Japan rail giant JR Central raided in bid-rigging probe

By AJP Posted : October 23, 2024, 10:30 Updated : October 23, 2024, 10:30
This photo shows shinkansen bullet trains parked at the JR Centrals Oi Shinkansen depot in the Shinagawa district Tokyo July 24 2024 AFP-Yonhap
This photo shows Shinkansen bullet trains parked at the JR Central's Oi Shinkansen depot in the Shinagawa district, Tokyo, July 24, 2024. AFP-Yonhap
SEOUL, October 23 (AJP) - Japan's biggest high-speed rail operator Central Japan Railway (JR Central) and five other firms are being investigated by antitrust regulators over suspected collusion in railway bridge maintenance contracts, news reports said.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) on Tuesday raided the Tokyo-based JR Central and its affiliates including JR Central Consultants, along with engineering firms Dainichi Consultant, Tonichi Engineering Consultants, and Japan Transportation Consultants for allegedly pre-arranging winning bids on inspection projects.

The investigation centers on land bridge inspection contracts across 10 JR Central railway lines where the companies allegedly coordinated their bids to predetermine winners.

While JR Central did not directly participate in the bidding process, investigators believe the rail operator played a key role in orchestrating the bid allocation among the contractors.

The probe comes amid stricter infrastructure safety regulations implemented in fiscal 2014, which mandate thorough inspections of bridges and tunnels every five years, following a fatal tunnel collapse incident on 2012 in the Chuo Expressway in Yamanashi Prefecture.
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