IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Japan

Companies raided in rail bid probe

Tokyo prosecutors on Monday raided two major construction firms over suspicions they colluded to secure contracts for Japan's multi-billion-dollar maglev project. The maglev, or magnetically levitated, trains are scheduled to begin commercial service in 2027 in a project estimated to cost 9 trillion yen ($80 billion) in total. The raids on the Kajima and Shimizu companies were carried out by investigators from the Tokyo District Prosecutors Office and the Fair Trade Commission over alleged collusion.