Japan raids firms over alleged train bid-rigging

TOKYO: Tokyo prosecutors Monday raided two major construction firms over suspicions they colluded to secure contracts for Japan’s multi-billion-dollar maglev project that will see trains running at 500 kilometers (310 miles) per hour.

The state-of-the-art maglev, or magnetically levitated, trains are scheduled to begin commercial service between Tokyo and Nagoya in central Japan in 2027, later extending to the western hub of Osaka.