Japan’s bullet train builder eyes Metro

TOKYO—The Japanese engineering behemoth Hitachi, the builder of the  Shinkansen, the high-speed railway lines here, has expressed interest in participating in the Philippine government’s plan to improve the transportation network in Metro Manila.

Hitachi CEO and chair Hiroaki Nakanishi confirmed this at in a press briefing yesterday following the opening of the Social Innovation Forum, a two-day event here that the company had organized.

Nakanishi said that Hitachi, Japanese and Philippine officials were in talks about projects aimed at improving the railway system in the Philippines.

“On the subway, we have already started the discussions on making clearer feasibility studies about that,” Nakanishi said.

“The next step will be the formulation of a feasibility study,” he said.

However, Nakanishi said he could not provide other details about the possible partnership.

Hitachi, a century-old Japanese firm, has shifted its focus from producing electronics and hardware products to big infrastructure projects such as transportation networks, energy systems, and urban development. In the past six years, it has transformed into a leader in social innovation business, “on finding solutions for the world’s social problems.”

The Japanese conglomerate is best known as the builder of Japan’s fastest train, the Shinkansen.

Last September, Hitachi opened a manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom to produce its new commuter trains. Niña P. Calleja