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.
Transportation
Impending mass retirement pushes JR West to automation
Driverless trains and shortened timetables to help fill gap of 4,000 workers
JR West has tested automated trains on the Osaka Loop Line, but operation is less smooth and energy-efficient compared to a human engineer. (Photo by Mitsutoshi Masano)
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