control the research and development information and others and implement
more strict security measures for information management and sharing.
[Personnel management](1) Recruitment
RTRI needs to recruit researchers and engineers necessary for the research and developmentin the fields of particular significance in a medium- and long-term perspective. For this goal,
RTRI will enhance the awareness and deepen the understanding of RTRI’s research activities
by researchers and students through the efforts of strengthening the collaborative relationships
with universities and other research bodies and promoting internship programs. RTRI willcontinue recruiting researchers regularly in order to maintain technical continuity.
RTRI will diversify the way of recruitment and recruit mid-career experts so that it can employ
outstanding experts in the state-of-the-art technologies such as digital technologies andadvanced simulation.
(2) Human resources development
RTRI will develop researchers capable of inheriting the technologies that have been
accumulated over years at RTRI, responding the needs of railway operators and promoting
original and creative research and development. For this purpose, RTRI will improve on-the-job
training and educational programs designed for each job level from newly-recruited employees
to management people. The personnel exchange programs with JR group and othercompanies will be further expanded to management-level employees as well as younger
employees.
Researchers will also be sent to research organizations dedicated to the most advanced
technical fields such as digitalization in a short- and long-term basis. RTRI will further promotejoint studies and personnel exchange with overseas universities and research bodies in orderto develop the personnel who will be able to contribute to enhancing the international presenceof Japanese railway technologies from a global perspective.

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Researchers will be strongly recommended to obtain doctoral degrees and the certification of
the professional engineer and to actively join the activities of academic associations in order todevelop their own research abilities, gain expertise and enhance the presence of RTRI.
(3) Work environment that provides employees a sense of achievement
RTRI will make the workplace safer and more hygienic, care about the mental health ofemployees, and support the reform of working practices and nurturing the next generation
people. Furthermore, RTRI will create the work environment where they can choose work
styles flexibly and pursue their tasks without worry, enjoying mental and physical health.
RTRI will provide a work environment where the researchers of wide-ranging technical fields
will be able to have candid discussions beyond the difference between generations and job
positions, and all the employees will be highly motivated and satisfied with their work.
5. Concluding remark
We will have to address immediately the issues of unprecedented weather disasters and theserious labor shortage due to declining working-age population. However, it is difficult to solvethese problems within the current framework.
In order to solve them, technological innovation is indispensable. RTRI will take a leading rolein railway technical innovation and pursue the research and development to solve thechallenging issues that railways are facing, build a sustainable society and create the future ofrailways in cooperation with railway operators, research bodies and related companies.
RTRI will accumulate know-how on railway technologies, conduct accident and disasterinvestigations and propose restoration and prevention measures as an impartial third-party
organization.
RTRI will strictly observe laws, regulations and articles of incorporation and further enhance
the credibility of RTRI. Since RTRI does not own railway tracks and facilities for commercialservices, it will promote personnel exchange with railway operators more actively in order todevelop researchers who have a good understanding of actual train operation and its issues
and to steadily pass on the technologies to younger generations.
RTRI will implement “Master Plan - Research and Development Creating the Future of Railways RESEARCH 2025” based on its vision “We will develop innovative technologies to enhance the railmode so that railways can contribute to the creation of a happier society”.

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