JR East announced on Oct 2 the creation of a new Overseas Strategy role to expand overseas rail business and hire foreign nationals to drive growth and diversification. The program targets engineering graduates from overseas and Japan, and includes a 5-year training period covering railway fundamentals, overseas operations, and initial Japanese language and culture education, with graduates expected to work on overseas projects after completion. Since 2012 JR East has hired foreigners from 18 countries, totaling 118 as of Oct 1, 2025, and the company has hosted 38 technical interns from Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia since 2019 to support rail development abroad. In addition, a track to train specified skilled workers for maintenance began in 2024, with plans to reach about 100 in 2025.