The Shinkansen (Bullet Train)

Japan was one of the first countries to realise the problems of the car. With very dense city centres such as tokyo and being such a densly populated country it was realised the motor car was not the way foreward. The Bullet train could be thought of as the worlds first high speed train. Services started in 1964 with speeds at 210km/h or 131mph, the fastest trains went at the time, and many countries (including the USA) still have no trains running at this speed. At the time the concept of "high speed" wasn’t really established as it is now. Indeed many say it was the success of the bullet train which lead to Europe taking interest in making trains go fast. Since then the trains have been going faster and faster.

Speeds Today

Along the Tokaido line series 300 trains operate at a top speed of 270km/h or 168mph (since 1992).
Along the Sanyo line series 500 trains operate at a top speed of 300km/h or 186mph (since 1997).
Along the Tohoku line series 200 E2 + E3 trains operate at 275km/h or 170mph (since 1997), the rest at 240km/h or 150mph (since 1988).
Along the Joetsu line series 200 "F9x" sets operate at 275km/h or 170mph (since 1990).
Along the Hokuriku line E2 trains operate at 260km/h or 162mph (since 1997).

The lines

The Tokaido line was the very first line built in 1964 between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, a distance of 515km
The Sanyo line was opened from Shin-Osaka to Okayama in 1972 and extended to Hakata in 1975
The Tohoku line was opened from Omiya to Morioka in 1982
The Joetsu line was opened from Omiya to Niigata in 1982
The Hokuriku line was opened from Tokyo to Nagano (branching off from the Joetsu line) in 1997, but still not fully complete.

Average speed

Between Hiroshima and Kokura the bullet train covers the 192km or 120mile distance in only 44 minutes. It averages a speed of 262km/h or 164mph which is the fastest scheduled train service in the world.

See Also

• The TGV
• The Most rail friendly countries
• Countries operating trains at 300km/h

Related Links

• The Pictures and descriptions of the Bullet Train
• The Shinkansen - Recommended
• The Bullet Train Photo Gallery

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