Hitachi, Kawasaki Engineer Railway Systems For Overseas Markets

Compiled ByDeborah Austin To aggressively tap growing demand in overseas railway markets, Hitachi Ltd. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. have reached an agreement to cooperate in virtually all areas of the overseas railway systems business. They plan to launch a joint order-processing center this month and progressively organize a joint marketing office for managing individual projects. Southeast Asia, China, North America, and Central/South America are seeing active building of new lines, and extensions and upgrades of existing ones. Through the alliance, say Hitachi and Kawasaki, they will operate as a general contractor to address that potential -- planning and executing all aspects of railway projects from supply of railcars to control system installation and overall construction. The two have complementary hardware and software lines. Tokyo-based $75.5 billion Hitachi is a global electronics company. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a global manufacturer of transportation equipment and industrial goods, has head offices in Tokyo and Kobe, Japan, and saw 2000 net sales of $10.8 billion.