The Japanese bullet train, or Shinkansen, is a high-speed rail system that carries millions of passengers annually. It covers most of the southern island of Japan and is a popular alternative to air travel due to its efficiency and safety record. While it currently relies on advanced rail techniques, maglev trains are planned for implementation by 2025.
The Japanese bullet train, or Shinkansen as it is commonly known, is a marvel of modern public transportation. This high-speed rail system is estimated to carry between 150 and 200 million passengers per year, and is becoming a standard of travel across much of Japan. Originally proposed in the early 1940s, the first bullet trains did not open until the mid-1960s and have undergone many upgrades and improvements since their implementation.
Shinkansen is a high-speed train with regular speeds reaching almost 200 miles per hour (mph) or 300 kilometers per hour (kph). Some tests have shown that the trains are capable of traveling at almost twice that speed, but for safety reasons the bullet train continues at a slower pace. Even at a slower pace, the Japanese bullet train cuts travel time considerably for commuters, and has been a beacon of efficiency and safety since its opening.
The Japanese bullet train originally ran between the cities of Osaka and Tokyo, following the path of an ancient road that had connected cities since the days of the samurai. Today, the bullet train transit system covers most of the southern island of Japan, making it useful for a variety of purposes. While commuters use the central lines to move from distant suburbs to the heart of big cities, tourists and sightseers can take Shinkansen to visit outlying destinations with ease and at high speed.
High-speed rail lines such as the Japanese bullet train are seen by some as a welcome alternative to increasingly crowded and expensive air travel, especially over relatively short distances. Some Shinkansen trains can carry twice as many passengers as a commercial airliner, and the most popular trains can arrive at depots several times per hour, allowing more schedule flexibility for passengers. In addition, the Japanese bullet train has an exceptional safety record, with only one derailment in more than 40 years of operation. As of 2009, there have been no passenger fatalities due to accidents or derailments.
Contrary to some reports, the Japanese bullet train does not primarily operate using maglev for travel, but instead relies on a streamlined design and advanced rail techniques to achieve its incredible speeds. Magnetic levitation, a relatively new technology, allows extremely high speed due to magnetic attraction and remains in the testing phase in Japan, as well as in many other countries. However, maglev seems to be the future of the Shinkansen, as Japanese railway executives plan to implement Maglev trains on the Shinkansen lines by 2025.
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