IHRA strives to share information, knowledge and experience about the HSR system based on the principle of “Crash Avoidance” and the “Total System Approach” through having meetings with government/parliamentary dignitaries and media personnel of countries that are considering to introduce HSR, holding HSR seminars overseas, participating in international conferences, and providing information through website. IHRA also gathers information on the applicable countries’ status and concerns of railways, and HSR development plans, through inspecting local railway infrastructures and exchanging opinions with local stakeholders.

IHRA holds an international forum once every two years, inviting several hundred people, including Japanese and overseas government/parliamentary officials, railway officials, experts, researchers and media personnel, in order to discuss and share information from a global perspective about the positioning of HSR in a national growth strategy, social transformation through HSR introduction, and the issues and outlook of HSR projects.
The Forum helps participants deepen their understanding, through panel discussions and other efforts, about the essence of the HSR system, its socio-economic impact and issues to be addressed prior to its introduction.

The IHRA Meeting is organized once every year, mainly inviting the members of the IHRA Advisory Board*, which consists of various countries’ government/parliamentary dignitaries involved in HSR planning, senior executives of HSR operating companies, and railway experts. Referring to the experience and knowledge of HSR, accumulated over half a century since the launch of Shinkansen services, key stakeholders and experts from Japan and overseas exchange information and opinions and have technical visits, to deepen mutual understanding on the current status, challenges and future outlook of HSR, while also offering various advice to IHRA’s activities as a whole.

(*) Referring to the Senior Advisory Board and the Technical Advisory Board