A consortium that includes Tokyo Metro will be awarded a contract to operate London¡¯s Elizabeth Line, a major train route serving the country¡¯s capital city and environs.

It is the first overseas deal involving actual line operations for newly listed Tokyo Metro and could help address concerns about the growth potential of a passenger rail business in depopulating Japan.

¡°In my opinion, expanding into overseas markets is a positive thing,¡± said Kazuta Fukushima, a senior research officer at Sompo Institute Plus, a Tokyo-based think tank.