IHRA member companies support Shinkansen system, the world's safest and most reliable system on a daily basis. We introduce a message from TETSUDO KIKI CO., LTD, an associate member that joined IHRA in 2023!

A turnout serves to change the direction of trains and is an indispensable device for railway operation. TETSUDO KIKI CO., LTD has a 110-year history as a specialized manufacturer of turnouts. In 1914, 13 years after the first domestically produced rails were manufactured at the Imperial Steel Works, Yawata, TETSUDO KIKI started manufacturing turnouts in Tokyo as a designated factory of the then “Tetsudo-in”, predecessor to the Ministry of Railways. Later, under the guidance of the Ministry of Railways and Japanese National Railways, TETSUDO KIKI refined its technology and today the company supplies turnouts to JR companies, public transportation authorities, and private railway companies throughout Japan.

When the Tokaido Shinkansen began service in 1964, TETSUDO KIKI was involved in the manufacturing of turnouts for the Shinkansen, incorporating flexible switches, movable nose crossings, and other technologies for high-speed railways that have been inherited to this day. Ever since then, TETSUDO KIKI has been supplying products to projected Shinkansen lines in various regions. While meeting the demands of railway companies for higher speeds and increased transportation capacity, TETSUDO KIKI continues to evolve, for example by manufacturing related products such as expansion joints and glued-insulated joint rails.

In the overseas market, starting with an export project to Myanmar, TETSUDO KIKI is currently manufacturing turnouts for the Indian High-Speed Rail project. As the era of mass transportation arrives in Asia, many more projects are expected. TETSUDO KIKI looks forward to participating in railway construction projects, with the guidance of all concerned.

TETSUDO KIKI values thorough quality control and improvement of technical capabilities the most, and for this reason, the company is was working diligently on human resource development that will lead to the succession of technical capabilities. In 2017, TETSUDO KIKI received the Excellence Award of "Tokyo Metropolitan SME Skills Human Resource Development Award" from the Governor of Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The company will continue to refine its technology to play a role in the evolution of railway technology.

• http://www.tetsudokiki.co.jp/en/

Shinkansen in Japan and Taiwan are based on the principle of 'Crash Avoidance', consisting of dedicated lines with no level crossings and an ATC (Automatic Train Control) system. The addition of the Total System Approach, which takes a unified view of the entire system and optimally integrates hardware and software, enables high-speed, high-volume and high-frequency transport with the world's highest levels of safety and reliability. The features of the Shinkansen are an essential element for social transformation and development through high-speed rail, and the technology that supports the Shinkansen requires a high level of safety and reliability.

The Shinkansen is able to operate safely on a daily basis thanks to the support of numerous companies such as TETSUDO KIKI CO., LTD. introduced here. We would introduce IHRA member companies supporting the Shinkansen from time to time in the future.