Japan consortium wins priority on Taiwan rail bid

TOKYO, Japan - Officials from Mitsui and Co. tell reporters in Tokyo on Dec. 28 that a Japanese consortium, including the company, has been awarded the priority negotiation rights for a contract for a high-speed railway to be built between Taipei and Kaohsiung. The consortium is made up of about 30 firms, also including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Toshiba Corp. and two JR group companies -- Central Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. The Japanese consortium, Taiwan Shinkansen Corp., has been competing for the contract with a Franco-German consortium, Eurotrain.