Japanese firm to open Dallas office to assist high-speed rail builder

Central Japan Railway Co. (JRC) will establish a subsidiary in Dallas to support Texas Central Railway's proposed Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail line, the Dallas Regional Chamber announced yesterday.

JRC, the builder of the Shinkansen high-speed rail system in Japan, will station about 20 technical and operations employees in Dallas to assist Texas Central Partners, the company that plans to build and manage the project.

Texas Central plans to purchase the rolling stock and systems from a consortium of equipment manufacturers, and JRC will serve as the company's technology advisers during through the project's completion, according to a press release issued by Dallas Regional Chamber.

"The Shinkansen High-Speed Rail operated by Central Japan Railway (JRC) has five decades of experience and a perfect safety record, which is a major reason JRC was chosen as the technology partner by Texas Central," said Tim Keith, chief executive officer of Texas Central Partners. "Having this office in Dallas will help ensure that the project will meet all milestones, partnering with Texans in a transformational project for our nation, our state and the region."

Texas Central expects to begin construction of the Dallas-to-Houston line in late 2017, with completion scheduled in 2021 and the first full-year of operations in 2022.

The high-speed train would connect the state's two largest metro areas, which have a combined population of 14 million, in less than 90 minutes with a mid-way stop serving the Brazos Valley, chamber officials said.