OSAKA -- With nearly 20% of on-site staff set to hit retirement age in the next five years, West Japan Railway has begun preparing for a future with a much-reduced workforce, looking to use technology to lighten the load on its remaining employees.
Labor shortages loom across a range of jobs, including engineers, conductors, station staff and maintenance workers. JR West had about 19,000 employees in such positions as of April 1, including those rehired after reaching the retirement age of 60, down by 500 from five years earlier.
