JR Seven Companies Collaborate to Standardize Materials and Parts for Railway Electrical Equipment – Towards Sustainable Railway Operations and Supply Chain Resilience –

Hokkaido Railway Company, East Japan Railway Company, Central Japan Railway Company, West Japan Railway Company, Shikoku Railway Company, Kyushu Railway Company, and Japan Freight Railway Company (hereinafter, "JR Seven Companies") will standardize materials and parts for conventional line railway electrical equipment and strengthen the supply chain in cooperation with manufacturers, with the aim of ensuring the sustainable development of the railway business and providing stable transport services to customers.

1. Background Since the privatization of Japanese National Railways in 1987, each of the JR Seven Companies has independently developed, specified, and managed its railway electrical equipment. While this has led to great success in maintaining and developing railways by building facilities tailored to regional characteristics and closely connected to communities, the environment surrounding the railway business, including the supply chain, has been changing in recent years. Production volumes for railway-specific electrical equipment materials and parts are limited compared to general-purpose products, and there are increasing issues such as shortages of electronic components and labor shortages in the manufacturing industry. Furthermore, materials and parts with the same function exist with slightly different specifications across the JR companies. Based on these factors, a review of the system for sustainable railway operations involving railway operators and manufacturers is required.

2. Initiatives of the JR Seven Companies Specifications for conventional line railway electrical equipment materials and parts used by the JR Seven Companies will be standardized to improve efficiency in manufacturers' design, production, and inventory management. Already, since November 2024, the JR Seven Companies have established study groups in various fields and are formulating common specifications for several pieces of equipment (e.g., polymer insulators for overhead lines, impedance bonds). Going forward, the scope of equipment will be expanded, and efforts will be made to standardize railway electrical equipment materials and parts on a full scale.

3. Expected Effects - Stabilization of supply for materials and parts, and efficiency in manufacturers' design, production, and inventory management. - Facilitation of inter-company resource sharing during disasters, etc.

4. Future Direction Through this initiative, we aim for the sustainable development of the entire railway industry, including the JR Seven Companies and manufacturers. Furthermore, to address industry-wide challenges in Japan's railway sector, we will collaborate and exchange opinions with railway operators and manufacturers beyond the JR Seven Companies.