Exactly 50 years ago, in October 1964, the world's first high-speed train, the Shinkansen (aka bullet-train), was launched in Japan, capable of reaching speeds of up to 210 km/h and forever becoming one of the symbols of the “new” Japan and its growing economic power. The first line connected the two largest Japanese cities - Tokyo and Osaka, reducing the minimum travel time between them from 7.5 to 4 hours.
2. Literally translated from Japanese, the word “Shinkansen” means “new highway”. Before the advent of high-speed trains, railways in Japan were narrow gauge (1067 mm), and had many bends due to the local terrain. On such roads the ability to reach high speeds was too limited. New lines were specially designed for the Shinkansen, already with a standard track width of 1435 mm.
Why Japan initially deviated from the international standard is still not entirely clear. It is believed that this was the decision of a certain Mr. Okubo, who was the person in charge at the time the construction of the first railway in Japan began. Of course, narrow gauge was cheaper, and the trains themselves were smaller and more economical to produce. However, at the same time this also meant less carrying capacity and low speed. Therefore, the feasibility of this decision for the Japanese remains a big question. At the beginning of the 20th century, projects were proposed to rebuild the line according to international standards, and although there were many who supported this idea, it was decided instead to spend funds on building new directions. Thus, the narrow gauge spread throughout Japan, which still causes a lot of inconvenience.
Broad gauge supporters managed to bring their projects to life on the railway laid by the Japanese in the early 30s. in colonized Southern Manchuria. In 1934, the legendary Asia Express was launched between the cities of Dalian and Changchun (700 km), an indicative symbol of the Japanese imperialist power of that time. Capable of reaching speeds of over 130 km/h, it was far superior to China's railway system at the time, and was even much faster than the fastest express train in Japan itself. And on a global scale, Asia-Express had impressive characteristics. For example, the world's first air-conditioned carriages were equipped there. The dining car was equipped with refrigerators, and there was also a special carriage - an observation deck with windows along the entire perimeter, furnished with leather chairs and bookshelves.
3. This example probably became the final argument in favor of broad gauge and gave rise to the first high-speed railway projects in Japan. In 1940, the Japanese government approved a project of incredible scale. Even then, the project envisaged the creation of a train capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 km/h, but the Japanese government did not intend to limit itself to laying lines only on Japanese territory. It was planned to build an underwater tunnel to the Korean Peninsula and extend the tracks all the way to Beijing. Construction had already partially begun, but the outbreak of the war and the subsequent deterioration of Japan's military and political positions put an end to imperial ambitions. In 1943, the project was curtailed; the same year was the last for Asia-Express. However, some sections of the Shinkansen lines in operation today were built in the pre-war years.
They started talking about the construction of the Shinkansen again 10 years after the war. Rapid economic growth has created great demand for freight and passenger transportation throughout the country. However, the idea to revive the project turned out to be completely unpopular and was sharply criticized. At that time, there was a strong opinion that road and air transport would soon supplant railway transport, as happened, for example, in the USA and some European countries. The project was again in jeopardy.
In 1958, between Tokyo and Osaka, on a still narrow gauge, the direct ancestor of the Shinkansen, the Kodama business express, was launched. With a maximum speed of 110 km/h, it covered the distance between cities in 6.5 hours, making one-day business trips possible. In Japan, where business culture is based on face-to-face meetings, this was a very convenient solution. However, he did not serve very long. The incredible popularity of the Kodama left no one in any doubt about the need for high-speed lines, and less than a year later the government finally approved the Shinkansen construction project.
Kodama Business Express, 1958-1964:
4. It is widely believed that the launch of the Shinkansen was planned for the opening of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but the Japanese deny this. Construction of the Shinkansen lines began in March 1959, more than a month before Tokyo was chosen as the host city for the games. However, the Olympics came in handy. The initially announced budget for the construction of the Shinkansen was obviously too small and everyone knew about it, but announcing real numbers was too risky. The loan, allocated by the World Bank at a fairly low interest rate, did not cover even half of the costs. The real cost, which ultimately exceeded the declared one by almost 2.5 times, was covered by “begging” money from the state, supposedly in order to be in time for the opening of the Olympics!
In the early morning of October 1, 1964, the ceremony of the first launch of the Shinkansen took place at Tokyo Station from a specially built platform number 19. The platform was lavishly decorated with red and white ribbons and the traditional Japanese paper ball “kusudama”. The moving train tore the ribbons, the balloon opened and 50 snow-white doves flew out of it. Then there was music, fireworks and general rejoicing of thousands of Japanese who were not too lazy to attend such a significant event at 5 am. That evening, photographs of the Shinkansen appeared on the front pages of all major publications in the country under loud headlines announcing the beginning of a new era in the history of Japan, and, needless to say, the whole world.
Launching ceremony for the first Shinkansen. Tokyo, 1964
5. The feeling of national pride in the Shinkansen did not bypass any Japanese, and the emperor himself, they say, composed either a song or an ode about it.
In 1975, the queen of the country, the birthplace of the railway, visited Japan. We are, of course, talking about England. The royal couple arrived on a friendly visit to the emperor, and one of the first items on the entertainment program was a trip on the “miracle train” to Kyoto. For Japan, this was a great opportunity to brag, but the cunning Japanese trade unions could not miss such a rare chance. Literally immediately upon the queen’s arrival, the workers staged the first strike in the history of the Japanese railway. In a word, all Shinkansen drivers, of which there were 1,100 people, refused to give the queen a ride until the union’s demands were met. Naturally, the bosses, driven into a corner, quickly complied with the demands, but the queen only managed to take a ride on the Shinkansen on her way back. The series of failures did not end there. On the day the Queen was due to board the train, there was heavy rainfall and the train was late by a full 2 minutes. In general, whether it was possible to make an impression on Elizabeth II or not is unknown, but they say that she was not at all offended by the strike, but accepted everything with humor. She said that she herself is no stranger to strikes.
6. Contrary to skeptical expectations, the Shinkansen train turned out to be incredibly successful and quickly recouped its construction costs. Just 8 years later the second line was opened. By 1981, the loan debt to the World Bank was completely covered. Moreover, today the Shinkansen train accounts for up to 80% of Japan Railways' profits. At the moment, there are 8 Shinkansen lines with a total length of almost 3,000 km and they continue to be built.
7. Of course, over the 50 years of its existence, the Shinkansen has gone through a considerable evolutionary path, although not always cloudless.
In the 80s 575 residents of the city of Nagoya, whose houses were located along the tracks, filed a lawsuit against the management of the Shinkansen, complaining of noise and strong vibrations. Immediately after this, technologies began to be introduced to reduce noise and vibration levels and improve the quality of the railway track. A rule was also introduced to slow down when driving through densely populated areas.
8. Today, Shinkansen are practically silent; the tracks often pass in close proximity to buildings, without causing much discomfort. Energy saving technologies have become another step in development. And all because Japan, in which 99.7% of oil is imported (not from Russia), turned out to be very sensitive to repeated oil shocks. Thus, under the pressure of both external and internal factors in the person of the extremely demanding Japanese, the Shinkansen was rapidly improving. However, the very first model of the train remained unchanged until 1982, and even after the appearance of new models, it remained in operation until 2008.
In 1987, Japanese National Railways was privatized, replacing the state monopoly with 5 new independent companies. Healthy competition has given a new impetus to the development of technology and quality of service.
9. So-called “green cars” appeared on trains, comparable in level to business class on airplanes. Actually, airlines were and still remain the main competitors of the Shinkansen. These cars have become a kind of indicator of the economic situation in the country. In times of prosperity, many companies bought their employees seats in “green cars” for business trips, but when the economy declined, they were usually empty.
Now the interior of the car looks like this:
10. Tickets are available with or without a seat. In carriages without a seat, you may have to sit in the middle, but it’s cheaper 😉
11. Toilet:
12. There is a train diagram hanging at the station, so it’s immediately clear which car you need:
13. Everyone stands in neat queues for boarding. There are lines drawn on the platform for queues for each car:
15. The companies also competed in the delicacy of food on board. In general, eating bento in Shinkansen has become a kind of tradition, even if the journey takes only a couple of hours. They are sold both at stations and on the trains themselves. Each site has its own unique “bento”. Until 2000, trains had dining cars and cafe cars, but the ever-increasing flow of passengers required more seating. Double-decker trains began to appear, but restaurants did not last long on them either. The same story affected private compartments, which could be a room for one or an entire conference room for 4-5 people. The economic downturn has almost completely destroyed the demand for such cars.
Traditional station bento lunch:
16. 90s and the end of the bubble economy became the most unstable in the history of Shinkansen development. In addition, in 1995, an earthquake occurred in the Osaka area, and although the trains themselves were not damaged, the rails were significantly bent. It took about 3 months to recover. But there were also positive moments, such as the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, which created demand for new destinations!
17. Despite the slowdown in economic growth, throughout this time, new, more advanced train models continued to appear. Various safety systems began to be developed, primarily for protection during earthquakes. Now, in the event of an earthquake, an automatic warning system is triggered, which slows down trains a split second before the shock. Thus, even during the devastating earthquake in 2011, not a single accident occurred with Shinkansen trains; they all stopped safely in automatic mode. By the way, the danger of earthquakes is one of the main reasons why trains run slower than they technically could.
Modern Shinkansen trains:
19. Cars on Shinkansen trains cannot be disconnected. That's why they don't have a tail, but they always have two heads! And trains can connect with each other (smack):
20. By the way, red is cooler and faster, so it usually drags green along with it. The latest model came out just a couple of months ago, in March 2014.
There is another very special train. It's called "Doctor Yellow". They say that seeing him is a very good omen. This is a special doctor who examines and checks the tracks and other related equipment for serviceability several times a month. During the day, it travels at the same speed as other trains, so as not to interfere. And at night he slowly and carefully examines all sections of the path.
21. Since the 2000s. Japanese Shinkansen technologies began to be actively exported abroad. Currently, China, Taiwan and South Korea have high-speed trains in the Asian region. All of these countries, except Korea, have high-speed railways based on Japanese technology (Korea borrowed technology from the French TGV). Not only technologies are exported, but also decommissioned Japanese trains themselves.
22. Modern Shinkansen trains in Japan reach a maximum speed of 270 km/h, with plans to increase to 285 km/h by next year, although test speeds reach more than 440 km/h. Travel time between Tokyo and Osaka is now less than 2.5 hours. The trains are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable journey - clean toilets, smoking rooms, sockets at each seat, sometimes even vending machines with drinks.
23. The Tokaido Line (Tokyo-Osaka) is the busiest high-speed rail line in the world and carries more than 150 million passengers per year. Trains from Tokyo depart every 10 minutes.
24. Despite the rather high cost, the Shinkansken train does not lose popularity due to its accuracy, speed, comfort, high level of service, and most importantly, safety. In 50 years of service, not a single incident involving death or serious injury from a high-speed train has been recorded. No other country in the world can boast of such safety indicators for high-speed rail transport. Statistics claim that Sapsan killed more than 20 people in just the first year of its service.
25. Although the Japanese Shinkansen train remains one of the most advanced vehicles in the world, work on its improvement does not stop. In Yamanashi Prefecture there is a special research center where new technologies are created and tested, in particular, JR-Maglev - the Japanese high-speed magnetic levitation train system. It was there in December 2003 that a test train of three cars of the MLX01 modification set an absolute speed record for railway transport - 581 km/h.
It is also a magnetic levitation train, also known as maglev from the English magnetic levitation ("magnetic levitation") - this is a magnetic levitation train, driven and controlled by the force of an electromagnetic field. Such a train, unlike traditional trains, does not touch the rail surface during movement. Since there is a gap between the train and the running surface, friction is eliminated and the only braking force is aerodynamic drag. Maglev refers to monorail transport.
Monorail:
Hotchkiss (Arthur Hotchkiss) 1890s;
images from Wikipedia
images from Wikipedia
High-speed ground transport (HSLT) is rail transport that operates trains at speeds in excess of 200 km/h (120 mph). Although at the beginning of the 20th century, trains traveling at speeds above 150-160 km/h were called high-speed.
Today, VSNT trains travel along specially designated railway tracks - a high-speed line (HSL), or on a magnetic levitation, along which the maglev shown above moves.
The first regular service of high-speed trains began in 1964 in Japan. In 1981, BCHT trains began running in France, and soon most of Western Europe, including the UK, was united into a single high-speed rail network. Modern high-speed trains in operation reach speeds of about 350-400 km/h, and in tests they can even accelerate to 560-580 km/h, such as the JR-Maglev MLX01, which set a speed record of 581 km/h during testing in 2003. h.
In Russia, regular operation of high-speed trains, on common tracks with regular trains, began in 2009. And only by 2017 is the completion of the construction of Russia's first specialized high-speed railway line Moscow - St. Petersburg.
Sapsan Siemens Velaro RUS; maximum service speed - 230 km/h, upgrade to 350 km/h possible; photo from Wikipedia
In addition to passengers, high-speed trains also transport cargo, for example: the French service La Poste has a fleet of special TGV electric trains for transporting mail and parcels.
The speed of “magnetic” trains, that is, maglev trains, is comparable to the speed of an airplane and allows them to compete with air transport on short- and medium-haul routes (up to 1000 km). Although the idea of such transport itself is not new, economic and technical limitations have not allowed it to fully develop.
At the moment, there are 3 main technologies for magnetic suspension of trains:
- On superconducting magnets (electrodynamic suspension, EDS);
- On electromagnets (electromagnetic suspension, EMS);
- On permanent magnets; this is a new and potentially most cost-effective system.
The composition levitates due to the repulsion of identical magnetic poles and, conversely, the attraction of opposite poles. The movement is carried out by a linear motor located either on the train, on the track, or both. A major design challenge is the heavy weight of sufficiently powerful magnets, since a strong magnetic field is required to maintain the massive composition in the air.
Advantages of Maglev:
- theoretically the highest speed that can be achieved on public (non-sports) ground transport;
- great prospects for achieving speeds many times higher than those used in jet aviation;
- low noise.
Disadvantages of Maglev:
- high cost of creating and maintaining a track - the cost of building one kilometer of maglev track is comparable to digging a kilometer of metro tunnel using a closed method;
- the electromagnetic field created may be harmful to train crews and surrounding residents. Even traction transformers used on AC-electrified railways are harmful to drivers. But in this case, the field strength is an order of magnitude greater. It is also possible that Maglev lines will not be available to people using pacemakers;
- Standard gauge tracks, rebuilt for high-speed traffic, remain accessible to regular passenger and commuter trains. The high-speed Maglev route is not suitable for anything else; additional tracks will be required for low-speed service.
The most active developments of maglev are carried out by Germany and Japan.
*Help: What is Shinkansen?
Shinkansen is the name of the high-speed railway network in Japan, designed to transport passengers between major cities in the country. Owned by Japan Railways. The first line opened between Osaka and Tokyo in 1964, the Tokaido Shinkansen. This line is the busiest high-speed rail line in the world. It carries about 375,000 passengers daily.
"Bullet Train" is one of the names for Shinkansen trains. Trains can have up to 16 cars. Each carriage reaches a length of 25 meters, with the exception of the head carriages, which are usually slightly longer. The total length of the train is about 400 meters. The stations for such trains are also very long and specially adapted for these trains.
Shinkansen trains series 200~E5; photo from Wikipedia
In Japan, maglevs are often called "riniaka" (Japanese: リニアカー), derived from the English "linear car" due to the linear motor used on board.
JR-Maglev uses electrodynamic suspension with superconducting magnets (EDS), installed both on the train and on the track. Unlike the German Transrapid system, JR-Maglev does not use a monorail design: trains run in a channel between magnets. This design allows for higher speeds, ensures greater passenger safety in the event of evacuation, and ease of operation.
Unlike electromagnetic suspension (EMS), trains using EDS technology require additional wheels when traveling at low speeds (up to 150 km/h). When a certain speed is reached, the wheels are separated from the ground and the train “flies” at a distance of several centimeters from the surface. In the event of an accident, the wheels also allow the train to stop more smoothly.
For braking in normal mode, electrodynamic brakes are used. For emergencies, the train is equipped with retractable aerodynamic and disc brakes on the bogies.
Ride in maglev with a top speed of 501 km/h. The description states that the video was made in 2005:
On the line in Yamanashi, several trains with different shapes of the nose cone are being tested: from a regular pointed cone to an almost flat one, 14 meters long, designed to get rid of the loud bang that accompanies a train entering a tunnel at high speed. The maglev train can be completely computer controlled. The driver monitors the operation of the computer and receives an image of the track through a video camera (the driver's cabin does not have forward viewing windows).
The JR-Maglev technology is more expensive than a similar development by Transrapid, implemented in China (line to Shanghai airport), since it requires large expenses for equipping the route with superconducting magnets and laying tunnels in the mountains using an explosive method. The total cost of the project could be US$82.5 billion. If the line were laid along the Tokaido coastal highway, it would require less cost, but would require the construction of a large number of short-length tunnels. Despite the fact that the magnetic levitation train itself is silent, each entry into the tunnel at high speed will cause a bang comparable in volume to an explosion, so laying the line in densely populated areas is impossible.
These high-speed trains are also called “Bullet train”, from English “bullet train”, they depart from Tokyo Station in the Japanese capital, and cover almost all of Japan with a wide network. Japan built its first high-speed train back in 1964, and now the length of the Shinkansen high-speed railway network is about 2,500 kilometers. They cover with their network the main Japanese island of Honshu, the southern island of Kyushu, and underwater high-speed routes to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido are already being built.
In Tokyo, I lived at Shinagawa Station - this is a large transport hub, and the “bullet train” made a short stop there in just 1.5 minutes. Tokyo is a densely populated city and Japanese bullet trains operate with short stops at the city's most important transport hubs and at major intermediate stations between cities. Japan is industrially developed quite evenly and there is life here too in the suburbs, people live, work and move around. It is clear that in Russia, it is not clear why and where the high-speed Sapsan stops on the way from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
Shinagawa Railway Station Pavilion.
I was traveling by train from Tokyo to Kyoto, it was an early crossing and in the morning all the Japanese were rushing to work. At the station it was very difficult to squeeze through the crowd of “robots” trying to make it in time for the “first bell.” Indeed, the population density in Tokyo is enormous, even with their extensive transport network, in the morning “biomass traffic jams” occur at stations.
A ticket to Kyoto cost about 130 US dollars. In order to get to the high-speed train platform, you need to go through turnstiles, somewhat reminiscent of the turnstiles of the Moscow metro.
Shinkansen in Japan are usually not late, but arrive minute by minute. After all, if the train stops at the Shinagawa intermediate station for only one and a half minutes, then being late is unacceptable. In 2012, the average deviation of trains from schedule was only 36 seconds. Shinkansen to different destinations arrive at Shinagawa Station approximately every five minutes, and a specially trained Japanese person monitors the departure of these high-speed trains at the station.
Islamic-looking Japanese woman at Shinagawa Station. Shinkansen literally means "new highway" in Japanese. The name "bullet train" is also a literal translation from the Japanese "dangan ressha", this name was originally in the 30s of the 20th century, when Japan's high-speed railways were still in development.
The Japanese are a very law-abiding station and they board the train STRICTLY according to the general queue, and there are even markings on the platform where they should stand and the place where this or that car stops is also written on the platform itself. Squeezing forward, pushing through the line, is considered very uncultural here, and it is unlikely that a law-abiding Japanese would ever do this.
No one rushes anywhere without a queue; everyone gets off or boards high-speed trains in a sedate and orderly manner. In 1965, with the launch of the Shinkansen, the Japanese were finally able to make "one day trips" between their two industrial centers - Tokyo and Osaka.
And finally, slowly, our Shinkansen arrives at the station.
Externally, from the front it even looks a little more beautiful than our famous Sapsan.
Sometimes Shinkansen can even "kiss".
In the end, I take one last photo of my "hippie Japanese" neighbor and jump on the train to Kyoto.
The doors of the Shinkansen open to the side, like in our Russian metro, after which passengers board. Shinkansen are very, very safe transport in Japan. In its 49 years of existence since 1964, carrying 7 billion passengers, there has not been a single fatality due to a train derailment or collision. Injuries and one death were recorded when people were pinned by the doors and the train began to move. To prevent this, there is now an employee on duty at each station who checks that the doors of the high-speed train are closed.
Japan is a very earthquake-prone country and all Shinkansen have been equipped with an earthquake prevention system since 1992. If earth vibrations or tremors are detected, the system itself very quickly stops this train. All trains are also equipped with a new anti-derailment system.
And of course, a train is much more environmentally friendly than a car. If now Shinkansen can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h, but in fact they travel on average 280 km/h, then by 2020 they plan to increase the top speed limit to 360 kilometers per hour.
An example of the layout of a car on a Japanese high-speed train, with three seats on one side and two on the other.
The train has machines selling mineral water and tea, so beloved by the Japanese.
Urinals on Japanese trains are equipped with transparent glass.
In addition to urinals, there are also ordinary toilets with a “normal” door, maybe simply because the Japanese believe that women are embarrassed to pee with transparent glass, but men are not)).
There are also separate small rooms where you can wash your hands.
In addition to water and tea vending machines, trains periodically sell drinks and snacks. Even the cheapest purchase can be paid with a credit card; there will be no problems with “plastic money” in Japan.
You can enjoy cold beer or hot coffee.
In Japan, as well as in Russia, several types of dried squid are sold, I always thought that dried salted squid was a purely Russian theme, but no, in Japan it is also very common. The squid is very tasty, as is the Japanese beer "Asahi".
Each seat is also equipped with a power outlet, just like on New Zealand trains, meaning you can work on a laptop without time restrictions.
Controllers are also a constant occurrence on Japanese trains, since the Shinkansens make virtually no stops along the way; running out onto the platform of an intermediate station and “running around” the controller, as we do in Russia, will not work in Japan.
There is no way to avoid checking purchased tickets.
When the train travels from Tokyo to Kyoto, 45 minutes after departure everyone runs to take pictures of the famous symbol of Japan - Mount Fuji. The Japanese show their country's national symbol to young children.
If someone wants to make a call and does not have a mobile phone, I wonder if there are still such comrades in the 21st century, then there is a payphone on the train.
With detailed instructions for use.
Another feature of high-speed “Japanese” trains is that the seats are not fixed in place, as for example in our “Sapsan”, but can freely rotate around their axis by 360 degrees. The rotating mechanism is activated by pressing a special pedal under the seat. And behind the seats there are special nets in which you can put your things, so someone put away his “Canon” camera - which, as popular wisdom says, is “the poor man’s Nikon”.
You can turn the seat 90 degrees and drive looking straight out the window the whole time.
The population density in Japan is enormous and when you travel from Tokyo to Kyoto you don’t even have time to catch the feeling of changing cities, since the industrial zone seems to never end, and the agricultural land is not visible at all. Outside the windows is the factory of the famous Japanese beer “Kirin”.
If, for example, you’re tired of looking out the window, then you can turn the seats another 90 degrees and play cards with your neighbor.
The Japanese in their high-speed trains have not forgotten about the “smoking junkies”; for them, special “aquarium chambers” have been made on the train, which can accommodate a maximum of two people and, in privacy, they can truly enjoy the vomit smell of nicotine.
It’s not for nothing that they say that time flies on the road. While I was walking around the train, I didn’t notice how I arrived in Kyoto. In Shinkansen, you need to carefully monitor the city of arrival, since stops at train stations, even in big cities, are usually no more than 5 minutes; you need to pack your things in advance, get ready, and get off the train at the desired station. The first photos at the station in the Japanese city of Kyoto.
The word “shinkansen” has become firmly established in the Japanese language, but increasingly it is not even translated into foreign languages. Everyone understands that we are talking about Japanese high-speed railways, which have long become an integral part of the daily life of many Japanese. But the phrase shinkansen, which simply did not exist in Japanese before, literally means " new gauge line".
Every national railway system has something unique, but there is something special about Japan's roads that is not found in any other country in the world, it is unparalleled, in part because of the equipment with which it is operated.
After World War II, railroads played an important role in the revival of the nation. Japan soon embarked on a path of intensive economic development and accelerated urbanization. In this, the railways also played an important role, transporting the bulk of the population, quickly and on time. Japan's railways are now recognized throughout the world for their high level of technical equipment and management.
Japan's railway network is approximately 27,268 kilometers. Approximately 20,000 kilometers of this network are owned by six railway companies that form the JR Group (formerly Japan National Railways). The remaining tracks are private local lines. Railroad lines now link the main island of Honshu with Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu. The JR Group forms the backbone of Japan's railway network.
Japan's railway system has three advantages:
1. it transports huge numbers of people safely and on schedule,
2. you can sit and enjoy the changing scenery,
3. You can enjoy a lunch box made especially for train travelers.
The backbone of JR's rail networks are the Shinkansen "bullet trains", running on five lines (or seven if you count the other two lines that accommodate them). The Tokaido and San"io Shinkansen super express lines stretch 1,175.9 km from through to Hakata (). The fastest train, Nozomi, reaches a maximum speed of 300 km/h on the San"io Shinkansen line between Shin-Osaka and Hakata. Nozomi trains, along with two others, the Hikari and Kodama, leave Tokyo at surprisingly frequent intervals - every three to seven minutes during rush hour.
Tokyo is also the starting point for the Tohoku Shinkansen line to Morioka in the north, the Joetsu Shinkansen line to Niigata on the Sea of Japan, and a new line running northwest to Nagano. Yamabiko trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen line can reach speeds of 275 km/h.
On October 9, 2003, a new platform was opened at Tokyo station for Nozomi (Desire) trains going to Osaka. Of course, this was a new convenience for many passengers living in the large growing area surrounding Shinagawa Station, so running Shinkansen trains from Shinagawa would attract new passengers to the railroad.
These five Shinkansen super express lines are built with a standard gauge of 1435 mm, the same gauge found in many other countries. Standard JR lines have a track gauge of 1067 mm. On standard narrow lines, combined with curves and steep slopes in mountainous areas, high speeds are prohibited. However, by replacing the narrow gauge track with a standard gauge track, JR can now operate Shinkansen trains on two standard lines in northern Honshu, connecting the Tohoku Shinkansen line with Yamagata and Akita. Shinkansen super express passengers no longer have to change lines when traveling from Tokyo to these cities - Tsubasa and Komachi trains reach speeds of 240 to 275 km/h on Shinkansen lines, then slow to 130 km/h on standard lines adapted to him.
The speed of the Shinkansen...
The San'io Shinkansen line and the older San'io line pass under the New Kammon Strait and the Kammon Strait, linking Honshu with Kyushu. To the north, the 53.85 km Seikan Tunnel under the Tsugaru Strait links Honshu with Hokkaido. Two signature express trains complete this final route - the Hokutosei (night special express) and the Hatsukari special express. Honshu and Shikoku are connected by the Seto Ohashi Bridge, which includes rail and road links. Take one of the train routes that cross this bridge and enjoy views of the Seto Inland Sea dotted with islands.
You can be assured of a comfortable ride and excellent service on any Shinkansen line. The same can be said for JR express trains (which are equivalent to 2nd class cars in some countries) running on regular lines. Some private local companies provide services even with greater comfort and better support.
Japan's intercity railways are complemented by city lines and subway lines in Tokyo, Osaka and other major centers. These lines will take you virtually anywhere in the city, although you may have to make a few transfers. All trains follow a precise schedule. If planes land an hour late, you won't hear about it on the news, but you will if passengers on a commuter train or Shinkansen super express are delayed even 15 minutes. This example shows how vital rail transport is in Japan.
Another advantage of traveling by train in Japan is that you can sit and enjoy the beautiful countryside. This is especially noticeable on non-Super Express Shinkansen lines - watching the scenery change as you move from the sea coast to the mountain gorge, then through a tunnel into another world. From the window of your carriage you can look through the hedges around the houses into fishing grounds and farms and observe nature in all its glory.
Even the Tokaido Shinkansen, the superfast super express train favored by businessmen, provides a stunning panoramic view. Soon after the train leaves Tokyo towards Shin-Osaka and heads west, Mount Fuji on the right side will enchant you. This will be followed by tea plantations near Shizuoka, then wetlands near Lake Hamana. Later you will cross the lower pass to Sekigahara between the prefectures and Shiga, which is covered with snow in winter.
If the main purpose of your trip is to see the countryside, choose the commuter line. The Gotenba Line (near Tokyo) runs fairly close to. From Nagoya, take a route that takes the Takayama Line through gorges into the highlands below the Japanese Alps. Further to the west, the San'in line runs along the coast of the Sea of Japan.
Japan's new Shinkansen bullet train system has attracted worldwide attention since construction began on the Tokaido Shinkansen line in 1960. The line was launched in October 1964 on the eve of the Tokyo Olympics and connected Tokyo with Osaka at a distance of 552.6 km.
Today, airliners and automobiles take people away from railroads around the world. Yet railroads may find ways to use their new strengths to regain popularity with the traveling public. One of these strengths is high mid-range speeds. Speed is the trump card of Japanese trains. Japanese trains are on time and safe. The average speed of the Shinkansen super express trains exceeds 200 km/h, however, during the entire period of operation, serious accidents have never occurred with them. They depart at intervals of 5 or 6 minutes every morning and every evening.
The Central Japan Railway Company and the RTRI (Railway Technology Institute) Foundation have been experimenting with magnetic levitation trains using the principle of superconductivity for many years. These trains use the principle of magnetic repulsion to "float on top of the tracks" and move forward at amazing speeds. Experiments reached a decisive stage in May 1997 at a new site built for research purposes, and studies over the following years will determine the viability of the system. If this dream becomes a reality, passengers will one day be able to travel from Tokyo to Osaka in just one hour through the mountainous regions of central Japan.
What is most important for a railway track? This is environmental protection and ease of use. Over the past few years, a new electrified system called Light Rail Transit has been built in Europe and the US, bringing back memories of street cars. In 1997, the city of Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu introduced a new German LRT system using low-floor cars.
Passengers boarding these carriages rise only 35 cm - this is especially convenient for the elderly, disabled people in wheelchairs and parents with baby strollers. By the way, street tram and LRT tracks can be built much cheaper than metro or surface railway tracks.
Other economic benefits are demonstrated by operating Yurikamome trains in Tokyo's new waterfront area. These trains were built by the Automated Track Rail Organization, which was working to create electric trains that ran on rubber tires without drivers or conductors. Rubber tires provide less noise and vibration, while less traction helps reduce cost. Reduced noise and vibration are also achieved using a linear induction motor rail system, which is used on special subway lines in Tokyo and Osaka.
Shinkansen development plans await better times. These plans include the construction of expressways from to, from Fukuoka via to, from Osaka via Tsuruga and Kanazawa to, from Morioka via to.
EKI-BEN
These are boxed lunches sold at all main JR stations and smaller stations. When your train arrives at the station, the middle-aged salesman may shout: "Bento, bento!" This is your opportunity to try a lunch traditional to the area.
EKI-BEN There are three types. First - maku no ichi, which comes from the days of traditional picnics under the cherry blossoms. White rice in a box is served along the edges with various additions of other products - a traditional Japanese-style omelet, pieces of salmon and beef, kamaboko (fish paste), cooked beans, vegetables, pickles and more. Second type - sushi lunch box, and it may be chirashi sushi(in small portions) or oshi-sushi(pressed and cut). As for the third type eki-ben, then they are all unique in their own way (one is better than the other).
Tokyo Station Master
Tokyo JR Station is at the heart of the country's railway network. Every day of the week 4,047 trains arrive at this station. Station Master Kozaki Seizo says that the pocket watch in his hand has been in sync with the watches of all station staff and drivers of Japan National Railways since privatization in 1987. Such watches symbolize the pride workers feel as their trains function like clockwork. , strictly on time.
Kiosk sellers 
KIOSK is the trade name (and nothing else) of the kiosks at each main JR station. These tiny retail outlets, with an area of only 10 to 15 sq.m., offer a wide selection of products - from 400 to 600 items in total. A sale in one day can bring in about two million yen. The staff remembers the prices of all items. They even know the cost of various combinations, for example, a magazine with a pack of cigarettes (and the prices vary depending on the buyer's choice). Guess the average time it takes for a customer to indicate their choice, pay for their purchase, and receive change. (Answer: 6 seconds).
Boxed lunch vending machines
In case of a long trip, you will probably want to purchase one eki-ben. All long-distance train stations must have eki-ben sales points. Thirteen types of lunch are available on the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen train platforms. On average, 4,200 people buy more than 14,000 meals per day! With so many customers, the main task is to ensure that no one misses the train. Salespeople must calculate the total cost and change in a split second, so automatic handheld calculators are the best choice here.
Equipment for cleaning wagons
The Shinkansen train stops at the end of the line and all passengers get off. Immediately one, two or three cleaning units are supplied to each car and work begins. The most important thing is to get the job done properly as quickly as possible. The Shinkansen train is given 14 minutes after arrival before returning. Of this time, only 6 minutes are allocated for cleaning. Six minutes to turn chairs, collect trash, wipe floors and tables, straighten curtains and get everything looking its best.
Based on materials from the magazine NIPPONIA and Japan today.
When I was planning to go to the “land of the rising sun”, I definitely wanted to see two things - and high-speed Shinkansen trains. I looked at the capsule hotel almost immediately upon arrival in Tokyo, and took a high-speed train a little later from Tokyo to the ancient capital of Japan - Kyoto.
These high-speed trains are also called “Bullet train”, from English “bullet train”, they depart from Tokyo Station in the Japanese capital, and cover almost all of Japan with a wide network. Japan built its first high-speed train back in 1964, and now the length of the Shinkansen high-speed railway network is about 2,500 kilometers. They cover with their network the main Japanese island of Honshu, the southern island of Kyushu, and underwater high-speed routes to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido are already being built.
In Tokyo, I lived at Shinagawa Station - this is a large transport hub, and the “bullet train” made a short stop there in just 1.5 minutes. Tokyo is a densely populated city and Japanese bullet trains operate with short stops at the city's most important transport hubs and at major intermediate stations between cities. Japan is industrially developed quite evenly and there is life here too in the suburbs, people live, work and move around. It is clear that in Russia, it is not clear why and where the high-speed Sapsan stops on the way from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
Shinagawa Railway Station Pavilion.
I was traveling by train from Tokyo to Kyoto, it was an early crossing and in the morning all the Japanese were rushing to work. At the station it was very difficult to squeeze through the crowd of “robots” trying to make it in time for the “first bell.” Indeed, the population density in Tokyo is enormous, even with their extensive transport network, in the morning “biomass traffic jams” occur at stations.
A ticket to Kyoto cost about 130 US dollars. In order to get to the high-speed train platform, you need to go through turnstiles, somewhat reminiscent of the turnstiles of the Moscow metro.
Shinkansen in Japan are usually not late, but arrive minute by minute. After all, if the train stops at the Shinagawa intermediate station for only one and a half minutes, then being late is unacceptable. In 2012, the average deviation of trains from schedule was only 36 seconds. Shinkansen to different destinations arrive at Shinagawa Station approximately every five minutes, and a specially trained Japanese person monitors the departure of these high-speed trains at the station.
Islamic-looking Japanese woman at Shinagawa Station. Shinkansen literally means "new highway" in Japanese. The name "bullet train" is also a literal translation from the Japanese "dangan ressha", this name was originally in the 30s of the 20th century, when Japan's high-speed railways were still in development.
The Japanese are a very law-abiding station and they board the train STRICTLY according to the general queue, and there are even markings on the platform where they should stand and the place where this or that car stops is also written on the platform itself. Squeezing forward, pushing through the line, is considered very uncultural here, and it is unlikely that a law-abiding Japanese would ever do this.
No one rushes anywhere without a queue; everyone gets off or boards high-speed trains in a sedate and orderly manner. In 1965, with the launch of the Shinkansen, the Japanese were finally able to make "one day trips" between their two industrial centers - Tokyo and Osaka.
And finally, slowly, our Shinkansen arrives at the station.
Externally, from the front it even looks a little more beautiful than our famous Sapsan.
Sometimes Shinkansen can even "kiss".
In the end, I take one last photo of my "hippie Japanese" neighbor and jump on the train to Kyoto.
The doors of the Shinkansen open to the side, like in our Russian metro, after which passengers board. Shinkansen are very, very safe transport in Japan. In its 49 years of existence since 1964, carrying 7 billion passengers, there has not been a single fatality due to a train derailment or collision. Injuries and one death were recorded when people were pinned by the doors and the train began to move. To prevent this, there is now an employee on duty at each station who checks that the doors of the high-speed train are closed.
Japan is a very earthquake-prone country and all Shinkansen have been equipped with an earthquake prevention system since 1992. If earth vibrations or tremors are detected, the system itself very quickly stops this train. All trains are also equipped with a new anti-derailment system.
And of course, a train is much more environmentally friendly than a car. If now Shinkansen can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h, but in fact they travel on average 280 km/h, then by 2020 they plan to increase the top speed limit to 360 kilometers per hour.
An example of the layout of a car on a Japanese high-speed train, with three seats on one side and two on the other.
The train has machines selling mineral water and tea, so beloved by the Japanese.
Urinals on Japanese trains are equipped with transparent glass.
In addition to urinals, there are also ordinary toilets with a “normal” door, maybe simply because the Japanese believe that women are embarrassed to pee with transparent glass, but men are not)).
There are also separate small rooms where you can wash your hands.
In addition to water and tea vending machines, trains periodically sell drinks and snacks. Even the cheapest purchase can be paid with a credit card; there will be no problems with “plastic money” in Japan.
You can enjoy cold beer or hot coffee.
In Japan, as well as in Russia, several types of dried squid are sold, I always thought that dried salted squid was a purely Russian theme, but no, in Japan it is also very common. The squid is very tasty, as is the Japanese beer "Asahi".
Each seat is also equipped with a power outlet, just like on trains, that is, you can work on a laptop without time restrictions.
Controllers are also a constant occurrence on Japanese trains, since the Shinkansens make virtually no stops along the way; running out onto the platform of an intermediate station and “running around” the controller, as we do in Russia, will not work in Japan.
There is no way to avoid checking purchased tickets.
When the train travels from Tokyo to Kyoto, 45 minutes after departure everyone runs to take pictures of the famous symbol of Japan - Mount Fuji. The Japanese show their country's national symbol to young children.
If someone wants to make a call and does not have a mobile phone, I wonder if there are still such comrades in the 21st century, then there is a payphone on the train.
With detailed instructions for use.
Another feature of high-speed “Japanese” trains is that the seats are not fixed in place, as for example in our “Sapsan”, but can freely rotate around their axis by 360 degrees. The rotating mechanism is activated by pressing a special pedal under the seat. And behind the seats there are special nets in which you can put your things, so someone put away his “Canon” camera - which, as popular wisdom says, is “the poor man’s Nikon”.
You can turn the seat 90 degrees and drive looking straight out the window the whole time.
The population density in Japan is enormous and when you travel from Tokyo to Kyoto you don’t even have time to catch the feeling of changing cities, since the industrial zone seems to never end, and the agricultural land is not visible at all. Outside the windows is the factory of the famous Japanese beer “Kirin”.
If, for example, you’re tired of looking out the window, then you can turn the seats another 90 degrees and play cards with your neighbor.
The Japanese in their high-speed trains have not forgotten about the “smoking junkies”; for them, special “aquarium chambers” have been made on the train, which can accommodate a maximum of two people and, in privacy, they can truly enjoy the vomit smell of nicotine.
It’s not for nothing that they say that time flies on the road. While I was walking around the train, I didn’t notice how I arrived in Kyoto. In Shinkansen, you need to carefully monitor the city of arrival, since stops at train stations, even in big cities, are usually no more than 5 minutes; you need to pack your things in advance, get ready, and get off the train at the desired station. The first photos at the station in the Japanese city of Kyoto.
The high-speed train model N700 is now one of the most modern, it began to be used only in 2007.
High-speed trains are also essentially “electric trains”, and they have this type of “contact element on top”. The Shinkansen uses 25,000 volts of alternating current for propulsion.
When the Shinkansen leaves the station, a specially trained dude looks out from the rear control room and makes sure that “no one gets hurt” on the platform.
Arriving in Kyoto, I immediately went for a walk around this wonderful city, which seems to have forgotten about the race of technological progress, stopped a little in time.....to be continued...