Fiber-optic railway network

Keihin Electric Express Railway and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in Japan will jointly study the feasibility of laying a fiber-optic network along Keihin`s railway lines. The network aims to enhance the efficiency of signal and control management in Keihin`s railway operations, but the company`s investment in urban cable-TV companies suggests that it might develop multimedia applications, also. Keihin operates services on five lines covering 80 kilometers of track in the Tokyo/Kanagawa area. The joint study is expected to formulate specific proposals within three years.