MTEC-NSTDA and the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) of Japan recently hosted the RTRI-NSTDA Railway Technology Forum. The forum which took place on 22 November 2023 at Thailand Science Park highlighted railway technology research in Thailand and Japan, aiming to strengthen research collaboration between the two countries.
MTEC Deputy Executive Director Dr. Asira Fuongfuchat remarked that NSTDA and RTRI signed a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Cooperation in July 2021 to promote joint research and staff exchange in railway technology. The cooperation also extended to railway standardization. RTRI supported NSTDA’s participation in two committees, namely the ISO/TC269 and the IEC -TC9, focusing on railway applications and electrical equipment and system for railways, respectively.
RTRI Associate Director Dr. Toru Miyauchi stated that RTRI has been collaborating with NSTDA for several years. The institute and NSTDA co-organized four editions of Thai Rail Industry Symposium and Exhibition (RISE) between 2016 to 2019. Since the MOU signing in 2021, RTRI and NSTDA have been engaging in online meetings discussing various research topics, including rail wearing, modelling and simulation in railway technology, and rolling stock design, for instance. This forum provided an opportunity for an in-depth, in-person discussion to facilitate research collaboration and advance railway technology in both countries.
During the forum, researchers from Thailand and Japan made presentations on research projects, covering track work, bogie design and rail standards.
