The Japan Railway Technical Service (JARTS) was established in September 1965 under the guidance of the Ministry of Transport (the present Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) and the Japanese National Railways (the present JR Group) to provide technical assistance for railway construction and improvement as a special organization excelled in various railway technologies.

In response to requests from abroad, JARTS works in unison with JR Group, the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT), the Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. and other railway-related entities to dispatch experts overseas and to receive foreign railway personnel for training.

In these 40 years since JARTS was established, railways in Japan have seen numerous technological breakthroughs in various fields, including intercity transport, urban transport, and high-speed train service. Drastic innovations and improvements have been made in both the hardware and software fields, making Japan's railway technologies some of the most advanced in the world. In addition to its technical prowess, Japan has also had great success in railway management by privatizing its national railway.

JARTS, based on the best of Japanese railway technological and managerial skills, cooperates with many countries to successfully undertake and complete railway projects applying know-how of the Japanese railway system and makes a positive contribution to those countries wishing to establish a modern railway system.