Railway Technical Research Institute

Railway Technical Research Institute
財団法人鉄道総合技術研究所
	RTRI's logo
Abbreviation	RTRI
Formation	10 December 1986; 37 years ago
Type	Japanese Foundation
Purpose	Railway technology research and consulting
Headquarters	2-8-38, Hikaricho, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo
Location	Japan;
Region served	Japan
Official language	Japanese
Leader	Masao Mukaidono, chairperson
Affiliations	Japan Railways Group
Budget	15.3 billion YEN (FY 2009)
Staff	512 (as of 1 October 2008)
Website	www.rtri.or.jp

Railway Technical Research Institute (鉄道総合技術研究所, Tetsudō Sōgō Gijutsu Kenkyūsho), or RTRI (鉄道総研, Tetsudō Sōken), is the technical research company under the Japan Railways group of companies.

Overview

RTRI was established in its current form in 1986 just before Japanese National Railways (JNR) was privatised and split into separate JR group companies. It conducts research on everything related to trains, railways and their operation. It is funded by the government and private rail companies. It works both on developing new railway technology, such as magnetic levitation, and on improving the safety and economy of current technology.

Its research areas include earthquake detection and alarm systems, obstacle detection on level crossings, improving adhesion between train wheels and tracks, reducing energy usage, noise barriers and preventing vibrations.

JR's first experimental magnetic levitation train, ML100, on display outside RTRI

RTRI is the main developer in the Japanese SCMaglev program.

Offices and test facilities

Gatsugi

Shiozawa

Wind Tunnel

Kunitachi

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RTRI　
Research facilities

Office

Main office

844 Shin-Kokusai Bldg. 3-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan

Research facilities

Kunitachi Institute - 2-8-38 Hikari-cho, Kokubunji-shi, Tokyo, 185-8540, Japan
Wind Tunnel Technical Center, Maibara, Shiga
Shiozawa Snow Testing Station, Minami-Uonuma, Niigata
Hino Civil Engineering Testing Station, Hino, Tokyo
Gatsugi Anti-Salt Testing Station, Sanpoku, Niigata

Gauge Change Train

The RTRI is developing a variable gauge system, called the "Gauge Change Train", to allow 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Shinkansen trains to access 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) lines of the original rail network.^[2]