# JAPAN | High Speed Rail



## hkskyline

*JR East Unveils 360 km/h Bullet Train*

*JR East unveils 360-kph bullet train, world's fastest *
23 June 2005
Kyodo News



















_East Japan Railway Company's next-generation bullet train, which is hoped to achieve the world's fastest speed of 360km per hour (224 mph) in commercial service on wheels, is unveiled in Rifu town, northern Japan, June 24, 2005. The company aims to put the new train into service in 2011, local media reports._

East Japan Railway Co. on Friday unveiled a new shinkansen bullet train in the town of Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture that will operate at a speed of 360 kilometers per hour, possibly the world's fastest. 

The two ends of the jade-colored, eight-car test train named Fastech look different. The first car has a rounded end, while the eighth car has a narrow, sharper end. 

The train is equipped with a braking mechanism that adjusts air resistance in the event of an earthquake or other emergencies using a half-moon device descending from the roof of the train. 

Each car has only one pantograph to reduce noise, down from the two on bullet trains now in operation. 

The test runs between the Miyagi capital of Sendai and Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, will be conducted at a maximum speed of 405 kph. 

JR East aims to put the new train into service in 2011, when the Tohoku Shinkansen Line will begin service between Hachinohe and Shin-Aomori stations in Aomori Prefecture. 

JR East said it also plans to conduct environmental assessment and other studies to develop cars suitable for operating at 360 kph on a commercial basis.


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## pflo777

so they need to build new tracks, or is an upgrade of the old high speed track enough?


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## nikko

What are those orange things?

makes the train look like Mickey Mouse. . .


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## coldstar

nikko said:


> What are those orange things?
> 
> makes the train look like Mickey Mouse. . .


Yup, those are called 'cats' ears' among the railway freaks. They are actually air resistance boards. When Shinakansen slacks up its speed to stop, those boards open from the roof automatically.


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## Thelème

beautiful trains! more pics pleaseeeeeeeee


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## coldstar

Shinkansen Fastec series (regular operation speed 360 km/h, max speed 405 km/h) has two faces.
*Stream line type* and *Arrow line type*










from the left,
Shinkansen E4 series (full double decker), Shinakansen 700 series, Shinkansen Fastec series Stream line type, Fastec series Arrow line type, Shinkansen E2 series, and Shinkansen 500 series.


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## Yappofloyd

This JR East Fastech train looks amazing especially with the pop up 'mini-sail' to assist in slowing down. I guess by 2015 JR will have trains running at near 400 kph or probably by the time the Shin-Amori to Hokkaido Island section gets the go ahead and is perhaps finished by 2020???


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## Bitxofo

Beautiful trains...
:drool:
Domo arigato, Nippo!!
:wink2:


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## sequoias

I think the "cat ears" it won't be enough to stop the train fast, the train is heavy and goes very fast. How can those stop the train with over 1.7 million pounds of force. 
It's a prototype train, I believe...


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## Anekdote

wow the Shinkansen 500 train looks like a needle :runaway:


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## odegaard

coldstar said:


> Yup, those are called 'cats' ears' among the railway freaks. They are actually air resistance boards. When Shinakansen slacks up its speed to stop, those boards open from the roof automatically.


I never knew such things existed. But I think it looks cute.  

I assume those "cat ears" are raised slowly when the train needs to slow down. Popping those things up quickly while the train is at high speeds would probably cause a sudden and hard jerk. 

just a guess?


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## demanjo

sequoias - im sure it would be quite a long process, and not designed to be a 30 second thing.


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## Vapour

sequoias said:


> I think the "cat ears" it won't be enough to stop the train fast, the train is heavy and goes very fast. How can those stop the train with over 1.7 million pounds of force.
> It's a prototype train, I believe...


Obviously the "cat ears" are not meant to stop the train by themselves but to help in reducing speed.


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## coldstar

Tonight JR East has begun the Fastech's test run at a speed of 405 kph!!


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## coldstar

Vapour said:


> Obviously the "cat ears" are not meant to stop the train by themselves but to help in reducing speed.


exactly.
There're 12 cat ears on a train, and those sectoral boards open rotarily to shorten braking distance.


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## PredyGr

coldstar said:


> Tonight JR East has begun the Fastech's test run at a speed of 405 kph!!



Are you sure about that ? I was expecting to reach this speed at a period beyond 5 months, raising the speed steadily.


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## 1822

the cat ears make the train look kinda dumpy, as does its rear end. i like the duck face of the shinkansen 700 though


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## CharlieP

heirloom said:


> the cat ears make the train look kinda dumpy, as does its rear end.


That's a bit like saying that escape chutes make an airliner look saggy, or that fully-deployed airbags make the inside of a car look a bit cramped! The only time you're going to see the cat ears is in an emergency (or, as in the picture, in testing)...


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## 1822

oh ok.. i didnt read carefully


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## empersouf

The second one si cool, but the first one is ugly.


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## coldstar

Soufian said:


> The second one si cool, but the first one is ugly.


agree. It looks like current 500 series, most beautiful train on earth.

Some latest news says ,with those cat ears Fastech's breaking distance is half a mile shorter than normal high speed trains. So effective equipment!

BTW, related article

from _BBC NEWS_
*A bullet train... only with ears *

Japan is beginning trials of the newest and sleekest version of its Shinkansen "Bullet Train" which boasts ear-like air brakes for emergency halts. 
The latest model will travel at up to 360km/h (233mph) but is capable of reaching even higher speeds. 

Its ears - half-moon shaped fins along the roof - are designed for rapid braking in the event of earthquakes. 

The train, expected to be in service by 2011, is a highly-developed version of the original Bullet, launched in 1964. 

Safety first 

Since then, the Shinkansen has acquired an enviable record of safety and punctuality. 

The new Fastech 360S model has a top speed of 405km/h (250mph). 

But the East Japan Railway company, the country's largest rail operator, says creating the world's fastest train was not their only aim. 

"The test runs are to see how the technology designed to ensure safety, reduce noise and swaying [works]. Running faster is not the only goal," a spokesman said. 

Trial runs are expected between the northern Japanese cities of Sendai and Kamikita cities from Saturday. 

The world's fastest trains currently in commercial operation include the Sanyo Shinkansen run by West Japan Railway, the TGV in France and the Eurostar which links London, Brussels and Paris.


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## en

*Video about Shinkansen*

Thread here:

http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=460196#460196

Torrent here:

http://d-addicts.net/torrents/[supertv] shinkansen 100 secrets 04.04.26.wmv.torrent


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## hkskyline

*Japan goes for comfort, ecology in new bullet train *

TOKYO, May 25, 2007 (AFP) - Japan is adding environmental awareness and a bit more comfort in the latest version of its celebrated bullet train which comes into service in July. 

The new N700 model will be gradually rolled out through 2010 on the line between Tokyo and western Japan, the world's busiest passenger track. 

The N700, which cost 260 billion yen (2.1 billion dollars) to develop and build, travels no faster than current bullet trains, reaching a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour (185 miles per hour). 

Instead of trying to beat France's TGV in speed, the N700's joint designers -- private companies Central Japan Railway and West Japan Railway -- have invested in improving comfort levels and the environmental performance. 

The N700 -- which will stop in Kyoto, namesake of the pioneering environmenal treaty -- will use 19 percent less electricity than earlier models, the designers said as they showed the train to the press this week. 

"The substantial reduction in power consumpion and CO2 emissions," a statement said, "contributes significantly to the effort to counter global warming." 

The N700 features a first-class section approaching the comfort level of business class on an airplane, with large chairs that can recline back 120 degrees, adjustable foot-rests and 15-centimeter (six-inch) wide arm-rests. 

Knowing the importance of technology for Japanese customers, the train companies installed an electric plug at every seat -- two in first-class -- along with a jack to plug in headphones to listen to a music selection. 

While the new bullet trains will lack current models' smoking sections, some of the cars will have sealed, ventilated rooms for passengers to light up in. 

Japan inaugurated the bullet trains in 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympics which symbolised the nation's rebirth from the ashes of World War II into a major economic power. 

The bullet train debuted 17 years before France started its TGV, which currently holds the record for the fastest rail service. The latest TGV launched in March goes at an average 320 kph between Paris and the eastern city of Strasbourg.


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## japanese001

*http://n700.jp/*


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## Minato ku

I don't really like the "nose" of new N700, I prefer the design of the 500.


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## Pule

South Africawill be buying trains from Japan from next year until the year 2009. I tried to search on the net to see what kind of trains they will be buying but I couldn't find anything. If anyone of you hav got an information aboit that please post it in South African forum. Thanks.


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## Pule

By the those will be passenger trains.


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## Skywalk

I am not sure if my question fits here but I am looking for a video which shows one Shinkansen train - Nozomi or Hikari - overtaking a Kodama train while the latter waits at a station. I want to see how long the Kodama train has to wait until it can depart again.

Of course, there are plenty of videos on youTube showing such an overtaking manoevre, but I couldn't find one which shows it, including the arrival of the Kodama, the overtaking by the Nozomi or Hikari and the departure of the Kodama, in full length.

Does anybody happen to know where I could find such a video?


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## japanese001

*A world's first hybrid train&NY subway&toy train*

Diesel engine and storage battery Hybrid train [koumi]
Fuel economy 10% reduction 
NOx60% reduction









One more
Kawasaki accepted an order of 260 vehicles from an NY subway. I became 1,939 of them in this at the bureau and became the top.

One more
toy train debut[OMODEN]


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## M.Schwerdtner

i recorded a video of an Nozomi wich ride cross the Shinkansen Station "Shin-Himeji". I´ll try to upload in YouTube, the i gonna post in here. Here are some pics of Nozomis and Hiraki "RailStar".
I also prefer the Design of the N500, it looks more like a Jet as a train. But i think they dont care about the design, they only want a highspeed bullettrain. Designed for speed.

Pics are all taken by myself.

Nozomi cross Shimbashi









JR500 ... <3 this train 


















JR700









Hikari RailStar


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## hkskyline

*Shinkansen to link Osaka, Kagoshima in 4 hours *
14 October 2007
Daily Yomiuri










OSAKA--An envisaged Shinkansen train service will directly link Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima Chuo stations in about four hours--one hour faster than the service using existing lines--with no transfers, sources said Saturday. 

According to the sources, Kyushu Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. have agreed to start a Shinkansen service joining the Kyushu Shinkansen line, which will begin full operations in spring 2011, and the Sanyo Shinkansen line. The agreement is expected to be officially announced next week. 

JR Kyushu and JR West plan to develop new trains that are compatible with both Shinkansen lines' operation systems, based on the N700 Series used for Nozomi services. 

The firms will continue to discuss the timetables of the new service. 

The Kyushu Shinkansen's 137.6-kilometer section between Shin-Yatsushiro Station in Kumamoto Prefecture and Kagoshima Chuo Station in Kagoshima Prefecture was opened in March 2004. The remaining section between Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture and Shin-Yatsushiro Station is now under construction. 

Flying between Osaka and Kagoshima or Kumamoto airports takes about 70 minutes. JR Kyushu, JR West and Central Japan Railway Co. reached a basic agreement in November to join the Kyushu and Sanyo Shinkansen lines to offer a faster service. Both airports are located an hour away from downtown by bus. The railway operators, therefore, expect the new direct service using Shinkansen lines, with which passengers will not have to transfer at Hakata Station, will have an advantage over airline services.


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## M.Schwerdtner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V30hIg5K7I8

ok, done ... here´s the vid ... =) ... sry, dont know how to create a youtube window for click, so click the link


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## city_thing

Here you go M.Schwerdtner.

Very good clip!


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## burningbaka

Cockpit View (500 Series) Part 1


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## Songoten2554

the shinkansen is one the grandest high speed railways systems in the world and of course it is still expanding and opening new routes and new places to invest on


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## xXFallenXx

the 500 looks a lot better than the 700.


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## hkskyline

*FOCUS: New Shinkansen carriages employ high-speed, lightweight technology *
Kyodo News

TOKYO, Nov. 21 -- The new superexpress bullet trains running on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines employ state-of-the-art Japanese high speed and lightweight technology. 

Introduced in July on the 1,174.9-kilometer line between Tokyo and Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu, the new coaches called the ''N700 series'' are replete with cutting-edge materials and parts that make them lighter, allow them to run faster and give a more comfortable ride to passengers than other carriages in operation. 

The latest bullet trains are capable of traveling the distance of 552 kilometers between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations in two hours and 25 minutes at top speed, trimming five minutes from the time required by other Shinkansen trains. The travel time between the stations was three hours and 10 minutes when the superexpress train service was inaugurated in 1964, the year Japan hosted the first summer Olympic Games in Asia. 

The five-minute reduction is made possible by the newest and most advanced technology -- a train tilting system that allows the body of the coaches to slant and negotiate curves at high speed. The system provides not only an improvement in speed but a more comfortable ride for passengers. 

Air springs, each measuring about 66 centimeters in diameter and weighing about 44 kilograms, comprise the key part of the system and are manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. of Osaka and other firms. When the N700 series coaches approach a curve on the track, air directed by the system raises the height of the springs on the outer side by several centimeters, slanting the angle of the body one degree from the horizontal level. 

The weight of the springs in the N700 series is about 10 percent lighter than those used in coaches of the 700 series, which have been the mainstay of the Shinkansen line. The N700 series, with ''N'' standing for new or next, has been jointly developed by Central Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. 

Some N700 coaches are already operating on Nozomi train services -- the fastest category -- but JR Central and JR West plan to expand operations to 96 services by the end of fiscal 2011 to replace the Nozomis. 

The new carriages are about eight tons lighter than those of the 700 series, saving energy, and a special polycarbonate developed by Teijin Chemicals Ltd. of Tokyo has been adopted for windows instead of the double glazing installed in ordinary class coaches. 

The windows, 50 cm wide and 52 cm high, are smaller than the windows in the 700 series. In terms of unit area, the weight of an N700 car is about 30 percent lighter than a carriage of the 700 series. Officials said that air resistance has been reduced as the new windows can be installed without a protruding edge. 

Polycarbonates are strong and unbreakable but vulnerable to scratches. 

Teijin Chemicals enhanced durability by applying a special coating to the surface of the windows. It also developed a new technique to minimize distortion when viewing out that employs an injection molding machine to make windows from resin poured into a metal mold. 

Polyester cushions made by Teijin Fibers Ltd. of Osaka are used in the passenger seats. Urethane was previously used but polyester is said to be more resilient and durable, and generates only small amounts of harmful gases in the event of fire. 

Teijin Fibers is expected to deliver polyester material for more than 60,000 passenger seats to JR Central and JR West. 

Manufacturers supplying parts and materials to the railway companies have complained that they are unable to make a profit due to costs. They are hoping to tap into new markets in other areas such as automobiles and airplanes in the future.


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## japanese001

*Govt to urge Brazil to buy Shinkansen*

The government has decided to promote domestic Shinkansen technology for Brazil's 500-kilometer high-speed railway project, it was learned Sunday. 

After the results of a feasibility study currently being conducted by the Brazilian government are announced, the government will officially ask Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to select the Shinkansen system during a visit to Japan that he is scheduled to make in 2008. 

If the Japanese system is chosen for the project, it will follow the sale of Shinkansen trains to Taiwan and Shinkansen-related technology to China. 

Marking the centenary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in Brazil, 2008 is Japan-Brazil exchange year. The government is hoping to mark this occasion by making the Shinkansen the new symbol of the friendly and cooperative ties between the two nations. 

The proposed project features a line from Rio de Janeiro to Campinas, running through the country's largest city, Sao Paulo, featuring a total of six stations. The high-speed line will have a maximum speed of 250 to 300 kph. 

The Brazilian government has conducted a study to determine whether the plan is feasible. The details of the project are expected to be released in early 2008. 

According to sources, the total construction cost is estimated at about 2 trillion yen. If the Shinkansen is chosen, the contract is expected to be worth several hundred billion yen to domestic firms through the sale of train cars and related technology. 

Subsequent phases of the project are expected to extend the line to about 1,500 kilometers, stretching between Belo Horizonte to the north of Rio de Janeiro and Curitiba to the south of Sao Paulo. 

South Korea, Germany and France are among the other nations to have shown interest in bidding for the project. The government, and particularly the Foreign Ministry, therefore plan to step up diplomatic moves to promote the superexpress to the Brazilian government. 

The government also is hoping to invite senior Brazilian government officials, including presidential aides, to visit Japan and have them try the Shinkansen as part of efforts to promote the sale. 

The government has already briefed the Brazilian government on the performance of the Shinkansen in Taiwan, where a 345-kilometer line entered full operation in March 2007. 

According to the ministry, the Brazilian government is planning to decide on the prime contractor for the project through a bidding process in 2009. 

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20071231TDY01306.htm


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## hornnieguy

Japan and Brazil have always made for good partnerships. 

Japanese techno cool and Brazilian sensualness.


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## Dan

Whatever they go for I just hope for a fast process with all this. The SP-Rio connections right now are really dreadful and a high speed train line is desperately needed, asap.


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## Momo1435

asahi said:


> @Momo1435: It's 700 series in the picture, not 500


Oops :wallbash:


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## Gag Halfrunt

JR-fan said:


> Look the cockpits from same ages (mid 90's) trains:


I would imagine that the TGV Duplex cockpit was designed to be similar to older TGV models, so that drivers could switch over without retraining.

By the way, TRAXX locomotives are made by the German branch of Bombardier, formerly ADtranz, and development began before Bombardier acquired the business.


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## Ginger Tosser

JR-fan said:


> *Type 500*


Nice picture, you can see where Taito got the idea for the Densha de Go Shinkansen controller from!


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## 2co2co

....HOW MANY GAMES HAVE YOU GOT THERE??

2 game cubes, I can see a SNES, and is that Playstation as well?


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## Huhu

Looks like there's a Genesis and an Xbox too.


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## mr.suroy

*Fast Trains do not brake immediately*

I happened to watch a documentary about the experimental Fastech in NHK world. I think I heard that in one of the experiments, the Fastech, while travelling at 300kph, needs 3.8 km of rail to stop completely, without any awkward sensation inside the train(being thrown to the front). It is like an airplane, that needs long runway for landing. Good things is, trains like Fastech, consider both speed and comfort in travel, whereas other commuter trains would not bother to see if the passengers already have their faces sticking on the glass while braking.


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## nouveau.ukiyo

According to, I think, the Wikipedia article for Shinkansen, any speed increases on the current Shinkansen network is "too fast." It's because at those speeds there is excessive track and catenary wear. In a way, we've reached the current limit of railway speeds, unless a way to counter the wear is found and economical to introduce. Unfortunately, the next evolution, maglev, is cost prohibitive as well. I think JR Central's plan to build one from Nagoya to Tokyo is preposterous, as it will cost (currently) $25 billion dollars and won't even extend all the way to Kansai. 

Nevertheless, Japan's current system is quite good and already quite fast, so the need for higher speeds isn't really needed. Now if they could expand the network a bit and lower those ticket prices, that would be great. And more importantly, they should work on marketing Shinkansen technology to other countries. They'd get some revenue out of it and be able to experiment more as well; in way, they could out source the development of Shinkansen technology, lowering costs and speeding up development. They are starting to do this, but it's taken along time (introduced in 1964 and only recently they start to take the technology abroad?)


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## Chafford1

nouveau.ukiyo said:


> According to, I think, the Wikipedia article for Shinkansen, any speed increases on the current Shinkansen network is "too fast." It's because at those speeds there is excessive track and catenary wear. In a way, we've reached the current limit of railway speeds, unless a way to counter the wear is found and economical to introduce.
> 
> Nevertheless, Japan's current system is quite good and already quite fast, so the need for higher speeds isn't really needed.


The Fastech production trains will run at 320km/h from 2011 rather than the originally planned 360 km/h, which bears out your point that high speed has to be economically viable.


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## lindow

JR Central started construction of Maglev. On the other hand, JR East aims at the speedup of the Shinkansen. but the leading role of the high speed railway will be Maglev.


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## richardrli

Is Shinkansen faster than the TGV?


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## Minato ku

No.


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## Insane alex

cant see the pics!


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## ddes

It feels so disappointing for Japan.

The Fastech 360 will only operate at 320km/h, while the French with the AGV, as well as the Siemens Velaro (which is running at 350km/h in China and soon Spain) will operate at considerably higher speeds.


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## trainrover

Insane alex said:


> cant see the pics!


*ditto *


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## japanese001

*Kawasaki Plans High-Speed Trains to Win Orders in US, Brazil, Russia, India, Vietnam*

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Japan's largest maker of rail cars, will develop trains able to run as fast as 350 kilometers (217 miles) an hour, aiming to win orders from the U.S., Brazil and emerging markets. 

The efSET, as the new train will be called, will use the Shinkansen high-speed technology and be ready by March 2010, Kobe, Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy said today in a faxed statement. The maximum speed of the trains running on the Shinkansen, a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan, is 300 kilometers an hour. 

Kawasaki Heavy will seek contracts as developed and emerging economies build 10,000 kilometers of high-speed rail links in the next 20 years, according to the statement.

　川崎重工は、新型高速鉄道車両「ｅｆＳＥＴ（イーエフセット）※」の開発に着手することを決定しました。今回の新型高速鉄道車両の自社開発は、世界市場に照準を合わせた自主的な車両開発であり、これまで国内外で展開してきた案件毎の車両開発とは異なる全く新しい取り組みで、高速鉄道車両の分野では、日本の鉄道車両メーカーとして初めての取り組みになります。

　今回当社が開発する高速鉄道車両は、営業運転速度３５０ｋｍ／ｈを実現するとともに、これまで国内の新幹線車両の設計で培った乗客の快適性向上や周辺環境への負荷低減を実現する技術を適用した新型車両で、２００９年度末までに開発を完了する予定です。

　当社は、１９６４年に営業運転を開始した０系新幹線から、最新鋭の新幹線車両に至る国内向け新幹線車両の設計・製造に永く携わってきた鉄道車両メーカーであり、高速鉄道車両の設計・製造に関する豊富な実績およびノウハウを有しています。また、当社は２００４年に台湾高速鉄道向け７００Ｔ型車両、２００６年に中国鉄道部向けＣＲＨ２型車両を納入した実績を有し、これら車両の良好な運行実績からアジア地域における高速鉄道車両市場での基礎を築いてきました。

　鉄道車両は温暖化ガス排出量が少ない大量輸送手段として、世界的に重要性が見直されており、都市間移動の主要交通手段として高速鉄道の導入が世界的に検討されつつあります。現在、アメリカ、ブラジル、ロシア、インド、ベトナムなどの国々が高速鉄道の具体的な新規建設計画を進め、世界中で今後２０年程度の期間で１０，０００ｋｍ前後の高速鉄道路線が増設される予定であり、これに応じた高速鉄道車両の需要が見込まれています。

　こうした市場環境のもと、欧州の鉄道車両メーカーも自社開発の高速鉄道車両の開発・市場投入を進めており、当社は欧州列強との競争に勝ち切り、世界市場での受注を獲得するためには、世界基準に沿った自社開発の高速鉄道車両が必要と判断し、今回の開発を決断しました。開発に際しては、国内鉄道事業者ならびに国内外の機器・部品メーカーからの協力を得ながら、ユーザーフレンドリーで信頼性の高い高速鉄道車両開発を進める予定です。

　当社は、今回の新型高速鉄道車両の開発を機に、今後も鉄道車両ビジネスの拡大および収益力向上を実現していくとともに、より快適で優れた交通手段の提供を通じて世界規模で社会に貢献していきます。


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## SimFox

just ads it happened with cars HS trains also become look a likes... pity.


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## japanese001

*1st generation bullet train will be retired : SHINKANSEN*

OSAKA--The 0 Series Shinkansen, the original model that debuted with the opening of the Shinkansen network in 1964, will be retired from service in mid-December, having made a lasting impression on the imagination of the public and on the lives of the people who worked on them. 

Regular operations of the 0 Series Shinkansen, which currently run daily on the West Japan Railway Co.'s Sanyo Shinkansen line between Osaka and Fukuoka, will conclude at the end of November. 

By that time, 0 Series trains will have traveled a combined total distance equivalent to 30,000 times the circumference of the Earth. 

The 0 Series is scheduled to run for a further three days in mid-December so that passengers can bid farewell to the engineering landmark. 

"The thought of not seeing the trains run again makes me feel sad," says Kiyoshi Tamura, a vice chief at the JR West Hakata Shinkansen train yard in Nakagawamachi, Fukuoka Prefecture, who has been involved in the repair and design of Shinkansen trains since joining the firm--then Japanese National Railways--in 1978. 

Tamura, 55, will retire next spring, just months after the 0 Series ferries its final passengers. 

Unlike modern aluminum-constructed trains, the steel-constructed 0 Series models are prone to corrosion, with rainwater causing rust to form on the cars. 

"Sometimes passengers have claimed that rainwater [leaking through holes] got into their bento boxes. The trains need frequent repair work, and strange noises occur if we don't take care of them," Tamura said. 

Tamura's former duties also involved controlling the air pressure inside the cars. The Sanyo Shinkansen line, running between Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka and Hakata Station in Fukuoka, passes through a series of tunnels, and passengers can experience discomfort in their ears if the air pressure is not sufficiently maintained. 

He said, "I had to stay alert for the slightest gaps in window seals and other places." To Tamura, the 0 Series was "a child that caused a lot of trouble." 

On the day of the 0 Series' final run, however, Tamura will stand at his favorite viewing spot, a place he discovered in Yamaguchi Prefecture, so he will be able to forever recall the sight of the 0 Series speeding by. 

One former Shinkansen worker who was initially less sentimental about the trains is Terunobu Utsunomiya, 58, now the acting director of the Kyushu Railway History Museum in Kitakyushu. He admits that, when he first worked on the 0 Series Shinkansen as a dining car staffer, he was not particularly fond of the trains. 

"I felt that the 0 Series didn't capture the romance of travel and that it didn't have the relaxed atmosphere of other express trains," he said. 

His feelings prompted him to resign from his post, but after the more modern 100 Series made its debut, Utsunomiya had a change of heart and developed an affection for the 0 Series. 

He returned to work on the 0 Series, and served there as the dining car chief from 1991 to 1995, when the service was removed from 0 Series trains. 

At that time, the country was enjoying the last days of the bubble economy, and the Shinkansen's seats were full of workers on business trips. Utsunomiya recalls: "The bento boxes we made in the dining car were snapped up. I even got an extra bonus!" 

The job was no piece of cake, though. Utsunomiya had to remain standing throughout the journey, as the train shook and trembled. By the end of his shift, his knees would be shaking with fatigue. 

"Both I and the 0 Series worked hard," he said. 

Utsunomiya hopes one of the 0 Series trains will be added to the exhibits at the Kitakyushu museum, to sit alongside its JNR steam locomotive and other precious railway memorabilia. 

"I'd like to care for the weary train cars that have been running for so long," he says. 
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081118TDY04301.htm


----------



## serdar samanlı1

Sad news. I hope they will preserve some of them in museums


----------



## wonwiin

Hopefully some sets will be donated to technic museums around the world.


----------



## Momo1435

This was not only the 1st dedicated high speed trains, they're also the 1st series of High Speed Train that goes into retirement. A well deserved retirement for these pioneers of highspeed rail travel after 44 years of active duty. Right now with the N700, already the 5th generation of Shinkansen doing it's runs on the Tokaido Shinkansen (0 -> 300 -> 500 -> 700 -> N700) continuing the legend.

さよなら新幹線0系電車


----------



## ruready1000

Congratulation for honorable retirement.

JR 0 series special section : This section have many interesting contents about 0 series.


----------



## riles28

Series 0 is the mother of all bullet train in japan. Is a legacy and a memory foreever. 
Bye series0.


----------



## riles28

We miss you so much.


----------



## Bitxofo

serdar samanlı;28707190 said:


> Sad news. I hope they will preserve some of them in museums


They could donate them to poor countries...


----------



## Railfan

:lol: :lol:


----------



## Tri-ring

I wonder if anyone on this forum is going to ride the memorial run of the O-kei Shinkansen scheduled on Dec 15(?) this year.
I heard the seats were all sold out after 5 minutes in start of sales.:lol:


----------



## DJZG

sad news... but 1964 train is really old... 
farewell 0 series...:hi:


----------



## Timon91

44 years is quite long to serve, so it did a good job. Bye bye 0 series


----------



## Tri-ring

if you compare it with airliners you'll understand how marvelous this piece of engineering is.
It is older than the original A300,Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, 737, DC-9 or the 747.


----------



## 33Hz

wonwiin said:


> Hopefully some sets will be donated to technic museums around the world.


Yes, there is already one in the UK.

http://www.nrm.org.uk/exhibitions/shinkansen/start.asp


----------



## phattonez

Bitxofo said:


> They could donate them to poor countries...


Or donate them to the US. :lol:


----------



## Svartmetall

These trains are absolute icons, nothing short of engineering marvels of the time. Japan paved the way for high speed passenger rail and the whole of the world has them to thank. 

I'm sure they'll be missed, but progress is still a good thing as they are getting a little old now.


----------



## Andrew

It's amazing that they're only now retiring them, it's testament to how good the engineering was. Incredible machines!


----------



## kobuta

remember that the '0-series' Shinkansen were still being built until 1986. Even so by Shinkansen terms where the trains have a normal lifespan of 15 years these final machines are quite old at 22 years old. There are many '100-series' Shinkansen which have already been retired and the remaining now only form short 4-6 car workings as Kodama trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen only.


----------



## ARailSystemsEngineer

phattonez said:


> Or donate them to the US. :lol:


I think the US would prefer a few old HST 125s; electrification would be expensive, and the old Shinkansens are not particularly fast by today's standards (220 kph compared to 200 kph for the 125 - about the same as the world record for a steam train).
I don't know how shinkansens would cope on mixed-traffic lines

Rse


----------



## Tri-ring

ARailSystemsEngineer said:


> I think the US would prefer a few old HST 125s; electrification would be expensive, and the old Shinkansens are not particularly fast by today's standards (220 kph compared to 200 kph for the 125 - about the same as the world record for a steam train).
> I don't know how shinkansens would cope on mixed-traffic lines
> 
> Rse


Yeah, I guess the Americans would like something newer than the old 0-series which start building in 1964 while the Intercity 125 only began production in 1975.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125


----------



## burningbaka

Japanese Google...


----------



## hkskyline

*First model of Japan's bullet train runs for final time *
14 December 2008
Agence France Presse

The first ever model of Japan's world-famous bullet train Sunday enjoyed its farewell run, its operator said, 44 years after it transformed overland travel.

The first bullet trains -- known as the Shinkansen in Japan -- were rolled out to the world's awe for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as one of the symbolic events to mark the nation's recovery from the ashes of World War II.

The first model, the zero-kei (zero-series), was called the "dream superexpress", and attracted legions of train fanatics around the globe.

As technology progressed, so did the bullet trains, becoming lighter and faster, with the latest N700-series running as fast as 300 kilometres (186 miles) per hour.

The zero-series, which runs at 220 kph, was pulled from commercial service in late November before the symbolic last run on Sunday, operator West Japan Railway Co. said.

Another bullet train operator, Central Japan Railway Co., hopes to put magnetically levitated trains into operation by 2025 as a successor to the bullet trains.

The planned maglev line would whisk passengers from Tokyo to central Nagoya at more than 500 kph.


----------



## hkskyline

*Computer glitch disrupts Japan's bullet trains *
29 December 2008
Agence France Presse

Services on dozens of Japan's bullet trains were disrupted Monday due to a computer glitch, delaying more than 65,000 passengers during the busy New Year's season, the operator said.

East Japan Railway Co. halted five lines of the bullet train in northeastern Japan for three hours before restarting them, a company spokesman said.

"We had a problem with our operating system and an investigation is under way," the spokesman said.

A total of 79 services were cancelled and 37 others were delayed, affecting 65,400 passengers in the morning.

The trouble came a day after heavy snow and strong winds separately forced the company to suspend 35 bullet train services, also in eastern and northern Japan, affecting more than 30,000 passengers.

New Year's Day is the most important holiday for many Japanese, who pack trains and planes as they travel across the country to spend time with loved ones.

The bullet train -- or Shinkansen -- was introduced as the world's fastest rail service in the run-up to the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, showcasing Japan's technological prowess as it rebuilt from World War II.


----------



## bobbybishop

Shinkansen is by far the best trains I have seen.

They all look and function great.


----------



## honwai1983

Hope JR East improve the stability of computer system & Signal system.
I know JR East is planning to upgrade the existing signal system to (Distance-to-go) mode.

It may increase the line capacity and shorten journey time.


Japanese shinkansen, is the best HSR system I have ever seen.


----------



## japanese001

ＪＲ東日本は３日、２０１３年春に東北新幹線で時速３２０キロ運転を始める新型車（Ｅ５系）のデザインを発表した。現在、１０両編成の量産先行車を製造中で、今年夏から試運転を始める。 

　新型車は上半分を緑、下を白、中央にピンクのラインで塗装し、「未来を感じさせる先進的なイメージとスピード感」を表したという。シートや内装は茶や赤など暖色系でまとめた。 

　設計費を含めると、１編成が４５億円。１５年度までに計５９本を投入する。 

　東北新幹線は１０年１２月、現在の八戸から新青森まで延伸される。新型車は１１年春から営業運転を始めるが、当初は国内最高タイの時速３００キロで走行する。３２０キロ運転になれば、東京―新青森間は最速３時間５分で結ばれる。


----------



## serdar samanlı1

http://kentvedemiryolu.com/icerik.php?id=460

There is a photo showin a bullet train calling at historic Kyoto station


----------



## Momo1435

^^ I wouldn't call Kyoto's station historical. 

~~~~~~~
And the E5, wow it will take some time to get used to, it's like an extreme version of the N700. Luckily this summer the 1st trail runs will start, I want to see how it looks for real.


----------



## G5man

Momo1435 said:


> ^^ I wouldn't call Kyoto's station historical.
> 
> ~~~~~~~
> And the E5, wow it will take some time to get used to, it's like an extreme version of the N700. Luckily this summer the 1st trail runs will start, I want to see how it looks for real.


Technical wise it will probably be better than the N700, aesthetic wise, I think I like the 700 series the best, not a huge duck bill or alligator mouth like the N700 and E5.


----------



## zergcerebrates

*Kyushu Tsubame*














































Flickr


----------



## hoosier

Bullet trains are so bad ass!!

They scream coolness and speed.


----------



## superchan7

Japan's definitely got their HSR train styling under control.

Oh wait, there's the N700...and the Fastech....nevermind.


----------



## Skybean

source: http://flickr.com/photos/edgarleo/sets/72157606976386140/?page=2


----------



## UD2

so why did the render the JR500 obsolete again?


----------



## loefet

^ It's not obsolete just yet.
It's just JR Central that have decided that JR West (who owns the trains) are no longer allowed to run the 500 series on the Tokaido line, especially since the new N700 makes the run faster and more economical then the 500 ever did.

JR west on the other hand have shortened (some?) the trains and use them to replace the old 0-series (withdrawn on 14 December 2008) on the Kodama service on the Sanyo line.


----------



## sumisu

superchan7 said:


> Japan's definitely got their HSR train styling under control.
> 
> Oh wait, there's the N700...and the Fastech....nevermind.


wasn't the N700 designed aesthetically by a German?

Ah, no it wasn't! ha.


----------



## bluemeansgo

The FasTech Dolphin nose (Stream) was nice looking.









But they chose the Arrow (for noise and performance reasons, I believe)


----------



## serdar samanlı1

Where do bullets call at Tokyo? Do they use the historic Tokyo Station or have they their own dedicated station?


----------



## Momo1435

serdar samanlı;31877428 said:


> Where do bullets call at Tokyo? Do they use the historic Tokyo Station or have they their own dedicated station?


The 2 terminals of the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Tohoku Shinkansen are located at Tokyo station, but there's no connection between the two lines. The two terminals are at the other side of the station then the historic building. 

There are 2 more Shinkansen stations in Tokyo at Shinagawa and Ueno.


----------



## chuckthomas

JR-fan said:


> ^^I can' t understand where is your problem.
> Isn' t Japan the birthplace of High Speed Trains or they aren't the leading nation in railway technology ?


both statements are correct.


----------



## 2co2co

chuckthomas said:


> both statements are correct.


......"birthplace" is a bit questionable, but if you talk about commercially operational high-speed trains, then yes. The best rail technology? - I don't know about if it's the "best", but the only significant rival is the French.


----------



## FML

It seems Japan has one of the best railway technologies in the world, but it naturally suits to Japanese environment; a mountainous land with extremely dense population. French/German technologies, on the other hand, suits better to less densely populated area with less mountainous terrain, that is, pretty much anywhere else but Japan.


----------



## japanese001

*「４００系新幹線つばさ」来年度内に引退*

平成４年７月から山形新幹線「つばさ」として営業運転を始めた「４００系」が来年度内に姿を消す。新幹線区間を時速２４０キロ、在来線区間を１３０キロで走り、東京～山形間を乗り換えなしの２時間２７分で結んだ最先端車両だった。全１２編成中２編成は既に引退、残る１０編成も後継の「Ｅ３系２０００番台」に役割を譲ることになった。

〈ハンサムな顔ですね～。ところでこの鼻の部分、何かが隠されています。ジャカジャン♪　ここには自動連結器が入っています。おっと出てきましたね～〉

小泉今日子さんと４００系が“共演”した山形新幹線開業を知らせるＣＭの一コマ。ロボットのように先端部が左右に開き、連結器がスムーズに出てくるシーンに鉄道ファンの目は奪われた。

「カバーが開閉する最初に流れたテレビコマーシャルのインパクトが強かった」と振り返るのは東京都東村山市の自営業、林昭夫さん（４２）。旅行のついでではなく４００系を撮影するために妻子を連れて東京駅を訪れた。

林さんは「フロントの曲線が０系っぽくて（後継の）Ｅ３系よりも好き」と話し、２階建てのＥ４系「やまびこ」を連結して出発する様子をカメラに収めていた。

４００系はＪＲ東日本が民営化後に初めて手掛けた新幹線。在来線と新幹線を直通するという、当時としては常識外の発想で誕生した。同社は「開発の先端を歩んだ車両。『お疲れさまでした』と言いたい」とねぎらう。

在来線を走るには車体の大きさが制限されるにもかかわらず、新幹線用と在来線用に保安装置などの機器類を二重に備える必要があった。そして一番苦労したのは、本線を走るフルサイズの新幹線と分割併合するための自動連結装置の開発だった。

車種の違う新幹線車両の分割併合は初めて。ただ連結器をぶつけるだけではない。先端のカバーが左右に開いて一度引くような動きをしてから連結器がぐっと出てくる。順を追ったロボットのような動きは何回も試験を繰り返して実現したという。

前途多難が予想されたこともあった。

量産先行車が試験走行を実施していたころ。緑の帯が入る前のメタリックグレーの車体を見た子供が「まだ色塗ってな～い」と話しているのを聞き、開発担当者は落胆した。

メンテナンスは大変でも斬新さを出すためにあえて採用した色だが、新幹線といえば「白」の時代だっただけに、地元の山形県にデザインを説明したときも反応は芳しくなかったという。

デビュー後、心配は杞憂（きゆう）に終わる。

平成４年７月に山形新幹線「つばさ」として営業運転を開始。当初６両編成だったが、需要に応える形で３年後に１両増結し７両編成となる。福島駅で新幹線を降り、少し離れた在来線ホームまで歩く必要はない。多くの乗客が便利さを実感したのだ。

心配されたメタリックグレーの外観も好評を博し、鉄道アイドルの木村裕子さんが「彼氏は４００系つばさ」と公言するなど、人気の高い新幹線車種の１つになった。デザインは後継のＥ３系２０００番台にも継承されている。


----------



## taikoo.city

Momo1435 said:


> The 2 terminals of the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Tohoku Shinkansen are located at Tokyo station, but there's no connection between the two lines. The two terminals are at the other side of the station then the historic building.
> 
> There are 2 more Shinkansen stations in Tokyo at Shinagawa and Ueno.


According to some Youtube videos their platforms are right next to each other, so I guess it'll be easy to connect their tracks if that's the case...


----------



## honwai1983

taikoo.city said:


> According to some Youtube videos their platforms are right next to each other, so I guess it'll be easy to connect their tracks if that's the case...



According to Website Mapion.co.jp , there is no track connection between two Shinkansen


----------



## Tri-ring

taikoo.city said:


> According to some Youtube videos their platforms are right next to each other, so I guess it'll be easy to connect their tracks if that's the case...





honwai1983 said:


> According to Website Mapion.co.jp , there is no track connection between two Shinkansen


No they are not connected, yes it is easy to connect them since the platforms are right next to each other.
Finally no I do not think they will connect each other since developing a time diagram will be a bxtch and not many people travels from ex. Nagoya to Sendai.


----------



## Momo1435

There could be problems with interoperability because the technical specifications of both lines are not the same. At least the power supply and the automatic train protection are different, but something like difference in height of the overhead lines might also be a problem for the Shinkansen.


----------



## bluemeansgo

2co2co said:


> ......"birthplace" is a bit questionable, but if you talk about commercially operational high-speed trains, then yes. The best rail technology? - I don't know about if it's the "best", but the only significant rival is the French.


Depends on what one considers "best"

It's entirely subjective.

Fast acceleration, quiet, safe. all Hallmarks of the Japanese system. However, if one puts speed into the mix and says speed is what makes it the best, there are faster systems out there.

I don't think the Shinkansen is only suitable to Japan. I just don't think the Japanese have really had the opportunity to market it outside of Japan.

Probably has to do with cost. I'd imagine that the Shinkansen system is more expensive to build... but that's just conjecture.


----------



## FML

Here are the estimated costs of current TGV/ICE/Shinkansen lines:
TGV (LGV Rhin-Rhône): 14 million USD per km
TGV (LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire): 33 million USD per km
ICE (Cologne–Frankfurt): 43 million USD per km
Shinkansen (Hokuriku, Kyushu): 70 million USD per km

To be fair, Shinkansen is particularly expensive as newer lines are essentially massive subways; something like 80% of whole line is underground, to go through the mountainous terrain, to avoid noise problem, and to avoid buying landed properties which would be even more expensive than making tunnels.​
I don't bash Shinkansen. I do think it is one of, if not _the_ best high-speed rail in the world, historically and technologically.
Nonetheless, it's natural many countries would choose something faster and cheaper - only those who has very busy corridor (thus need higher capacity) would seriously consider Japanese high-speed.


----------



## 2co2co

FML said:


> Here are the estimated costs of current TGV/ICE/Shinkansen lines:
> TGV (LGV Rhin-Rhône): 14 million USD per km
> TGV (LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire): 33 million USD per km
> ICE (Cologne–Frankfurt): 43 million USD per km
> Shinkansen (Hokuriku, Kyushu): 70 million USD per km


How many kilometers are tunnels out of these lines?


----------



## loefet

FML said:


> Here are the estimated costs of current TGV/ICE/Shinkansen lines:
> TGV (LGV Rhin-Rhône): 14 million USD per km
> TGV (LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire): 33 million USD per km
> ICE (Cologne–Frankfurt): 43 million USD per km
> Shinkansen (Hokuriku, Kyushu): 70 million USD per km


Another thing that makes the cost for a Shinkansen lines higher are that the part not built underground are elevated, where as most TGV and ICE lines are in ground level and also that most countries in Europe are relatively flat in comparison with Japan.


----------



## riles28

*Series E5 Hayate service soon for Hokkaido Shinkansen Line*



japanese001 said:


> ＪＲ東日本は３日、２０１３年春に東北新幹線で時速３２０キロ運転を始める新型車（Ｅ５系）のデザインを発表した。現在、１０両編成の量産先行車を製造中で、今年夏から試運転を始める。
> 
> 新型車は上半分を緑、下を白、中央にピンクのラインで塗装し、「未来を感じさせる先進的なイメージとスピード感」を表したという。シートや内装は茶や赤など暖色系でまとめた。
> 
> 設計費を含めると、１編成が４５億円。１５年度までに計５９本を投入する。
> 
> 東北新幹線は１０年１２月、現在の八戸から新青森まで延伸される。新型車は１１年春から営業運転を始めるが、当初は国内最高タイの時速３００キロで走行する。３２０キロ運転になれば、東京―新青森間は最速３時間５分で結ばれる。


This new Shinkansen is for the New Hokkaido Shinkansen Line as the tohuko line extend the line to hokkaido in city of hakodate. This tran basically based in the test rain they introduced the Fastech 360. So we will wait for this trainn to roll out soon.


----------



## amirtaheri

I know some may disagree, but that is one horrendously ugly train!


----------



## G5man

amirtaheri said:


> I know some may disagree, but that is one horrendously ugly train!


I will agree on this one, it is not aesthetically pleasing. I would prefer something in the area of a 700 that could run 320 km/h. The 700T can do 315 km/h, perhaps working off of that might lead to 320 km/h, the max speed that will be allowed on Tohoku Shinkansen.


----------



## Skybean

:drool:









source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisjongkind/3264105931/


----------



## keber

bluemeansgo said:


> The FasTech Dolphin nose (Stream) was nice looking.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But they chose the Arrow (for noise and performance reasons, I believe)


I'm wondering, how big is the difference in noise and performance between both shapes.
I wouldn't be surprised, if it is it only few percent.


----------



## PredyGr

If that helps, the arrow line produces 10% smaller static pressure wave than the stream line.


----------



## Momo1435

On the Fasttech I even like the arrow-line nose better then the stream-line nose.


----------



## Coccodrillo

FML said:


> Here are the estimated costs of current TGV/ICE/Shinkansen lines:
> TGV (LGV Rhin-Rhône): 14 million USD per km
> TGV (LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire): 33 million USD per km
> ICE (Cologne–Frankfurt): 43 million USD per km
> Shinkansen (Hokuriku, Kyushu): 70 million USD per km





2co2co said:


> How many kilometers are tunnels out of these lines?


We can say that French HSL don't have tunnels at all. There are very few tunnels, the longest being the proposed 4 km tunnel throught hills on the LGV Est (not yet built), and the urban tunnel of Marseille (7 km).
LGV Rhin-Rhône: only one 2 km tunnel
LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire: probably nothing (except maybe some short artificial tunnels)
The exception is the planned Lyon-Turin line (France-Italy), with about...120 km of tunnels on a 150 km line.

The Cologne–Frankfurt line has about 33 km of tunnels in a 170 km line.

The Bologna-Firenze line has 73 out 78 km underground and costed about 100 millions USD per km.


----------



## davsot

Let's ignite some fresh, healthy debate.  
Does Japan have the most ridership levels? Most km of HSR track? Were they indeed the birthplace of HSR? (i thought they were...)

According to Wikipedia, the first HSR was the Italian ETR 200... Wait, that means its hard to define a "birthplace" of HSR. Uh oh.... 

Wikipedia also says the Tokaido Shinkansen line is by far the most used in the world.

Any thought on whose got the most infrastructure for HSR?


----------



## Huhu

^^ It's basically a question of either Europe or Asia. Us sad sack North Americans got nothing.


----------



## Nexis

the New bullet trains look like Dolphins! :lol:


----------



## Coccodrillo

honwai1983 said:


> According to Website Mapion.co.jp , there is no track connection between two Shinkansen


There is even no service connection between Japan's lines? For example, to swap trains or to transport them from the factory to their customers?


----------



## asahi

As far I as remember there are some service tracks connecting Toukaidou Shinkansen with Touhoku Shinkansen at Toukyou Station, but they're not normally in use.


----------



## Momo1435

^^ A quick look on Google Earth can tell you that there is no connection between the two lines in Tokyo station. New Shinkansen sets are transported by road to the respective lines.


----------



## asahi

True. I was confused, I thought I saw it somewhere. Well, guess not 
Transporting the carriages on the road must be quite a challenge considering Tōkyō's narrows streets and sometimes tight corners. But I guess they know the best route to bring it safely to the tracks  
I've never seen a train being transported that way. Gotta look cool.


----------



## quashlo

asahi said:


> I've never seen a train being transported that way. Gotta look cool.


For Americans, it's the opposite. It's weird (and cool) to see trains being transported on rail (excepting flatbed railcars). 

 (Flickr, junicorn)


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## Momo1435

delete


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## Gag Halfrunt

asahi said:


> Transporting the carriages on the road must be quite a challenge considering Tōkyō's narrows streets and sometimes tight corners. But I guess they know the best route to bring it safely to the tracks


I would assume that the train sets are delivered to depots well outside central Tokyo or central anywhere else.


----------



## bluemeansgo

FML said:


> To be fair, Shinkansen is particularly expensive as newer lines are essentially massive subways; something like 80% of whole line is underground, to go through the mountainous terrain, to avoid noise problem, and to avoid buying landed properties which would be even more expensive than making tunnels.


The only line that I can think of that has that much tunnel will be the planned Chuo Mag-lev Shinkansen. Existing lines have nowhere NEAR that much tunneling.



Nexis said:


> the New bullet trains look like Dolphins! :lol:


Yes... very fast ones. :banana:

I think it's one of those subjective things. Or it just grows on you. I think they actually used dolphins as a model. At those speeds cutting through air is similar to cutting through water.

Things in the natural world tend to be way more efficient than anything we dream up, so hey, why not try to mimic them.

I wonder if the next train will look like this:








source


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## davsot

Huhu said:


> ^^ It's basically a question of either Europe or Asia. Us sad sack North Americans got nothing.


looool so true. It's too bad, not funny anymore.


----------



## sotavento

FML said:


> Here are the estimated costs of current TGV/ICE/Shinkansen lines:
> TGV (LGV Rhin-Rhône): 14 million USD per km
> TGV (LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire): 33 million USD per km
> ICE (Cologne–Frankfurt): 43 million USD per km
> Shinkansen (Hokuriku, Kyushu): 70 million USD per km
> 
> To be fair, Shinkansen is particularly expensive as newer lines are essentially massive subways; something like 80% of whole line is underground, to go through the mountainous terrain, to avoid noise problem, and to avoid buying landed properties which would be even more expensive than making tunnels.​
> I don't bash Shinkansen. I do think it is one of, if not _the_ best high-speed rail in the world, historically and technologically.
> Nonetheless, it's natural many countries would choose something faster and cheaper - only those who has very busy corridor (thus need higher capacity) would seriously consider Japanese high-speed.


^^ Did you at least check the terrain in wich those lines run thru ???

The 2 TGV railways are 100% countryside lines ... koln frankfurt is in the woods also ... :lol:

The projected stretch of the Lisboa-Madrid HSL in our side of the border will have a cost-per-km of only 7,5M€ (some 10 million USD per km) ... and it's a 350km/h HSL.


Shinkansen lines are what can be made in the area ... if the Japanese had suck huge and empty countrisides as we europeans they would be running Shinkansen at 1000km/h and the HSL could even be lined with golden bricks all the way ... and it would still cost less than current lines in japan (it's all in the terrain). :dunno:


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## sumisu

Doctor Yellow!


----------



## Chafford1

From 'Railway Gazette'

'Series E5 design unveiled

17 Feb 2009 


JAPAN: East Japan Railway unveiled the exterior and designs for its next generation of Shinkansen trains on February 3. A pre-production Series E5 trainset is due to be rolled out in June for testing, as a precursor for the fleet to operate between Tokyo and Shin Aomori following the opening of the extension from Hachinohe in December 2010.

JR-East's research programme launched in 2002 was looking at 360 km/h operation to bring the journey time for the 670 km Tokyo - Shin-Aomori trip below 3 h including intermediate stops, compared with 3 h 20 min with the current Series E2-1000 sets running at 275 km/h. After trials with the two Fastech 360 prototypes the railway announced that it was scaling back its ambitions and would build a pre-production trainset designed for a maximum of 320 km/h.

The railway subsequently ordered a fleet of 59 Series E5 trainsets, which are due to enter service in the spring of 2011. The 10-car sets will have eight powered vehicles and two trailers, and will feature a 'Super Green Car' with 2+1 seating for 18 passengers at the Aomori end. The trains will incorporate a number of technical advances from the Fastech 360 sets, including a lightweight pantograph, active suspensions and body tilting.'


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## bluemeansgo

I know what it reminds me of:


----------



## hkskyline

*Japanese Trainmakers Eye Rail Boom*

*Japan trainmakers eye rail boom, wary on yen *

TOKYO, April 8 (Reuters) - Japanese makers of railway rolling stock, such as Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, are shifting some production overseas to tap growing infrastructure demand without getting hit by a strong yen.

Hitachi plans to build a plant in Britain, where it leads a consortium picked in February as preferred bidder to supply a large fleet of intercity trains, while Kawasaki Heavy produces most of its trains in the United States for orders there. It also hopes to have manufacturing bases in other countries.

Japan's near half-century experience with its bullet train system, with zero fatalities to date, puts the country's firms in a strong position to win orders in a global railway investment boom, analysts say.

But a strong yen could eat into profits made overseas, and analysts also say Japanese firms' share prices aren't likely to post meaningful gains until they actually cash in on the upturn.

The world's $165 billion rail market -- according to UNIFE, the association of the European rail industry -- is expected to grow at 2.0-2.5 percent a year over the next nine years, and the global recession could boost that as governments step up infrastructure spending to stimulate sagging economies.

Japanese manufacturers need to expand abroad as they face limited growth in rolling stock demand at home because of a mature train system and a shrinking population.

For companies like Hitachi, which expects a big loss last fiscal year, winning railway orders is crucial as the downturn batters its other sprawling operations that range from rice cookers and flat TVs to nuclear power plants.

"No doubt it's a business chance for the makers," said Merrill Lynch analyst Takahiro Mori. "Even after getting initial orders, there'll be a need for maintenance, then in the future, a need for replacement trains."

Japanese manufacturers have around a tenth of the global rolling stock market, behind Bombardier's 25 percent, Siemens' 20 percent and Alstom's 15 percent, according to business magazine Nikkei Business.

While the three leaders can offer packages of hardware and software, most Japanese manufacturers, including Kinki Sharyo, have to club together to provide necessary gears and services in full, and that has hindered them from increasing global share, said Merrill's Mori.

But, as more nations look to expand their high-speed rail networks, Japan's bullet train model can give it an edge.

"Quality and reliability are having more of an impact on competition now, and we couldn't imagine it before but now we are getting various offers from countries like Germany and Switzerland," said Shinya Mitsudomi, Hitachi's head of global transportation systems sales and marketing.

CURRENCY RISK

As the industry grows, the United States has earmarked $8 billion for high-speed rail development in an economic stimulus package, and President Barack Obama has proposed an additional five-year, $5 billion grant program for railways.

China and India are keen on rail spending, while railway investment is expected in Vietnam and Brazil, too. Britain and France have announced huge stimulus projects with specific allocations to beef up their rail infrastructure.

Tomomi Yamashita, fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management, said investors could turn a spotlight on train makers' shares once markets and manufacturers' other businesses recover.

"Investors can buy stocks on this theme. Share prices won't likely reflect that until investors actually expect growing demand to become a profit contributor, but the idea itself can be a reason to buy," he said.

Kawasaki Heavy trades about 32 times forward earnings, and Kinki Sharyo at around 14 times. For comparison, Bombardier's forward PE is 6, Siemens' 9 and Alstom's 11.

Train prices vary, but substantial orders generate big sales and can turn be long-term income streams with maintenance orders.

For example, Hitachi won a 50 billion yen ($498 million) contract in 2005 to provide 174 high-speed trains in Britain, with another 20 billion yen for a 7-year maintenance contract. Kawasaki's 140-train supply deal to New York City's subway was worth about 27 billion yen.

Mitsudomi said Hitachi is eyeing China and Britain, and plans to build a UK assembly plant with around 200 staff.

"In China, there are tremendous investments going on -- it's like many fish are swimming around -- and distance-wise, China is close," he said. "This market is where not only us but all the Japanese makers as well as foreign train makers are interested."

Kawasaki Heavy has taken around 40 percent of the high-speed rolling stock orders in China, beating Bombardier's 30 percent, according to Merrill Lynch.

To maximise earnings, the Japanese are having to minimse currency risk.

"We are trying to increase overseas sales, and we have to have a system which would not affect it even when the yen is very strong," said Kyohei Matsuoka, Kawasaki Heavy's managing executive officer who heads its rolling stock business.

"To compete globally, we have to have a big scale. And with that, we have to have financial strength to buffer a huge currency risk," he said. "On these points, we are still lagging companies like Siemens and Alstom." ($1=100.48 Yen) ($1=.7443 Euro)


----------



## hkskyline

Source : http://www.pbase.com/jameslclarke/trainsjapan05


----------



## FML

FML said:


> Here are the estimated costs of current TGV/ICE/Shinkansen lines:
> TGV (LGV Rhin-Rhône): 14 million USD per km
> TGV (LGV Bretagne-Pays de la Loire): 33 million USD per km
> ICE (Cologne–Frankfurt): 43 million USD per km
> Shinkansen (Hokuriku, Kyushu): 70 million USD per km
> 
> To be fair, Shinkansen is particularly expensive as newer lines are essentially massive subways; something like 80% of whole line is underground, to go through the mountainous terrain, to avoid noise problem, and to avoid buying landed properties which would be even more expensive than making tunnels.​
> I don't bash Shinkansen. I do think it is one of, if not _the_ best high-speed rail in the world, historically and technologically.
> Nonetheless, it's natural many countries would choose something faster and cheaper - only those who has very busy corridor (thus need higher capacity) would seriously consider Japanese high-speed.





sotavento said:


> ^^ Did you at least check the terrain in wich those lines run thru ???


Maybe you didn't read my "To be fair..." part.

The current Shinkansen technology (which is, current Shinkansen lines in Japan) is naturally suitable to Japanese situation. European high speeds, on the other hand, are suitable to European situation. The "situation" here does not only refer to terrain, but also to riderships. Japanese can build the expensive system because of the relatively higher riderships, and that factor does not apply to many other parts of the world. (Of course, you could also say Japanese have no choice but to build the expensive system, because of the terrain. And that factor does not apply to many other parts of the world, either.)



sotavento said:


> if the Japanese had suck huge and empty countrisides as we europeans they would be running Shinkansen at 1000km/h and the HSL could even be lined with golden bricks all the way ... and it would still cost less than current lines in japan


Well, maybe. As I said in the previous post, I do think Shinkansen is technologically a great system, so it's quite possible the makers can make cheaper+faster system in less challenging environment. ...However, that's something we haven't seen yet. We don't call _it_ Shinkansen, until it appears in reality. (Alstom or Giemens may be able to make Shinkansen-like system for Japan-like situation. But we don't call them TGV/ICE, until they appear in reality.)



FML said:


> To be fair, Shinkansen is particularly expensive as newer lines are essentially massive subways; something like 80% of whole line is underground, to go through the mountainous terrain, to avoid noise problem, and to avoid buying landed properties which would be even more expensive than making tunnels.​





bluemeansgo said:


> The only line that I can think of that has that much tunnel will be the planned Chuo Mag-lev Shinkansen. Existing lines have nowhere NEAR that much tunneling.


Maybe "80%" is exaggerated, but the newer lines are something close to that.

Tohoku Shinkansen between Hachinohe and Aomori. These bordered sections are tunnels.









Hokuriku Shinkansen between Nagano and Toyama. Bold lines are tunnels.









Both are still under construction, but already existing newer sections of Tohoku Shinkansen (Morioka - Hachinohe) or Kyushu Shinkansen (Shin-Yatsushiro - Kagoshima-Chuo) aren't very different.


----------



## hkskyline

*Gov't eyes 70 billion yen in extra spending on new bullet train lines *
10 April 2009
Mainichi Daily News

The government is poised to set aside about 70 billion yen for the construction of new bullet train lines under the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget, it has emerged.

The measure, part of the ruling coalition' additional spending, is aimed at stimulating the economy by bringing forward work on sections of the new lines that are under construction, while allowing the lines to open at the scheduled time.

Five new bullet train sections are under construction: Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori (to open in December 2010), Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate (to be completed at the end of fiscal 2015), Nagano to Kanazawa (to be completed at the end of fiscal 2014), Hakata to Shin-Yatsushiro (to be completed at the end of fiscal 2010), and Takeo-Onsen to Isahaya (to be completed in about 2018).

The central government and local bodies share the cost of construction of the new lines at a 2:1 ratio, with the state covering the larger amount. Accordingly, local bodies situated along train lines face a new financial burden apart from the national government's spending under the supplementary budget. However, subsidies to lessen the financial burden of local bodies will be established under additional economic measures, and local bodies will be able to allocate the subsidies to construction of the new Shinkansen lines.

The overall cost of constructing the five sections is expected to be about 410 billion yen more than originally planned due to rising material costs. Additional construction expense funding provided through the supplementary budget will indirectly cover part of this additional cost.


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## Epi

I would imagine the Shinkensen costs a whole lot more because it's completely grade separated throughout it's entire journey. TVG/ICE runs on the ground, the Shinkensen runs on bridges. I figure this is mostly done due to going over urban areas, going around mountains with less up and down, and also for earthquakes (I dunno is it safer to have a bridge that can rattle, or a track on the ground that can snap?).

Building the endless bridges that the shinkensen runs on costs a LOT of money.


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## Papacu

Epi said:


> I would imagine the Shinkensen costs a whole lot more because it's completely grade separated throughout it's entire journey. TVG/ICE runs on the ground, the Shinkensen runs on bridges. I figure this is mostly done due to going over urban areas, going around mountains with less up and down, and also for earthquakes (I dunno is it safer to have a bridge that can rattle, or a track on the ground that can snap?).
> 
> Building the endless bridges that the shinkensen runs on costs a LOT of money.


Maybe that's the answer:


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## Papacu

superchan7 said:


> Japan's definitely got their HSR train styling under control.
> 
> Oh wait, there's the N700...and the Fastech....nevermind.


At least, the export model EFSET from Kawasaki seems to looks better. Or better suited to our western taste.

:lol::lol:



Oh, and it's faster than the shinkansen too.


----------



## octopusop

A funny thing is that both Shinkensen and ICE will run at the under construction Beijing-Shanghai HSR line. Both of them are running at Beijing-Tianjin line for one year, max speed is 350km/h. 
The 1400km 350km/h totally elevated Beijing-Shanghai line cost RMB 170 billion, 17 million USD per km, so cheap!


----------



## Momo1435

Epi said:


> I would imagine the Shinkensen costs a whole lot more because it's completely grade separated throughout it's entire journey. TVG/ICE runs on the ground, the Shinkensen runs on bridges. I figure this is mostly done due to going over urban areas, going around mountains with less up and down, and also for earthquakes (I dunno is it safer to have a bridge that can rattle, or a track on the ground that can snap?).
> 
> Building the endless bridges that the shinkensen runs on costs a LOT of money.


The main reason why the Shinkansen uses many bridges lies in the terrain and the extensive land use of Japan. A big part of the country is covered by mountains, the Shinkansen doesn't go round them but uses tunnels to go trough them. The mountains are not the reason why the Shinkansen is build on bridges. But because of the mountains every single bit of land that is flat is used for agriculture or has been turned into an urban area. This means that the land prices are high and that there are many local roads and railroads that should be crossed by the Shinkansen. 

Building the lines high means less impact on the ground. It uses less valuable land and there's no need to build new costly costly tunnels and bridges over under the line for the local infrastructure. 

A comparison with Beijing-Shanghai cannot be really made because the land prices and labor costs are so much lower in China then in Japan. Plus the line is build through the flat coastal areas, so there's no need for expensive tunnels. 

@Papacu

High Speed Lines never have level crossings and since the Shinkansen is 100% high speed.... you should be able to do the math. And there aren't many heard of sheep in Japan, the chances that something like the accident in Germany ever happens is very very very small. Not to mention that it happened in a tunnel, if an accident like this should happen in Japan it would also happen in a tunnel. There's still a point were a line goes from a viaduct into a tunnel, so there will always be places were animals can walk onto the tracks if someone didn't close a fence for example. 

So it was a bit useless to post those accident pictures.


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## hkskyline

Source : http://www.pbase.com/ipenning/japan_shinkansen


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## burningbaka

Making of the bullet train
1




2





Japanese TV program of the high speed test train "Fastech" (Eng dub)
1




2




3




4




5




6




7


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## Papacu

hkskyline said:


> Source : http://www.pbase.com/ipenning/japan_shinkansen


The 'old' shinkansen 300 still looks good nowadays.


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## hkskyline

*Bullet train operator eyes foreign destinations *
13 September 2009
Financial Times 

It is the archetypal image of how modern Japan has fused technical excellence with respect for tradition: a Shinkansen - or bullet - train speeds at 300kph (186mph) past Mount Fuji, whose snow-capped beauty has been celebrated over centuries in woodcut prints.

However, if JR Central, operator of the Tokaido high-speed line that passes Mount Fuji, succeeds in exporting the technology worldwide, Shinkansen trains may become just as much a symbol of California or Abu Dhabi as they are of Japan.

The tabular content relating to this article is not available to view. Apologies in advance for the inconvenience caused.

JR Central's efforts promise to sharpen already intense competition for the mainly European providers of trains and other equipment to the growing number of countries developing high-speed passenger rail systems.

Ironically, the export drive also comes as JR Central's focus at home turns to developing a different technology - based on maglev trains lifted by magnetic force above the track - for its home market.

Both the export drive and introduction of the new, more energy-hungry technology will need to overcome formidable hurdles.

The challenges reflect the unusual history of Japan's pioneering high-speed rail network. Because the country's traditional rail track was narrower than the 1,435mm international standard, it was unsuitable for the new trains' speeds. The country instead built a dedicated standard-gauge high-speed network segregated from the rest of the network, with high bridges and wide tunnels. Anyone travelling to a city off the Shinkansen network has to change trains, but the carriages are some of the world's widest and the system is unencumbered by slow-moving freight or commuter trains.

Since the chances of a crash with another train or obstacle are minimal, Shinkansen trains can dispense with the heavy strengthening structures found in most rail vehicle bodies. That and the need for only minimal suspension on the well-constructed track have made Shinkansen trains consistently lighter and more energy-efficient than most fast trains.

Any country wanting to take JR Central's advice on building a high-speed rail system will need a system very like Japan's to benefit safely from the technology's advantages, however.

"As far as safety is concerned, you have to have a dedicated high-speed track and complete management of the system," said Tsutomu Morimura, director-general of JR Central's general technology division.

Lord Adonis, UK transport secretary, last week ruled out such a system for Britain's future high-speed lines. It was important that cities not immediately on the first high-speed lines continued to enjoy direct services using both new routes and existing track, he said. Similar objections elsewhere in Europe are likely to keep the continent's €1.5bn-a-year ($2.2bn) high-speed market a bastion of the big three international trainmakers - France's Alstom, Germany's Siemens and Canada's Bombardier.

The technology could interest places with minimal existing passenger networks. Taiwan and one line in mainland China have already bought elements of the Shinkansen system. Networks planned for parts of the USA, particularly California, and some Arab countries could follow suit.

The Shinkansen, though, is no longer the brightest star in Japanese rail's firmament. A magnetic levitation train powered by super-conducting magnets set a world rail speed record of 581kph at JR Central's Yamanashi test track in 2003 and the company wants to build a Maglev line 340km from Tokyo to Nagoya, part-way along its ageing Tokyo to Osaka line. The journey will be shortened from one hour 40 minutes to 40 minutes.

Whether that system can produce the reliability and efficiency of the Shinkansen may determine whether it might become a candidate for export.


----------



## thun

Momo1435 said:


> The main reason why the Shinkansen uses many bridges lies in the terrain and the extensive land use of Japan. A big part of the country is covered by mountains, the Shinkansen doesn't go round them but uses tunnels to go trough them. The mountains are not the reason why the Shinkansen is build on bridges. But because of the mountains every single bit of land that is flat is used for agriculture or has been turned into an urban area. This means that the land prices are high and that there are many local roads and railroads that should be crossed by the Shinkansen.
> 
> Building the lines high means less impact on the ground. It uses less valuable land and there's no need to build new costly costly tunnels and bridges over under the line for the local infrastructure.



Another reason just as important why the Shinkansen is completely grade-spearated - or, let's say why TGV and ICE aren't - is that Japan needed to build the Shinkansen network from scratch because it's standard gauge (and the rest of the Japanese rail lines are narrow gauge). So, if you build a new line dedicated for high-speed trains it absolutely makes sense to build it grade-separated.
By contrast, in Germany and France both conventional and high-speed trains use the same gauge. So it's absolutely reasonable to let them use the elder lines to provide the services in much larger regions. In large parts of Germany building dedicated high-speed lines just parallel to the existing rails wouldn't make sense anyway (due to the lower density of population, the design of the German rail network and the lower passerger numbers on single lines mainly).


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## Momo1435

^^ The question was not why the Shinkansen system is completely grade-separated, but more about how it was built. All dedicated high speed lines in Europ and Japan are completely grade-separated without any exceptions. The difference is that in Europe you don't see high viaducts that continue for kilometers long high above cities, villages and rice fields like the Shinkansen in Japan. 

Btw, the Shinkansen network is not completely grade separated. On two lines the Shinkansen shares the tracks with conventional trains, the Akita Shinkansen/Tazawako Line and the Yamagata Shinkansen/Ou Main Line. There are even level crossings and parts of the line are just single track.


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## loefet

^^ But the Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen aren't really true high speed lines anyway, they are just normal lines that happened to have Shinkansen train service. Those stretches, of the Tohoky Shinkansen line, have a 130 km/h speed limit on them as most other JR limited express lines in Japan, so you can't classify them as high speed lines, in the same sense as the other Shinkansen Lines.


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## Momo1435

^^ Is everybody just reading half posts and not the discussion or the questions asked before? :dunno:


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## japanese001




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## perdurabo

Shes 27, she looks like 17 and driving trains 270km/h :banana:
I just wonder is she pointing finger and talking in normal work also?


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## SOLOMON

...so cool!


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## mrmoopt

I think most Japanese trains are fitted with a black box, so they have to yell out the speed boards, the restricted speeds and so forth...


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## Shezan

really love the Shinkansen 500-serie design :cheers:


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## Gag Halfrunt

cal_t said:


> I think most Japanese trains are fitted with a black box, so they have to yell out the speed boards, the restricted speeds and so forth...


It might also be a way to make sure that drivers stay alert and don't fall asleep. IIRC, train drivers in Japan are required to salute passing trains for that reason.


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## Tri-ring

cal_t said:


> I think most Japanese trains are fitted with a black box, so they have to yell out the speed boards, the restricted speeds and so forth...


It's called "Yubi sashi kakunin" meaning pointing finger confirmation. It's like a mental checklist so the driver does everything by the book.


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## foxmulder

great videos. tnx for sharing


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## perdurabo

Tri-ring said:


> It's called "Yubi sashi kakunin" meaning pointing finger confirmation. It's like a mental checklist so the driver does everything by the book.


and it is done every day in normal service? WOW i know Japanese are diffrent from us Europeans but it seems like from another planet, i can't imagine anyone here doing same thing. We have checklists but in daily routine they often are done inside ones head without loud speaking not to mention pointing your finger.


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## Momo1435

^^ Everyday and on every train.

I also read a Dutch train forum and every now and then Japan comes up in the discussions. It's always brought up by railway enthusiast and not by the train drivers that also post there. They always get a bit angry when the comparison is made between Holland and Japan, especially when the topic is punctuality. The train drivers know that they have to completely change the way they work if they want to achieve the same punctuality as in Japan. And that probably includes something like the Yubisashi kakunin. But the work ethics are just too different to run the Dutch Railways like the Japanese. So we have to be put up with train delays because the train driver didn't want to leave before finishing his coffee in the canteen.


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## Tri-ring

perdurabo said:


> and it is done every day in normal service? WOW i know Japanese are diffrent from us Europeans but it seems like from another planet, i can't imagine anyone here doing same thing. We have checklists but in daily routine they often are done inside ones head without loud speaking not to mention pointing your finger.


Actually I have heard that this was picked up first at safety is absolute priority facilities like nuclear reactor facilities, rocket launch mission control, and so on.
Safety of train operation is also vital so it is only natural that it is practiced on trains as well.
By the way, it is useful at home and office like locking up, since you'll automatically realize if you had missed something during final inspection.


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## k.k.jetcar

> Actually I have heard that this was picked up first at safety is absolute priority facilities like nuclear reactor facilities, rocket launch mission control, and so on.


Precisely, it's also done by flight crews on airplanes (pre-flight checks- confirmations done by voice). Why shouldn't drivers of trains do the same?- after all they are responsible for the safety of similar numbers of passengers as pilots of commercial airliners are.


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## perdurabo

I agree on usefullnes of checklists as mesure of safety!
I learn japanese but i'm allways amazed how difrent work ethics we Europeans and Asians(espetially Japanese) have. 



k.k.jetcar said:


> Precisely, it's also done by flight crews on airplanes (pre-flight checks- confirmations done by voice). Why shouldn't drivers of trains do the same?- after all they are responsible for the safety of similar numbers of passengers as pilots of commercial airliners are.


i agree that checklists would add mutch to safety in trains(not to mention punctuality, witch in our trains is just horrid), but pilots have usually higher degree, here they are engeeners with masters degree, while train crew is usually just after some low level technical high school, so their culture and even knowledge is on difrent level, so i just can't imagine those lazy b*tards behaving like airliner crew or japan bulet train crew, call it culture shock, i'm just amazed.


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## Tri-ring

perdurabo said:


> i agree that checklists would add mutch to safety in trains(not to mention punctuality, witch in our trains is just horrid), but pilots have usually higher degree, here they are engeeners with masters degree, while train crew is usually just after some low level technical high school, so their culture and even knowledge is on difrent level, so i just can't imagine those lazy b*tards behaving like airliner crew or japan bulet train crew, call it culture shock, i'm just amazed.


Degree of education does not matter, devotion and seriousness to their occupation does.
I think the word here is professionalism and may even be craftsmanship thriving to become perfect at one's job.
Not all have this in them but never the less they are trained to do so.


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## Bikes

When will Japan finally put the test maglev's into real action for the public? I didn't find any info about that on wikipedia. Shinkansen's have a really great design..


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## k.k.jetcar

Bikes said:


> When will Japan finally put the test maglev's into real action for the public? I didn't find any info about that on wikipedia. Shinkansen's have a really great design..


Projected opening is 2025. Listed under _Chuo Shinkansen_:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chūō_Shinkansen


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## Momo1435

Some E5 pictures.





































Interior


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## ETR401

Impressive.....

Some other pictures here: http://e954e955.bg.cat-v.ne.jp/article/515578.html

And something every railway enthusiast should check...... http://www.japaneserailwaysociety.com/jrs/members/fossett/tetchan/tetchan.htm

Credits (and thanks) to original posters.


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## gramercy

that velour upholstery is so awful
but the train is nice


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## Momo1435

The interior does indeed look outdated, but that's a common feature on Japanese trains, plain plain plain. With the JRs it's really only the Kyushu Railway Company that really makes something special out of the interiors, just look at their 800 series Shinkansen "Tsubame". Here are some pictures of the 2nd generation that recently entered service ahead of the opening of the gap in the line between Fukuoka and Shin-Yatsushiro.


japanese001 said:


> 九州旅客鉄道(JR九州)はこのほど、九州新幹線用の新型車両「800系 U-007編成」を完成したと発表した。新型「800系」は、走行性能は従来車両と同一ながら、外観を一部変更し、内装をグレードアップさせているという。
> 
> 外観の特長はヘッドライトのカバーが凸型に膨らみ、車体から盛り上がったような造形になっている。これは鉄道車両としては世界で初めて採用されたデザインとのこと。また、先頭車両にはつばめマークの象嵌(はめこみ)が施された。白い車体のアクセントとなる赤い帯は、つばめの飛行をイメージした曲線や宙返りラインとなっている。
> 
> 内装は従来車と同様、「鹿児島産の樟の壁」や「宮崎産山の桜の木」、「八代産のい草を使った縄のれん」を使って和をイメージしている。さらに新型では妻壁に金箔を使用し、額縁を設けて木彫り・蒔絵・彫金や博多織を飾っている。座席は座面を深く、リクライニング角度を大きく、背ずりを低く改良された。また、シート地は車両ごとに異なり、赤系の市松柄、ワインレッドの本革、カーマイン無地、アイビー柄ゴブラン織、オレンジ系ツイード、アイビー柄西陣織を採用したという。


----------



## bluemeansgo

k.k.jetcar said:


> Precisely, it's also done by flight crews on airplanes (pre-flight checks- confirmations done by voice). Why shouldn't drivers of trains do the same?- after all they are responsible for the safety of similar numbers of passengers as pilots of commercial airliners are.


That was the first thing that I thought of too. In Japan, their trains are basically planes, serving as intercity transport. As such, the engineers are rigorously screened and only a certain person is accepted. 

Remember, Japan works at continuously improving not only manufacturing techniques, but also management techniques, training etc.

Driving a train in Japan is a status symbol, driving a Shinkansen is a HUGE status symbol... perhaps something along the lines of being an astronaut.

Also, I should point out that using your voice, reinforcing with your finger, is also an excellent learning technique. There's a reason we ask kids to follow along with their finger when being read to in a book. It improves focus and helps to retain information. In addition, when learning a new language, physical reinforcement can be an excellent tool.

THe more stimuli you can get (sound, physical, visual...), the more neurons connect in your brain, the more pathways are formed, the more you're apt to remember.

The brain is really amazing, isn't it? Truly a marvel of design.



asahi said:


> As far I as remember there are some service tracks connecting *Toukaidou* Shinkansen with *Touhoku* Shinkansen at *Toukyou* Station, but they're not normally in use.



BTW, in English, it's usually rendered *Tokaido, Tohoku and Tokyo*. No need to get phonetic.


----------



## perdurabo

Tri-ring said:


> Degree of education does not matter, devotion and seriousness to their occupation does.
> I think the word here is professionalism and may even be craftsmanship thriving to become perfect at one's job.
> Not all have this in them but never the less they are trained to do so.


In europe it has a lot to do with education, usually those with lower degree are "lazy slackers" (of course i'm generalizing here) but moust of the accidents, trains beeing late and so on are human factor.
Look (sory for infesting with non japan stuff this thread)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDS89z0VFHs
talks inside:
(apart from speed noticing)
-ohh we have weak current...
-look look..
-oh i made mistake
-don't care we will just do another run...
and this is suposedly speed record breaking by Simens Taurus in Poland :nuts: 
now you can imageine how mutch unprofesional talks and behaviour goes inside local commuter train hno: we are not years but ages behind Japan  



bluemeansgo said:


> Remember, Japan works at continuously improving not only manufacturing techniques, but also management techniques, training etc.
> 
> Driving a train in Japan is a status symbol, driving a Shinkansen is a HUGE status symbol... perhaps something along the lines of being an astronaut.
> 
> The brain is really amazing, isn't it? Truly a marvel of design.


it is, but i'm more amazed(and ashamed) how large gap is beatiwn my country railways and JR.



> BTW, in English, it's usually rendered *Tokaido, Tohoku and Tokyo*. No need to get phonetic.


hmm sometimes there is - above letter to indicate longer sound (when you use う to lenghten it)


But going back on topic:
I don't like E5 look, i prefer 500 series, つばめ 800 series looks good too!


----------



## Sr.Horn

I read on another forum who want to withdraw all trains of 300 series in 2011, can be true?


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## loefet

^ I'm not sure about 2011, maybe they mean that Tokaido Shinkansen won't have any services where they use the 300 series train. 
Especially since the large number of 700-series trains and an increasingly growing number of N700-series trains available, then it's only natural that the older trains are being retired, the first 300 set were removed from service in 2007.
And by removing the older slower accelerating trains they will be able to increase the capacity of the lines...


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## Momo1435

300 series sets still in service (August 2009):
JR Central: 36
JR West: 9
total: 45

Delivery schedule N700 sets:
2010: 18
2011: 16
total: 32 

There's still a gap of more then ten trains in 2011, but with the faster acceleration of the 700 series the Hikari and the Kodama services on the Tokaido Shinkansen can go faster needing less sets for the same service. 

Another major event in 2011 is the opening of the full Kyushu Shinkansen with a new Sakura Service from Kagoshima to Osaka with the JR Kyushu N700-7000 8-car sets. This could mean that there will be less Tokaido Hikari services from Tokyo that go beyond Osaka to make room for the new service, needing less sets, but this is just me speculating.

The 0 series was retired in 2009, the 400 series is now also (almost) retired and the 100 and 200 series will also go in 2011. It's clearly a period of saying goodbye to the 1st generations of Shinkansen trains.


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## mrmoopt

Which country is in need of high speed trains urgently? Surely PRC China could buy them off Japan to run local services. Imagine that!


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## Gag Halfrunt

^^ China already has a massive high speed rail programme, including the fastest conventional trains in the world.


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## mrmoopt

Surely it can't hurt to purchase the retiring 300s to supplement existing stock?


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## Gag Halfrunt

Why bother? The design is over twenty years old, each trainset will have had twelve to nineteen years of intensive use, and they would have to be modified to work with Chinese signalling and ATP systems. China wants to be on the cutting edge of high speed rail technology, so it has no reason to buy surplus trains that Japanese operators consider to be obselete.


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## trainrover

The low ridership filmed astonishes me :uh:​


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## quashlo

Well, I would be careful to try and draw too many conclusions from this... There's plenty of valid reasons why we wouldn't see many people in this particular video:

It's 8:20 am.
The train in the video enters service in Nagoya (probably a pull-out run from the yard)... It doesn't start all the way in Tōkyō. You have very limited reason to take this train unless you are getting on at Gifu Hajima or Maibara (both very minor stations) and / or getting off at one of the minor stations on the San'yō Shinkansen (namely, Nishi-Akashi, Himeji, Aioi).
It's a _Hikari_, only the second fastest service. The schedule at Nagoya places another _Hikari_ for Hiroshima five minutes before this one, followed by a _Nozomi_ two minutes before, a _Nozomi_ five minutes after, and another _Nozomi_ 22 minutes after. Between Nagoya and Hiroshima, there is no semi-major or major station that doesn't have at least one _Nozomi_ an hour stopping at it.
It's the reverse commute (at this time of day, the directionality is to Tōkyō).
Much of the regional traffic that would otherwise get on at Kyōto takes JR West urban trains... They're cheaper than Shinkansen, and the time savings with Shinkansen on these regional trips within Kansai is usually not worth the extra cost. This would siphon ridership off trips to Nishi-Akashi or Himeji (see the second bullet).


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## k.k.jetcar

Nearly empty trains are not unusual, due to the reasons quashlo mentioned. I have been on Kodama services on the Sanyo Shinkansen (the 500 series ones I try to take if possible), where I and maybe two or three other passengers had a whole car to ourselves, and this being unreserved seating- the reserved cars were likely empty. This is particularly the case once you enter the urban network region, where cheaper alternatives exist on the 1067mm lines. Usually the Kodamas are used by passengers traveling between the regional cities, where the 1067mm lines have few convenient intercity services, for example between Aioi and Okayama.


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## trainrover

Funny how none of these fleets the past 50 years has had large windows.


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## Silver Swordsman

^I think that is attributed to the changes in tunnel pressure due to the extremely tight bore diameters on the Shinkansen systems. The initial design of the Shinkansen was something along the lines of 230 km/h, and has been vamped up to 300-320 before noise and wear forced it back down to 270.


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## trainrover

Ah! makes sense ... I notice your own RCT3 fleets themselves bear large windows


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## loefet

I'm not 100% sure that it's only due to the pressure difference's in tunnels, but also that every seat row have their own window, instead of sharing them as other HSR trains. If you look closely then you will notice that some cars have larger windows and that they are Green (first) class, and it's due to the larger seat pitch. I really like this idea since you won't have to worry to get a seat between two windows when you order a window seat (like I did this Friday when going between Stockholm and Gothenburg on X2000...).

Silver Swordsman: They have never run the Shinkansen trains in speeds up to 320 km/h, they are scheduled to do that later this year on the Tohoku line as they are introducing the E6 series. The Tohoku line saw it's first 300 km/h train last year with the E5 and the Sanyo line have been running at 300 since the introduction of the 500 series train. Noise is the main issue that they have run the lines at certain speeds, but newer trains are more silent at speed which will enable them to increase the speed in the future. Also some turns (on the Tokaido line) have forced them to run at reduced speeds, but active suspension have also enabled them to increase the speeds on them as well.
With the N700 there are plans on increasing the speeds on Tokaido line (at least) to raise the speed to 300 km/h on most of the line and up to 330 km/h on some sections. I bet that there are similar plans on the Sanyo line to increase the top speed from 300 to 320 km/h with these trains as well. It's somewhat a matter of prestige on having the fastest train between the train company's...


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## Silver Swordsman

loefet said:


> I'm not 100% sure that it's only due to the pressure difference's in tunnels, but also that every seat row have their own window, instead of sharing them as other HSR trains. If you look closely then you will notice that some cars have larger windows and that they are Green (first) class, and it's due to the larger seat pitch. I really like this idea since you won't have to worry to get a seat between two windows when you order a window seat (like I did this Friday when going between Stockholm and Gothenburg on X2000...).
> 
> Silver Swordsman: They have never run the Shinkansen trains in speeds up to 320 km/h, they are scheduled to do that later this year on the Tohoku line as they are introducing the E6 series. The Tohoku line saw it's first 300 km/h train last year with the E5 and the Sanyo line have been running at 300 since the introduction of the 500 series train. Noise is the main issue that they have run the lines at certain speeds, but newer trains are more silent at speed which will enable them to increase the speed in the future. Also some turns (on the Tokaido line) have forced them to run at reduced speeds, but active suspension have also enabled them to increase the speeds on them as well.
> With the N700 there are plans on increasing the speeds on Tokaido line (at least) to raise the speed to 300 km/h on most of the line and up to 330 km/h on some sections. I bet that there are similar plans on the Sanyo line to increase the top speed from 300 to 320 km/h with these trains as well. It's somewhat a matter of prestige on having the fastest train between the train company's...


Oh, I guess I was wrong about the maximum operating speed. But how will the N700 achieve speeds of 330 km/h? According to what I read, the N700 trainset was designed for an operating speed of 270 km/h, with a maximum speed of less than 300km/h (It's why they used 500 series bogies for Taiwan High Speed Rail instead of that from the true 700 series.)


----------



## loefet

The design speed of the N700 is 330 km/h, it's currently limited to 300 km/h on the Sanyo line, 270 km/h on the Tokaido line and 260 on the Kyushu line. 
I'm guessing that you are mixing up the 700 and N700 series, since the 700 series is designed to "only" do 285 km/h. The N700 is an evolution of the original 700 series, better traction, aerodynamics, etc.
700 series on Wikipedia
N700 series on Wikipedia

The reason why they used the bogies from the 500 series on the trains for Taiwan, is that they were required to operate at 300 km/h, and the original 700 series on which the trains for Taiwan are based on are only good for 285 km/h as I said above. This required them to use some other means of traction, and since the 500 series is designed to run at 320 km/h then why not just replace the bogies than completely redesign them...


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## Silver Swordsman

^According to the very link that you supplied me, the N700 series is still designed for an operating speed under 300 km/h. It reached only 332 km/h during a non-operational trial run, and is designed to operate at a maximum speed of 300 km/h.


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## loefet

I doesn't mention the design speed anywhere on that Wikipedia page, only that it's allowed to run at a maximum of 300 km/h. Same way that the E5 was designed to run at 360 km/h but is only allowed to run at 300 km/h (soon 320 km/h), or the 500 Series that were designed to run at 320 km/h but only ran at 300 km/h.

Since they are contemplating on raising the top speed on the Tokaido line to 330 km/h when there are enough N700 trains in service then I'm 100% sure that the train have been designed for it. No Japanese engineer will run anything faster than it was intended to do...


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## quashlo

I doubt there's any major issues with running the N700s at 330 km/h. They've already done it for that one trial run as part of a marketing thing, and JR Central has been considering doing it on a regular basis for commercial service for at least a couple years now:
http://web.archive.org/web/20091213...o.jp/news/main/20091208AT1D0705D07122009.html

Of course, as the article states, the 330 km/h will only be for the straight section between Kyōto and Maibara, and only for the first and last _Nozomi_ trains each day, which won't have the slower services clogging up the line... The rest of the line will be 300 km/h like San'yō Shinkansen.

Also, keep in mind the production of the N700A, the new modified N700s which are supposed to replace the oldest 700 series units fairly soon now. Six units will be introduced in FY2012, followed by seven in FY2013.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=78751276&postcount=716

The Nikkei article from two years ago talks about raising the speed to 330 km/h as early as late 2011, and while we've already passed that point in time, the rumors are that the N700A is supposed to be part of the speed-up plans.


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## Momo1435

If they will speed up the Tokaido Shinkansen the 1st step will be to raise the speed to 285 km/h and maybe 300 km/h between Kyoto and Maibara. Only after the 700 series is gone somewhere in the early 2020s it becomes interesting to really speed it up. Especially when the Chuo Maglev opens between Tokyo and Nagoya an even faster connection between Nagoya and Osaka would be very welcome. Therefor I think that it's not the N700A that will be used to speed it up to 330 km/h but it's successor that will come into services together with the Chuo Maglev.


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## quashlo

*Toyama Station Hokuriku Shinkansen construction update*

Some pics of the Shinkansen construction work at Toyama Station (2012.02):
_Source: http://saitoshika.blog119.fc2.com/_

Construction of the Shinkansen viaduct proceeding behind the temporary tracks and platforms for the existing lines at the station. In addition to the Shinkansen viaduct, there is also related work to elevate approx. 1.8 km of the JR Hokuriku Line and Takayama Line and approx. 1.0 km of the Toyama Chihō Railroad, a local private railway.










Lots of progress being made on the Shinkansen, as the extension to Kanazawa is supposed to open in 2014.










Approximate center of the Shinkansen part of the station… This is supposed to be a four-track station, if I remember correctly.










West end, towards Kanazawa










In the distance we can see the four-span extradosed bridge that will carry the Shinkansen over the Jinzū River.










A bit east of Toyama Station, around Inari Motomachi…
The Hokuriku Main Line and Toyama Chihō Railroad run parallel here, forming a section of quadruple-track sandwiching the Shinkansen viaduct.










Toyama Chihō Railroad train, composed of ex-Keihan 3000 series (1st generation) commuter EMUs from the Kansai area.










The approach into Toyama Station


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## trainrover

Sorry to change the subject, but do the Japanese salt their roadways or car parks to melt the snow?


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## coth

6 years on the board, 3400 messages and still have no clue what does 'topic' means. 

why to ask here, instead of road section?


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## Woonsocket54

coth said:


> why to ask here, instead of road section?


because here are displayed photo of snowy Japan


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## quashlo

Yes, salt is used.


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## quashlo

*Shin-Ōsaka Station construction update*

An update on the various construction projects at Shin-Ōsaka Station, focusing on the construction of an additional (8th) track and platform (Platform 27) at the station, along with two new sidings, to help increase capacity for the Tōkaidō / San’yō and San’yō / Kyūshū Shinkansen.

Some pics (2011.11):
_Source: http://saitoshika.blog119.fc2.com/_










The new sidings are being constructed on the west (San’yō Shinkansen) side of the station.










The view from the west end of Platform 26










The new platform that spans Shin-Midōsuji. We now have a good view of the glass exterior. 










Looks like the new platform will be at a slightly higher elevation than the existing platforms at the station.










Looking east (towards Kyōto).
The building in the background is a new office building being constructed by Hankyū Electric Railway using space they had originally reserved for a potential Hankyū rail connection into the station.










In addition to the new platform and tracks, JR Central is also carrying out a renovation of the Shinkansen concourse.










Newly-opened convenience and souvenir (food) shops.










The shutter in the rear of the store seems to indicate that this is only a temporary opening.










They are also replacing the floor tiles.










Old and new tiles. The new tiles are textured to help prevent slipping during wet days.



















A month later, some additional renovated sections were unveiled (2011.12):
_Source: http://saitoshika.blog119.fc2.com/_










Work also appears to be proceeding on the waiting room outside the paid area of the station. Judging from the covered sign and the automatic doors, the glass section here will be a staffed ticket counter.


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## Silver Swordsman

Beautiful! Looks inspiring!


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## hmmwv

This is a very pleasant looking station.


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## Sopomon

Any news on the future E7 unveil date? I am mighty curious to see what JR east comes up with for this one!


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## k.k.jetcar

Sopomon said:


> Any news on the future E7 unveil date? I am mighty curious to see what JR east comes up with for this one!


A prototype is supposed to be ready for testing this summer. It will be based on the proven E2 design, but with more powerful motors to be able to handle the grades of the Hokuriku Shinkansen route at 200km/h+ speeds. Also the pantograph and other "environmental" features will be different from current E2 types. The E7 is a joint development of JR East and JR West (Kanazawa Branch Office).


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## gramercy

ill grant you that in japan they at least have an established timeline and they will probably follow it, whereas here things u/c resemble more like a kindergarten project


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## quashlo

Dbl post


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## quashlo

Some details on the extensions from the MLIT press release.
The Sapporo extension is particularly interesting as it’s the longest of the three extensions, and over 75% will be in tunnels, with a 3.5% maximum grade.

*Hokkaidō Shinkansen* (Shin-Hakodate – Sapporo)










New stations
Shin-Hakodate (provisional name): Existing _zairaisen_ station / Hokuto City, Hokkaidō
Shin-Yakumo (provisional name): New station / Yakumo Town, Futami District, Hokkaidō
Oshamanbe: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Oshamanbe Town, Yamakoshi District, Hokkaidō
Kutchan: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Kutchan Town, Abuta District, Hokkaidō
Shin-Otaru (provisional name): New station / Otaru City, Hokkaidō
Sapporo: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Sapporo City, Hokkaidō

Length
Approx. 211.5 km

Track construction
Earth / embankment: Approx. 15.3 km (Approx. 7%)
Bridge: Approx. 5.6 km (Approx. 3%)
Viaduct: Approx. 30.6 km (Approx. 14%)
Tunnel: Approx. 160.2 km (Approx. 76%)

Main tunnels:
Oshima Tunnel (Approx. 26.5 km)
Shiribeshi Tunnel (Approx. 18.0 km)
Teine Tunnel (Approx. 18.8 km)

Main bridges:
Yūrappu River Bridge (245 m)
Shiribetsu River Bridge (340 m)
Minami-Kutosan River Bridge (210 m)

Track standard
Minimum curve radius: 4,000 m
Maximum gradient: 3.5%

Construction cost
Approx. ¥1,238.6 billion

*Hokuriku Shinkansen* (Kanazawa – Tsuruga)

New stations
Kanazawa: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Kanazawa City, Ishikawa
Komatsu: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Komatsu City, Ishikawa
Kaga Onsen: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Kaga City, Ishikawa
Awara Onsen: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Awara City, Fukui
Fukui: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Fukui City, Fukui
Nan’etsu (provisional name): New station / Echizen City, Fukui
Tsuruga: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Tsuruga City, Fukui

Length
Approx. 125.2 km

Track construction
Earth / embankment: Approx. 3.2 km (Approx. 3%)
Bridge: Approx. 16.8 km (Approx. 15%)
Viaduct: Approx. 57.9 km (Approx. 50%)
Tunnel: Approx. 36.5 km (Approx. 32%)

Main tunnels:
Kakibara Tunnel (Approx. 2.5 km)
Fukui No. 2 Tunnel (Approx. 3.4 km)
Shin-Hokuriku Tunnel (Approx. 20.0 km)

Main bridges:
Tedori River Bridge (555 m)
Takeda River No. 2 Bridge (423 m)
Kuzuryū River Bridge (410 m)

Track standard
Minimum curve radius: 4,000 m
Maximum gradient: 2.6%

Construction cost
Approx. ¥896.8 billion










*Kyūshū Shinkansen* (Takeo Onsen – Nagasaki)

New stations
Takeo Onsen: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Takeo City, Saga
Ureshino Onsen (provisional name): New station / Ureshino City, Saga
Shin-Ōmura (provisional name): New station / Ōmura City, Nagasaki
Isahaya: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Isahaya City, Nagasaki
Nagasaki: Existing _zairaisen_ station / Nagasaki City, Nagasaki

Length
Approx. 66.0 km

Track construction
Earth / embankment: Approx. 5.7 km (Approx. 9%)
Bridge: Approx. 5.8 km (Approx. 9%)
Viaduct: Approx. 14.8 km (Approx. 22%)
Tunnel: Approx. 40.7 km (Approx. 61%)

Main tunnels:
Tawarazaka Tunnel (Approx. 5.5 km)
Kuyama Tunnel (Approx. 5.0 km)
Shin-Nagasaki Tunnel (Approx. 7.5 km)

Main bridges:
Hakamano Overpass (210 m)
Chiwata River Bridge (360 m)
Honmyō River No. 2 Bridge (209 m)

Track standard
Minimum curve radius: 4,000 m
Maximum gradient: 3.0%

Construction cost
Approx. ¥370.6 billion


----------



## gramercy

~100++ km of tunnels, awesome how they don't even blink at that


----------



## ukiyo

*Yamagata Shinkansen marks 20th anniversary*


> YAMAGATA (Jiji Press)--The Yamagata Shinkansen train line linking Tokyo and Yamagata marked its 20th anniversary Sunday.
> 
> Since East Japan Railway Co. started operating the line in 1992, about 62 million people have traveled on it.
> 
> A ceremony was held on a platform at Yamagata Station from about 7 a.m., attended by Yamagata Gov. Mieko Yoshimura and other local officials.
> 
> A specially designed Tokyo-bound "Tsubasa" Shinkansen train was operated for the occasion. Railway fans flocked to the station to take photos of the special train.
> 
> http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120702005046.htm


----------



## chornedsnorkack

*Opening schedule*

So, the current construction schedule seems to be as follows:
2013 - Chuo Shinkansen extended to 43 km
2014 - Hokuriku Shinkansen Nagano-Toyama-Kanazawa opened for service
2015 - Hokkaido Shinkansen Aomori-Hakodate opened for service
2022 - Nagasaki Shinkansen opened
2025 - Hokuriku Shinkansen extension Kanazawa-Fukui-Tsuruga opened
2027 - Chuo Shinkansen Shinagawa-Nagoya opened for service
2035 - Hokkaido Shinkansen extension Hakodate-Sapporo opened
2045 - Chuo Shinkansen extension Nagoya-Osaka opened

Unknown date - Hokuriku Shinkansen extension Tsuruga-Osaka opened.

Correct?


----------



## Momo1435

That seems about right. 


As for the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension to Osaka, I can see them go with an interim solution with a mini Shinkansen or a Gauge Change Train and then aim for a new line from Tsuruga to Maibara in 2045 when when Tokaido Line between Nagoya and Osaka won't be as congested anymore because of the Chuo Line. And then have direct Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Osaka and Nagoya.

Have their been any thoughts on a connection line between the Hokiriku line and the Joetsu line, somewhere between Joetsu - Nagaoka - (Niigata)?


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## k.k.jetcar

> Have their been any thoughts on a connection line between the Hokiriku line and the Joetsu line, somewhere between Joetsu - Nagaoka - (Niigata)?


The question is, is there a market for such a line that would justify the expenditure, as it would be a peripheral line rather than a line connecting major population centers. The Joetsu Line itself was considered a line built thanks to plenty of political pork procured by LDP bigwigs from the Niigata region (Tanaka Kakuei, et al). IIRC the financing was different from other shinkansen lines.


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## Momo1435

If a line is too much it could still be a connection if a Gauge Change Train option is chosen for the the extension to Osaka. I can't see those trains running all the way from Osaka to Tokyo via Hokuriku and Nagano Shinkansen. 

Then there will be 2 routes on the line. 
Tokyo - Kanagawa (with regular trains)
Osaka - Niigata (with GCT trains)

The biggest effect of this option would be an improvement of the services between the coastal cities.


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## Woonsocket54

chornedsnorkack said:


> 2013 - Chuo Shinkansen extended to 43 km


what section of maglev will be in revenue service over 43 km?


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## Sopomon

Woonsocket54 said:


> what section of maglev will be in revenue service over 43 km?


It's just an extension of the test track. In order to facilitate longer high-speed runs and possibly higher speed testing.


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## Woonsocket54

What I meant to ask is: Are paying passengers going to be riding the maglev in 2013?


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## Momo1435

There won't be any regular scheduled service for regular paying commuters or travellers. It's still just an extended test track, it doesn't really connect 2 towns that could generate a steady traffic flow. 

But there will be paid "joy rides" for people that want to experience a ride on the maglev. So it will just be like a tourist attraction until the rest of the line between Tokyo and Nagoya is completed.


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## hmmwv

It'll be interesting to see how much the tickets going to be, cuz I definitely want to try it out.


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## khoojyh

quashlo said:


> *Japanese government markets Shinkansen for Malaysia – Singapore HSR*
> http://www.nikkei.com/news/category...E1E2E2888DE0E1E2E7E0E2E3E09793E3E2E2E2;av=ALL
> 
> 
> 
> This is for the proposed 400 km route that would link Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in about 1.5 hrs. The Japanese government will perform its own independent feasibility analysis of the project this fiscal year to assist Japanese firms looking to participate, and will consider the possibility of providing financing through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation should JR Central or JR East win orders for the project.


Good news but it won't be happen in so soon....


----------



## quashlo

*JR Central considers providing technical support to Taiwan HSR*
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/economy/news/120705/biz12070510020002-n1.htm



> ＪＲ東海が、独自の運行管理システムや車両の保守管理などついて、台湾高速鉄道への支援を検討していることが４日分かった。台湾高速鉄道は、海外の高速鉄道として初めて日本の新幹線を導入し、ＪＲ東海が技術者を派遣するなど協力している。
> 
> ＪＲ東海は、列車の運行管理や制御機器の監視を総合的に行う新幹線運行管理システム「コムトラック」などのノウハウがある。台湾当局が、高速鉄道の安全で正確な運行を目指し、国土交通省を通じてＪＲ東海側に支援要請してきたという。
> 
> 台湾高速鉄道は平成１９年１月から営業を開始した。今年５月には、東海道・山陽新幹線で運行されている「７００系新幹線」をベースにした４８両の発注を川崎重工業と東芝に決め、２７年には台北－南港駅を結ぶ５・７キロの路線延長と新駅開業を予定している。
> 
> 高速鉄道建設は、ブラジルやインド、タイなどが構想段階に入っており、日韓欧が受注競争を展開。官民一体によるインフラ輸出を推進する国土交通省は「台湾新幹線が日本ブランドとして世界にアピールできれば」と期待する。


On 2012.07.04, it was revealed that JR Central is considering providing technical support to Taiwan High Speed Rail concerning train control systems and rolling stock maintenance. Apparently, the request came from the Taiwanese side, which asked for JR Central’s support through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). Not quite sure what the impetus is behind this, and there is no official press release from JR Central yet.


----------



## coth

chornedsnorkack said:


> Nozomi trains now take 1:34 for the trip Shinagawa-Nagoya, with 1 stop. How long have they been operating at 270 km/h?
> 
> Considering the track geometry of Tokaido Shinkansen, same since 1964, how long shall Tokaido Shinkansen Shinagawa-Nagoya take in 2026?
> 
> When shall Tohoku Shinkansen be sped up from 300 km/h to 320 km/h?


1. From 1992, afair.


----------



## quashlo

Somebody found this recently-made (as of 2012.07.05) webpage for the JR East + Kawasaki consortium looking to bid on the California HSR project:
http://www.jchighspeedrail.com/

There’s a brief PDF brochure here:
http://www.jchighspeedrail.com/pdf/brochure0001.pdf

The following firms are part of the consortium:

East Japan Railway Company (JR East)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Nippon Sharyō
Hitachi
Mitsubishi Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation
The rolling stock appears to be Kawasaki efSET, drawing from a lot of the R&D efforts in developing the next-generation E5 / E6 for JR East Shinkansen lines.




























*Specs*
Formation: 8-car EMU (6M2T)
Length: 200 m
Width: 3,380 mm
Maximum service speed: 220 mph (350 km/h)
Capacity: 510 pax
Train output: 9.7 MW
Max axle load: Approx. 14 t
Other features: Bogie abnormality detection system, continuous ventilation system, Tier III / ADA compliant


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## krnboy1009

I doubt Japanese would get the call if CAHSR does happen. Thinking more on the line of European companies.


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## quashlo

Japan has already offered to finance half of the project (approx. $20 billion). Considering that, combined with the technical expertise in specific aspects that are relevant to the California project (noise, earthquakes, general operating philosophy), I think they have a decent chance of winning.


----------



## quashlo

*Hokuriku Shinkansen rail walk*

On 2012.07.07, members of the public were invited to tour portions of the under-construction Hokuriku Shinkansen viaduct near Shin-Takaoka Station. Some photos:
_Source: http://kiha85hida.exblog.jp/_



















Up the scaffolding to reach the top…










Future Shin-Takaoka Station, a two-track station with side platforms. The rails will be laid about a half-year before the service opens to give them enough time to test everything. All viaduct sections in Takaoka City are supposed to be finished before the end of the fiscal year.










Track on the left is inbound to Tōkyō, track on the right is outbound to Kanazawa.










A bit suprising to see how tall the tracks actually are above the base of the structure.
And no, the picture wasn’t taken at a slant… As Shin-Takaoka Station is only a minor station, there will be trains passing through the station without stopping, hence the cant.










Looking east towards the Shō River.
The soundwalls are fairly high here. Apparently, some of the panels will be acrylic glass to make it easier for passengers to enjoy the view.










Climbing onto the future platforms…










As is typical nowadays, the station will have waist-high platform doors, with plenty of clearance between the doors and the platform edge.


----------



## quashlo

*Hokuriku Shinkansen construction at Kanazawa Station*

Some belated pics from 2012.05 of the ongoing work at Kanazawa Station:
_Source: http://saitoshika.blog119.fc2.com/_










Can see the platforms taking shape already behind the existing station building, with its distinctive “Hospitality Dome”. Kanazawa will serve as the terminus for the line for several years until the extension to Tsuruga opens, and will feature four tracks.










From the west side










The east approach into the station, where track laying is already underway.










Moving to Higashi-Kanazawa Station a little bit northeast, we can see the high viaduct approach into the center of the city. Historically, Kanazawa and Ishikawa Prefecture have had closer ties to Ōsaka and the Kansai region, but the Shinkansen extension will make Kanazawa significantly more accessible from Tōkyō and the Kantō region.


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## k.k.jetcar

^^
I'm glad that the Kanazawa Shinkansen station will have a much more pleasant interior than its zairaisen neighbor, which may be one of the darkest and most depressing places in Japan to arrive on a train, rivaled perhaps only by my local station, Sapporo.

Kanazawa Sta. shinkansen platforms (reminiscent of the new Asahikawa Station):
http://ameblo.jp/kanamachi21/image-11249079817-11969732441.html


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## Sopomon

Still no news on the E7?

What's the max design speed on the Hokuriku Shinkansen?


----------



## quashlo

No news on the E7.

The Hokuriku Shinkansen is one of the 整備新幹線, all of which have a "base" design speed of 260 km/h. The maximum speed can be increased with noise abatement measures and using faster rolling stock, just as has been done with the Tōhoku Shinkansen, but it remains to be seen whether they will do anything of the sort with the Hokuriku Shinkansen.


----------



## quashlo

*JR East announces Shinkansen timetable revisions for September*

Official press release:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2012/20120708.pdf

As part of continued speed upgrades to the Tōhoku Shinkansen, JR East recently announced the following upcoming changes to its Shinkansen network taking effect this September.

*Yamagata Shinkansen speed upgrades*
All Yamagata Shinkansen _Tsubasa_ services will be increased to 275 km/h. Nine roundtrips were already upgraded with the March 2012 timetable changes, but the remaining 7 roundtrips will be upgraded with the replacement of E4 (bilevel 8-car formations) units with E2 (single-level 10-car formations) on the current _Max Yamabiko_ services. This will speed up the _Tsubasa_ services by another three minutes between Tōkyō and Yamagata to 2h26m.

With these changes, the 18-year old E1 series (first entered service 1994.07.15) will be completely retired, and the E4 series will end regular revenue service on the Tōhoku Shinkansen north of Ōmiya.

*More E5 series*
Another 5 sets will enter service, bringing the total to 16 sets. Another 4 _Hayate_ roundtrips will be operated with E5 sets: 3 more Tōkyō – Shin-Aomori roundtrips (bringing the total to 11) and 1 more Tōkyō – Morioka roundtrip (bringing the total to 2).

*Capacity upgrades to the Jōetsu Shinkansen*
With the complete retirement of the E1 series (bilevel 12-car formations), these units will be replaced by some of the E4 series being shifted off the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operating in tandem 8+8 formations. Capacity on these particular runs will be increased by 405 seats to 1,634 pax.

A look at some of the rolling stock variety on the Tōhoku Shinkansen, which is gradually disappearing as JR East works to speed up the line by consolidating to a two-train fleet of E5s and E6s.






And an unofficial PV based on the 30th anniversary CM:


----------



## quashlo

N700A cars being delivered to JR Central by trailer truck:

Car 16 passing the Morishita intersection (2012.07.05):






The other end car, car 1 (2012.07.12) near JR Central's Hamamatsu Plant:


----------



## pi_malejana

wow sad to see this train die like this... 0 series??









Flickr pic from _ubic from tokyo_


----------



## keLmikez

^^ That's a 200 based on the snowplows on its front


----------



## k.k.jetcar

That's a 200 series (3 cars) on display adjacent to the Nagareyama Onsen station on the Hakodate Main Line in southern Hokkaido. The other end is in considerably better shape (the exit from the platform is there). This station sees only 4 trains stop in each direction per day.


----------



## Momo1435

^^ Thanks for answering my question in advance since I was going to ask what is it doing in Hokkaido.


----------



## quashlo

*JR East president has high hopes for California project*
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120714a7.html#.UAIfBPXrSSo



> PHILADELPHIA — A consortium that includes East Japan Railway Co. will emphasize the excellent safety record and reliability of the shinkansen network as it seeks to take part in California's planned high-speed rail system, JR East Chairman Satoshi Seino said.
> 
> Seino made the remark Wednesday in Philadelphia on the sidelines of a world congress on high-speed railways after California's state assembly approved initial construction costs for the rail system.
> 
> "Japan stands a good chance of winning the order by emphasizing the Japanese shinkansen network's early recovery from the (March 2011) Great East Japan Earthquake, its on-time services and low accident rates," Seino said.
> 
> He said the Japanese consortium has not decided which train cars to offer California.
> 
> Seino also called for stronger support from the Japanese government to better compete with France and other rivals.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> He said the Japanese consortium has not decided which train cars to offer California.


Whither efSET?


----------



## Erick Satoh

sorry i know this is off-tropic but...

does anyone can help me with railroad models my plan is to buy every single model in N Gauge of Shinkansen type
i do love trains im brazilian living in japan 

last week i did buyed a Kato 500 Series Nozomi


----------



## k.k.jetcar

Erick Satoh said:


> sorry i know this is off-tropic but...
> 
> does anyone can help me with railroad models my plan is to buy every single model in N Gauge of Shinkansen type
> i do love trains im brazilian living in japan
> 
> last week i did buyed a Kato 500 Series Nozomi


Well, there should be a good number of model train shops in the Nagoya area. For starters, try the Bic Camera Store at Nagoya Station Nishiguchi (4F has a hobby area). If you're on a budget, consider buying secondhand, such as Poppondetta. There is a branch store at the Aeon Mall Kisogawa, access by Meitetsu (3 min walk from Kuroda Station):
http://www.popondetta.com/kirio/index.html

For more model rr info try the JNS Forum.


----------



## quashlo

k.k.jetcar said:


> Whither efSET?


Not sure. The article is so short and offers no context, so it's difficult to say much. Usually, the Japan Times English articles are translations of Japanese articles, but that doesn't appear to be the case here. Could just be that Seino got it wrong, its a mistranslation, or even reporter error.

Plus, it will still be a ways down the road before the CHSRA begins to seriously consider purchasing rolling stock, so it may just be a comment that it's still too far into the future to be offering an exact type of train beyond basic specs. And who knows what will happen in that time? By that time, Japanese high-speed rail service will already be venturing into new areas, such as variable-gauge trains (Nagasaki Shinkansen) and shared trackage (Seikan Tunnel), the latter being one of the weaker points of Japan's expertise in comparison to Europe. By that time, there could be an E8 or E9 in the works (replacing E2?) to serve as the basis for a new export model.


----------



## quashlo

*Shin-Ōsaka Station concourse renovation update*

A few recent pics (2012.06) of the ongoing renovation of the concourse at JR Shin-Ōsaka Station, being executed in tandem with the addition of the new Shinkansen platform at the station:
_Source: http://saitoshika.blog119.fc2.com/_

TVMs for Shinkansen (left) and JR West _zairaisen_ (right). Love the black here. 










East Exit for the _zairaisen_ concourse










South Exit for the Shinkansen (the former Central Exit). They went crazy with the security cameras… :lol:










Previously, the South Exit was strictly for exiting passengers only, but they’ve now converted it to dual use. Departure boards are six-row full-color LCDs (three screens total), with separate boards for outbound San’yō Shinkansen (left), inbound Tōkaidō Shinkansen _Nozomi_ (center), and inbound Tōkaidō Shinkansen _Hikari_ and _Kodama_ (right).










The public concourse area near the Central Exit. Looks vastly different from what I remember late last year.










The relocated Sennari-Byōtan, the battle standard of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This is a popular meeting spot.










They’ve also got a display of a _bunraku_ puppet.



















Newly-opened staffed Shinkansen ticket counters.










They are gradually opening the renovated sections a bit at a time, and they’ve still got some areas left to finish. This will be the connection with the new Hankyū office building going in on the north side of the station.


----------



## Silver Swordsman

^I think that's the Maglev, sweetheart.


----------



## krnboy1009

Maglev can be a HSR train.


----------



## Silly_Walks

krnboy1009 said:


> Maglev can be a HSR train.


But the Japanese Highspeed Maglev has its own thread


----------



## quashlo

*Kyūshū governors push for East Kyūshū Shinkansen*
http://www.oita-press.co.jp/localNews/2012_135173005402.html



> 九州地方知事会（会長・広瀬勝貞大分県知事）は３１日、大分など九州の東側を通る「東九州新幹線」構想について、基本計画路線から事業認可の条件となる整備計画路線への格上げと必要な財源の確保を国に求める特別決議をまとめた。西九州は九州新幹線鹿児島ルート（博多―鹿児島中央）が全線開業、６月に長崎ルート（諫早―長崎）の着工が認可された。東九州の交通インフラ整備と活性化を進めるため、新幹線が必要と判断した。
> 
> 東九州ルートは福岡市から大分、宮崎両市を経て鹿児島市までを結ぶ。知事会事務局によると、特別決議に盛り込んだのは初めて。新幹線整備には県民の期待も高いが、国は厳しい財政状況の中で新規着工・建設には消極的だ。多額の事業費の地元負担といった沿線自治体や住民の“痛み”も伴い、実現への道はかなり険しそうだ。
> 決議は鹿児島県指宿市で開いた知事会議で採択した。終了後の会見で広瀬会長は「九州新幹線が開業した西九州の大きな経済効果を見ても、東九州新幹線は必要。これから知事会として必要な手順を踏み、（実現へ）努力していきたい」と意欲を示した。
> 東九州ルートは全国新幹線鉄道整備法に基づいて１９７３年に基本計画路線に位置付けられた。その後は事実上凍結され、着工のめどは立っていない。
> 国は現在整備を進めている北海道、北陸、九州・長崎ルート以外は費用対効果が合わないとの姿勢。「新規の整備を検討するにしても（２０３５年度ごろ完成予定の）北海道新幹線が完成した後」（国土交通省鉄道局）としている。
> 
> ＜ポイント＞新幹線の整備
> 基本計画路線は１０あり、大阪市から四国を経て大分市に至る「四国新幹線」も含まれる。２０１１年にリニア中央新幹線（東京都―大阪市、ＪＲ東海が建設）が整備計画路線となった。国は着工条件として▽安定的な財源確保▽収支採算性▽投資効果▽ＪＲ（営業主体）の同意▽並行在来線の経営分離―の５条件を掲げている。


Another article with a bit more info…


----------



## quashlo

*Chūgoku region officials push for San’in Shinkansen*
http://www.nnn.co.jp/news/121101/20121101004.html



> 中国５県54市議会の正副議長らでつくる中国市議会議長会の臨時総会が31日、鳥取県米子市内で開かれ、山陰新幹線の早期実現など国に対する10項目の要望を決めた。
> 
> 19市の正副議長と議会事務局職員の計約70人が出席した。各市が提出した要望を原案通り可決。いずれも要望書にまとめ、国の各機関に提出する。
> 
> 山陰新幹線の早期実現は倉吉市が提出した。東日本大震災の教訓として山陽新幹線の代替機能を確保することが重要と訴え、山陰新幹線の基本計画を整備計画に格上げするよう求めている。
> 
> 10項目のうち雇用対策への財政支援（山口県美祢市）、地域公共交通の確保・維持に対する支援の拡充（岡山県総社市）、地球温暖化対策税を森林整備などに幅広く活用（広島県三次市）の３項目については、11月８日に開かれる全国市議会議長会にも提出し、決議される見通し。


----------



## Sopomon

Everybody seems to want a Shinkansen now, I wonder if the government will be able to fund it.

I always thought that a route from Nagoya, up into the mountains, through Nagano and on to Niigata would be handy for a lot of people, especially in the winter skiing season.


----------



## SamuraiBlue

Sopomon said:


> Everybody seems to want a Shinkansen now, I wonder if the government will be able to fund it.
> 
> I always thought that a route from Nagoya, up into the mountains, through Nagano and on to Niigata would be handy for a lot of people, especially in the winter skiing season.


Nope, it would be another epic pork barrel project that will be lining various construction companies executives and politicians.

Basically out side of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan(including Nagoya) is a car culture since the roads are not that congested. People who goes scuba diving in Nagoya usually drive to Niigata and it only takes about two~three hours. That is about the same time as divers living in Tokyo driving to Izu peninsula.


----------



## Sopomon

SamuraiBlue said:


> Nope, it would be another epic pork barrel project that will be lining various construction companies executives and politicians.
> 
> Basically out side of Tokyo and Osaka, Japan(including Nagoya) is a car culture since the roads are not that congested. People who goes scuba diving in Nagoya usually drive to Niigata and it only takes about two~three hours. That is about the same time as divers living in Tokyo driving to Izu peninsula.


I get your point, but what if you also had all the traffice from the rest of the southwest? Admittedly, after the extention of Hokuriku shinkansen is finished, it may well be pointless


----------



## quashlo

*Toyama Prefecture studies possibility of retaining zairaisen limited expresses after Shinkansen opens*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNZO48346440S2A111C1LB0000/



> 2015年春の北陸新幹線金沢開業後も富山と大阪を結ぶＪＲ特急「サンダーバード」、富山・名古屋間の「しらさぎ」が現行運行本数のまま富山まで乗り入れると、富山県内の並行在来線を運営する第三セクターの減収が年15億円に及びそうだとの試算を県がまとめた。
> 
> 12日開かれた県並行在来線対策協議会の幹事会で県が提示した。ＪＲ西日本は北陸新幹線開業後は両特急を金沢止まりとする方針だが、富山県内には富山始発の運行継続を求める声が根強い。県は特急乗り入れが及ぼす三セク会社経営への影響を具体的に示し、来年後半の鉄道事業許可申請に向けた経営計画策定に反映させたい考えだ。
> 
> 三セク会社で運賃収入と並ぶ収入の柱をなすのが貨物線路使用料。区間を走行する貨物と旅客の車両キロ比に応じて貨物側が線路修繕費などを負担するが、特急が１往復継続するだけで旅客比率が高まり、使用料は年6500万円の減額が予想される。現行の23往復とした場合、減収は同15億円程度になる。


----------



## quashlo

*Toyama Station Hokuriku Shinkansen construction update*

A slightly belated, but still awesome, photo update from 2012.09. Lots of progress has been made since the last set from 2012.02.
_Source: http://saitoshika.blog119.fc2.com/_

Temporary platforms and platform bridge. The Shinkansen viaduct is quickly taking shape in the background.



















Platforms under construction



















A new north-south arterial road crossing underneath the station will be built here. The entire station, including the _zairaisen_ tracks (Takayama Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line), are being elevated in conjunction with the Shinkansen construction.










West of the station is a new type of structure I’ve never seen before… Likely a fully-enclosed soundwall similar to the noise hoods found at Shinkansen tunnel portals, but continuous. If so, it’s obviously due to the proximity of the residential units, but I thought that all the trains would be stopping at Toyama, so I’m not entirely sure why they would need this level of noise mitigation… Easy to appreciate the ROW constraints that come with urban railway building, and this for a station that actually has quite a bit of ROW to work with.










Last is the four-span extradosed bridge over the Jinzū River, which is looking really good.


----------



## quashlo

*Shin-Ōsaka Station construction update*

From 2012.08:
_Source: http://saitoshika.blog119.fc2.com/_

To refresh our memories, this project involves the construction of a new passenger track and platform at the station and two new siding tracks west of the station to help deal with added train traffic from the San’yō / Kyūshū Shinkansen.










Construction of the new sidings, viewed from the west end of Platform 26. Some track has already been laid.










The new platform under construction… Unlike the existing Shinkansen platforms at Shin-Ōsaka, the new platform will have the now-standard waist-high moving platform doors instead of just platform fencing.










Right where the station crosses over Shin-Midōsuji, the new platform will feature a mostly glass exterior to allow passengers to look out.










New escalators and stairwells under construction… These will be mostly the same design as the existing platforms to keep the platforms looking generally uniform.










Next, some of the changes near the paid-area concourse, starting with the _zairaisen_ concourse. This is JR West territory, but the departure boards for Tōkaidō / San’yō / Kyūshū Shinkansen services have been replaced with high-resolution full-color LED units, with much clearer stopping pattern diagrams. 










These are the transfer gates between _zairaisen_ and Shinkansen, which have the departure boards seen more frequently in JR Central Shinkansen stations. The advertisement at this location has been replaced with a large “digital signage” installation, consisting of 60 inch LCD monitors (Sharp?) in a three-by-four matrix.



















Work has also been completed on renovation of a portion of the Shinkansen paid-area concourse.


----------



## quashlo

*E5 series deployment on Tōhoku Shinkansen pushes E2 series trains onto Jōetsu Shinkansen*

Official JR East press release:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2012/20121112.pdf

An additional four E5 sets will enter revenue service on the Tōhoku Shinkansen on 2013.01.26 on _Hayate_, _Yamabiko_, and _Nasuno_ services, bringing the total number of E5 sets in revenue service to 20. As a result, four E2 sets will be moved to the Jōetsu Shinkansen for use on _Toki_ and _Tanigawa_ services. E2 series will be returning to the Jōetsu Shinkansen for the first time in 9 years, replacing four of the seven 200 series sets currently on the line.


----------



## loefet

^^ That was expected really, especially since the E1's are withdrawn and the E4's are going soon. I really wonder if they decide to make them 16 cars long to be able to counteract the loss of spaces compared to the bi-level trains.
Wonder when they will announce the end of the 200 series, most likely sooner than later.


----------



## Busfotodotnl

On wikipedia, i read the E1 series were built in the nineties. We are they already been scrapped, they are not that old? The TGV Sud-Est of 1981 are still in service as well.


----------



## SamuraiBlue

Busfotodotnl said:


> On wikipedia, i read the E1 series were built in the nineties. We are they already been scrapped, they are not that old? The TGV Sud-Est of 1981 are still in service as well.


Basically it's to up-heave the total capacity of the express side of the Tohoku Shinkansen. With a speed difference between E5 and E1 of 80Km/h requires a large headway between each other. This headway can be shorten by unifying the top speed which results to higher capacity.
E1 trainset has too much capacity to be demoted to regular service so the natural action is to retire the train.
I speculate why the French does not retire the TGV is because it already have a too complicated time table due to running the TGV on classic mixed traffic lines making it meaningless to introduce a new system which will bring no net capacity to the entire system.


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## Silver Swordsman

Could it be because Japan run their trains with nearly no downtime, which wears out the train faster?


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## Momo1435

Shinkansen in general are retired after just 15 to 20 years. Some last a bit longer when they are refurbished, shortened to be used on the all stop services. The speed issue is why they didn't extend the live of the E1, just like they won't do with the E4 that should be fully retired in 2016. The E2 will also be retired from the Tohuku Shinkansen but the early sets will most likely be refurbished for an extended life on the Nagano and the Joetsu Shinkansen where the speed won't be raised to 320 km/h. The Tohoku Shinkansen should become all E5 and E6 in the future. 

On the Tokaido Shinkansen the 300 series sets has also been retired after 15 years and the first 700 series set has also been retired this year and more should follow next year now the N700 are being delivered. 

I can't give 1 single reason why the Shinkansen is retired much earlier then other high speed trains like the TGV. It has to do with technology, money, Japanese culture. You have to keep in mind that the JRs are profitable private companies, that's a big difference with the European state owned railways.


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## makita09

I agree, there is no1 single reason, its just as if a different paradigm has just evolved in Japan - for much of the 20th Century Europe was in a kind of make-do-and-mend scenario, whereas Japan really wasn't as it was building largely from scratch, and has allowed it to get settled on the leading edge of development envelope.


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## quashlo

The more profitable JR operations all tend to have similar rolling stock lifecycles for all their trains, not just Shinkansen... The pattern is the same for JR East's urban rail operations centered around Tōkyō, where trains are replaced fairly rapidly. JR East first adopted this type of strategy ("half the weight, half the cost, half the lifetime") with the 209 series, a commuter EMU for the Tōkyō area, as a way to maintain high-quality service for passengers. The replacement cycles of rolling stock on Shinkansen lines may be slightly more accelerated, but that's because of the constant improvements like increased maximum speeds (e.g., E5 series), tilting (e.g., N700), etc. that require corresponding constant investment in higher-performance trains.


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## quashlo

*Groundbreaking ceremony for Hokuriku Shinkansen’s Toyama Station*
http://www.chunichi.co.jp/hokuriku/article/news/CK2012111802000218.html



> 二〇一四年度末に開業する北陸新幹線富山駅（富山市）の新築工事安全祈願の式典が十七日、富山駅近くの駅舎建設予定地で営まれた。関係者ら百人が参加し、駅舎の完成と地元の観光振興を祈願した。
> 
> 式典は工事を実施する建設業者らの共同企業体が主催。石井隆一富山県知事や森雅志富山市長をはじめ、広野允士参院議員、野上浩太郎参院議員、引退した長勢甚遠前衆院議員らが出席した。
> 
> 式典後、石井知事は「いよいよ開業が近づいてきた」と笑顔であいさつ。「県にとって、観光振興の絶好の機会となる。開業効果を最大限に高めたい」と意気込んだ。
> 
> 国会議員を代表して広野参院議員が「待ちに待った県都の玄関口の着工。関西方面への延伸のため、引き続き努力したい」と述べた。衆院解散にも触れ、「二院制是非の議論はあるが、このような（解散の）非常時に（参院議員なら）駆けつけられる利点もある」と胸を張った。
> 
> 現在、駅舎は土台のコンクリート部分が完成し、今後は鉄骨部分や屋根が取り付けられる。完成は一四年七月ごろとなる見通し。


Completion is scheduled for July 2014.

In related news, some recent clips from this month of the construction work on the Hokuriku Shinkansen north of Nagano Station:


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## Zero Gravity

Since they are going to remove E1 and E4 within the next few years and their replacements will be E6 and E5, are there actually any plans do introduce double-deck-Shinkansen-trains sometime in the future? Or is something like that under developement?


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## SamuraiBlue

Zero Gravity said:


> Since they are going to remove E1 and E4 within the next few years and their replacements will be E6 and E5, are there actually any plans do introduce double-deck-Shinkansen-trains sometime in the future? Or is something like that under developement?


That is probably anybody guess, although any double decker would need to maintain a 320~360Km/h which I believe is not possible at the moment due to weight problem.


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## riles28

For me I thing why the Japan Railways retired likewise the old model of shinkansen because they introduce a new technology the environmentally shinkansen like the E5, E6 and N700 follow by E7 for hokuriko shinkansen line because it less energy consume, less noise vibration, less heat for the motor so that's the reason i observe why they remove from service the old model and replace it a new once.


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## quashlo

*JR Central fleshes out platform door implementation plan for Tōkaidō Shinkansen*
http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2012/12/07/013/



> JR東海は6日、東海道新幹線の駅ホームへの可動柵(ホームドア)設置について発表した。現在工事中の東京駅、新大阪駅をはじめ、利用者の多い「のぞみ」停車駅を対象に、新型可動柵の設置を検討するとのこと。
> 
> 東海道新幹線では現在、品川駅21・24番線と新横浜駅2・3番線、熱海駅6・7番線で従来型の可動柵(扉がハニカム構造)が設置されている。JR東海ではコスト低減が可能な新型可動柵(扉がパイプ構造)の技術開発を進めており、そのめどがたったことに加え、今年3月の300系車両の引退で扉の位置がほぼ統一されたことから、「のぞみ」停車駅を対象に、新型可動柵の設置を検討するという。
> 
> 現在、新型可動柵の設置工事が進められているのは東京駅14番線と、新大阪駅に新たに設置予定の27番線(20～26番線は工事の対象外)で、いずれも今年度末の供用開始をめざしている。次のステップとして、JR東海では京都駅と名古屋駅にも可動柵の設置を検討しており、スケジュールや工事費などの詳細は計画がまとまり次第発表するとしている。


Official press release:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001116.html

Currently, platform doors are installed at the following locations on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen:

Shinagawa Station (Platforms 21 and 24)
Shin-Yokohama Station (Platforms 2 and 3)
Atami Station (Platforms 6 and 7)
Work is currently proceeding on platform door installations at the following locations:

Tōkyō Station: Work is currently focusing on Platform 14, to be completed by the end of the fiscal year. Work on Platforms 15 through 19 will follow.
Shin-Ōsaka Station: Platform doors are being installed on the new Platform 27.
The current plan is to focus on _Nozomi_ stations with high passenger volumes, specifically Kyōto Station and Nagoya Station. Platforms 20 through 26 at Shin-Ōsaka Station are not part of this initial implementation because they serve both 8- and 16-car formations, with non-uniform door placement. As a cost-cutting measure, they will be using a more streamlined, pipe-design for the platform doors that only requires two anchor points into the platform. The current design using honeycomb-structure door panels requires four anchor points.

Render:










New (top) and existing (bottom) designs:


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## quashlo

*Work on first segment of Sapporo extension of Hokkaidō Shinkansen to start FY2013*
http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/economic/429050.html



> 【北斗】２０３５年度に開業を予定する北海道新幹線新函館（仮称）―札幌間の最初の工事が、北斗市内の村山トンネル（５２６５メートル）に決まり、鉄道建設・運輸施設整備支援機構は２１日、来年３月の入札に向けて工事概要を公告した。来年度に着工する見通しで、２０年度末の完成を予定している。
> 
> 村山トンネルの函館側出入り口は、札幌延伸の起点となる新函館駅から約１キロに位置し、新青森―新函館間のトンネル工事などを管轄する北斗鉄道建設所に近い。札幌延伸で建設される計１９カ所のトンネルのうち、１０番目の長さ。トンネル工事は工期が長い一方、用地買収などが不要なため、同機構は北海道新幹線札幌延伸に向け、高架橋や橋りょう建設よりも先行させる方針を示している。＜北海道新聞１２月２２日朝刊掲載＞


The first segment will be the 5,265 m Murayama Tunnel in Hokuto City, located about one kilometer north of Shin-Hakodate Station. This is only the 10th longest tunnel on the Shin-Hakodate – Sapporo segment of the line, but since no land acquisition is necessary, the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT) is prioritizing this segment over viaduct and bridge segments.

Construction bidding will begin in March of next year, with groundbreaking coming some time next fiscal year, to be completed by late FY2020.


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## hmmwv

Those railway platform screen doors seem to be very good, I like its design because it is compatible with a number of different train designs.


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## Momo1435

quashlo said:


> *JR East announces March 2013 service changes*
> 
> Official press release:
> http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2012/20121215.pdf
> 
> Changes will take effect 2013.03.16 (Saturday):
> 
> *E6 series Super Komachi will debut on Akita Shinkansen*
> The introduction of the new E6 series will allow Akita Shinkansen trips to speed up from 275 km/h to 300 km/h between Utsunomiya and Morioka, reducing travel times between Tōkyō and Akita by as much as five minutes to 3h 45m. A total of four E6 units will debut in revenue service on 2013.03.16, operating on four of the 15 roundtrips between Tōkyō and Akita. Following the service changes, about one to two E6 trains will be completed each month and gradually rolled out, replacing E3 series trains.


ANA has reacted to the introduction of the E6, they will start to use their new 787 on 1 of the 5 flights on the Haneda - Akita route from the exact same day as the introduction of the E6. 

This can't be a coincidence. Even though the plane is much faster, ANA probably fear that enough people will want to try out the new Shinkansen to have an impact on their passenger numbers.

source:
http://airlineroute.net/2012/12/25/nh-axt-mar13/


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## Silly_Walks

Momo1435 said:


> Even though the plane is much faster


Is it really _much_ faster, door to door?


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## Erick Satoh

loefet said:


> ^^ Well it's due to the fact that they have a bunch of E2 trains that were made redundant on the Tohoku line due to the introduction of the newer E5 trains. *So why not replace the old 200 series with newer trains if they can.* The 200 series is very old for a high speed train, and I'm pretty sure that they can save loads of maintenance money by removing these old trains in favour of newer models, one less model to worry about getting parts to, and if they gain a couple of minutes in travel time in the progress then why not?


YES they will be replace by E2 in March 2013 
JR East released information regarding their March 2013 timetable revision, on 21st of December 2012.

With this timetable revision comes the announcement that the 200系 will be retired from regular service when the revision comes into effect.
All remaining 200系 schedules will be taken over by E2系 formations, in turn replaced by E5系 formations on the Tōhoku Shinkansen. As the E2系 accelerates faster then the 200系, this in turn will help speed up the replaced schedules on the Jōetsu Shinkansen.


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## loefet

^^ Yes I know that.
It was the one I answered to that though it was strange that they were replacing the 200 with E2 trains. 
Also they have about the same acceleration, but the newer E2 is (usually) rated at a higher top speed.


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## quashlo

*Smartphones accelerate spread of online Shinkansen reservations*
http://www.chukei-news.co.jp/news/201212/26/articles_19568.php



> ＪＲ東海の新幹線ネット予約サービスが好調だ。スマートフォン（スマホ、高機能携帯電話）などからお得に気軽に指定席を予約できる。「１１月末時点の会員数は２１０万人と、前年同月末比で１割増加した。新幹線のチケット販売の中心にしていく」（山田佳臣社長）方針だ。背景にはスマホが普及し、外出中でもインターネットへの接続に抵抗感が薄まっていることがある。１０月には新サービスを開始しており、一層の会員拡大を目指す。


Current enrollment in JR Central’s online Shinkansen reservation system has about 2.1 million members as of the end of November, a year-over-year increase of about 10%, and JR Central is looking to make online reservations the focus of Shinkansen ticket sales. Hopefully this might lead to better integration of their IC card system (EX-IC) with the other IC card systems like Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, etc. With the 10 largest IC cards in Japan going nationwide in March of next year, there may be a stronger push for IC card compatibility on the Shinkansen and other elements of the intercity rail network.


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## quashlo

*Japanese firms uncertain about future of Chinese market*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD1908X_Z11C12A2XX1000/



> 中国の鉄道ビジネスが再び活発化しそうだ。鉄道省は26日、北京と広州を結ぶ高速鉄道（中国版新幹線）を全線開通する。昨年７月の列車事故で高速鉄道の投資を凍結したが、政府は景気刺激には投資再開が必要と判断。年10兆円の市場を巡り攻勢をかける中国や欧州勢などに対し、日中関係の悪化で日本メーカーは苦戦を強いられそうだ。
> 
> 「鉄道省から近く450億元（約6000億円）の大量発注があるはずだ」。国有鉄道車両大手、中国北車幹部は打ち明ける。すでに同社傘下で中国版新幹線向けの車両「ＣＲＨ３」や「ＣＲＨ380Ｂ」を製造する唐山軌道客車（河北省）に基幹部品の手配などを命じた。
> 
> ■車両は２社寡占
> 
> 鉄道車両市場は国有の中国北車と中国南車の２社寡占。両社からの部品発注を求め鉄道車両関連メーカーは受注活動を再開した。中国の機械メーカー、太原重型機械集団（山西省）は高速鉄道用の車輪や車軸などを製造する新工場を稼働した。
> 
> 中国版新幹線と呼ばれる旅客専用高速鉄道の整備計画がまとまったのは2004年。「四縦四横」と呼ばれる南北４本、東西４本の基幹路線を整備する計画で、車両製造や線路建設に着手。08年の北京夏季五輪にあわせて試験的な位置付けだった北京・天津間が最初に開業した。
> 
> 北京・天津間の成功を経て、鉄道省は投資を拡大。05年に線路敷設などの鉄道建設投資と車両購入を合計した総投資額は1364億元（約１兆8300億円）だったが、米金融危機に伴う中国の経済対策の中核も担い、ピーク時の10年には05年の６倍にまで急増した。
> 
> しかし、11年７月に浙江省・温州市内で起きた死者40人の高速鉄道の追突・脱線事故ですべてがストップ。中国政府は直ちに新規路線の建設認可を凍結した。11年の鉄道省の総投資額は10年比３割減の5906億元まで激減。12年の当初予算も5106億元に減らした。ただ、国内経済にテコ入れのため1000億元を上積みした。
> 
> 「鉄道投資は近く本格的に回復する」。鉄道省幹部は漏らす。13年の当初予算は6500億元だが、習近平総書記を筆頭とする新最高指導部は景気刺激を強化する見通し。最終的には12年と同様に1000億元を上積みし、7500億元（約10兆500億円）となる可能性がある。
> 
> ■シーメンス、現地大手と連携強化　ボンバルディア、技術供与で攻勢
> 
> 巨大市場に海外の鉄道関連メーカーも商機をうかがう。「高速鉄道プロジェクトの応札に自信を持っている」。中国北車などと組んで高速鉄道車両などを現地生産する独シーメンスの程美●（たまへんに韋）・中国法人最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は11日に上海で開いた業績説明会で力を込めた。
> 
> シーメンスは中国側との関係強化を狙っており、中国北車が生産した高速鉄道向けのアルミ合金部品の調達で合意。カナダのボンバルディアも中国南車のグループ会社と都市内交通用車両の技術供与で合意した。中国の鉄道業界の関係者は「欧米勢は連携強化によって、中国で鉄道ビジネス拡大を狙っている」と分析する。
> 
> 一方、沖縄県・尖閣諸島を巡る日中対立を受けて日本メーカーにとっては逆風が吹く。特に高速鉄道ビジネスは鉄道省や国有企業が相手であるため、政府間の対立がビジネスに直接影響する。日本の鉄道部品メーカー関係者は「新規の発注が打ち切られる可能性も否定できない」と高速鉄道の開通を手放しで喜べない現状を明かす。
> 
> ■「はやて」型快走
> 
> 中国の鉄道の歴史は日本の旧満州（現中国東北部）の国策会社、南満州鉄道（満鉄）がベース。中国版新幹線構想も中国の改革開放を指揮したトウ小平氏の訪日時の乗車がきっかけだ。「中国版新幹線は日本の安全技術なしでは成り立たない」（大手鉄道車両幹部）といわれた。構想が具現化した04年には川崎重工業が東北新幹線「はやて」型車両の技術を供与。現在でも各地で「はやて」型車両が走る。
> 
> 川重は巨額の特許料などを得たが、最近は特許を巡って中国側と対立し、中国の鉄道ビジネスは縮小気味だ。ただモーターや電源装置など基幹部品は日立製作所や三菱電機などの評価が高い。日立は速度を制御するインバーターや信号システムが強く、ナブテスコはブレーキシステムなどを手掛ける。
> 
> 11年度に日本から輸出された１千億円規模の鉄道車両用部品の輸出契約実績のうち５割強が中国向けだという。
> 
> 日本勢にチャンスはあるのか。ある部品メーカー幹部は「基幹部品の丈夫さでは負けない」と強調。鉄道省幹部は「もう二度と事故を起こさない」と呼応する。安全面は車両の機器の問題だけでなく、車両や運行管理システム、線路設備の保守などとも密接に絡むだけに、総合的な安全対策を提供する枠組みを構築できるかがカギになる。安全性が重視されれば、日本勢にも活路があるかもしれない。
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 川重の技術を基に中国が独自開発したとする中国版新幹線「ＣＲＨ３８０Ａ」


Some interesting information in the article, including the statistics on railcar equipment… In FY2011, the total contract value of railcar equipment exports out of Japan was approx. ¥100 billion, of which over 50% was bound for the Chinese market. In particular, Japanese firms have provided rolling stock (Kawasaki Heavy Industries, etc.), power equipment and motors (Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, etc.), brakes (Nabtesco), door equipment (Nabtesco), wheels (Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, etc.), gear equipment (Tōyō Electric, etc.), and signaling systems (Hitachi, Kyōsan, etc.) for the Chinese high-speed rail system. 

While there has been some confrontation between Kawasaki and the Chinese side regarding patents that has left Kawasaki less optimistic about the Chinese market, and the recent flare-up over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands has soured Sino-Japanese relations, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, and other Japanese firms still maintain a good reputation for quality in key components such as motors and power equipment.


----------



## Momo1435

Silly_Walks said:


> Is it really _much_ faster, door to door?


It's a 1h 05m flight compared to a 3h 45m train ride, that's a big difference. 

From Tokyo Station to Akita Station using an airplane is 36 minutes train/monorail ride -> 5 minutes in airport -> check in closes 15 minutes before departure -> 1h 05m flight -> 15 minutes disembarking and waiting for the Shuttle Bus -> 35 minutes bus ride to Akita. That's 2h 51m, still almost an hour faster then by Shinkansen. From door to door it just depends on where you are or where you have to go in Tokyo, there are enough places that are closer to Haneda then to the Tokyo or Ueno Station. Only if the time travel to Haneda is 1h 30m longer then the travel time to one of the stations it's going to be faster to take the plane.

The only reason why the Shinkansen is sometimes faster is because there are some larger gaps in the flight schedule.


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## Sunfuns

You can still arrive 15 min before departure for local flights in Japan? That's quite remarkable - I'm not aware of any place in Europe where less than 30 min before departure would be permited. 45 min is standard and I personally schedule an hour just in case. That is where a conventional calculation that HSR of 3 h or less is as fast or faster than flyimg regardless of the actual flying time comes from.


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## hmmwv

quashlo said:


> *Japanese firms uncertain about future of Chinese market*
> http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD1908X_Z11C12A2XX1000/
> 
> 
> 
> Some interesting information in the article, including the statistics on railcar equipment… In FY2011, the total contract value of railcar equipment exports out of Japan was approx. ¥100 billion, of which over 50% was bound for the Chinese market. In particular, Japanese firms have provided rolling stock (Kawasaki Heavy Industries, etc.), power equipment and motors (Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, etc.), brakes (Nabtesco), door equipment (Nabtesco), wheels (Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal, etc.), gear equipment (Tōyō Electric, etc.), and signaling systems (Hitachi, Kyōsan, etc.) for the Chinese high-speed rail system.
> 
> While there has been some confrontation between Kawasaki and the Chinese side regarding patents that has left Kawasaki less optimistic about the Chinese market, and the recent flare-up over the Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands has soured Sino-Japanese relations, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, and other Japanese firms still maintain a good reputation for quality in key components such as motors and power equipment.


It's not surprising at all, CRH system still runs a huge, huge number of the original CRH2 trainsets which are license built E2s. A number of other trains have Japanese components in them too, I expect this level of exports will continue for years to come. The same applies to Siemens too, which has an even larger market share due to its presence in the conventional rail segment.


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## Silly_Walks

Momo1435 said:


> It's a 1h 05m flight compared to a 3h 45m train ride, that's a big difference.
> 
> 
> 
> The only reason why the Shinkansen is sometimes faster is because there are some larger gaps in the flight schedule.


And I am guessing also due to delays regarding air traffic?


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## Momo1435

^^ It's not as good as the on-time performance of the Shinkansen, but both JAL and ANA are always in the top of the lists of airlines worldwide with the least delays. It's not really a big issue and delays are usually only very small.

Even with a very good Shinkansen Network the Japanese domestic flight network is also one of the busiest in the world and is growing. 

But the reaction of ANA to the introduction of the E6 shows that the airlines and the railways take each other very serious, they see each other as direct competitors on more routes then you would expect.


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## SamuraiBlue

Momo1435 said:


> ^^ It's not as good as the on-time performance of the Shinkansen, but both JAL and ANA are always in the top of the lists of airlines worldwide with the least delays. It's not really a big issue and delays are usually only very small.
> 
> Even with a very good Shinkansen Network the Japanese domestic flight network is also one of the busiest in the world and is growing.
> 
> But the reaction of ANA to the introduction of the E6 shows that the airlines and the railways take each other very serious, they see each other as direct competitors on more routes then you would expect.


That is not really surprising by just looking at the Tokyo-Osaka route. In the 70's I believe the ridership was like 50 -50 now it is almost gone.
ANA and JAL also lost some passengers to LCC like the Hong Kong route and the Seoul route and probably lose more on the Okinawa and Guam route.


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## Momo1435

^^ The modal split between the greater Tokyo and the greater Osaka area is around 80:20 in favor of rail. It has gone up and down for the passengers between the actual city centers and you see a bigger growth in air travel between the complete metropolitan areas. The number of air passengers has actually more then doubled since 1995, where the train has seen a steady but more modest growth. Even though the airlines are still far behind the Shinkansen they are still growing rapidly on this route. 

This just shows the strength of this route, it makes it very clear why JR Central is going ahead with the Chuo Maglev.


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## quashlo

*Removal of unexploded ordnance at Hamamatsu Plant to disrupt Tōkaidō Shinkansen service on 2013.02.17*
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/politics/news/121227/plc12122717390016-n1.htm



> ＪＲ東海は２７日、来年２月１７日の午前中に、東海道新幹線の運行ダイヤで最大６０分程度の遅れが生じると発表した。浜松工場（浜松市中区）で第二次大戦中に米軍が落としたとみられる不発弾が見つかり、陸上自衛隊が処理を行うためという。
> 
> 同社によると、不発弾処理は同日午前８時半ごろから始まり、１時間程度作業が行われる予定。
> 
> 東海道新幹線は運休列車がないものの、午前中を中心に４０本前後の新幹線でダイヤに乱れが出る。同日午後０時半ごろには正常化する見通し。在来線の東海道本線も影響を受ける。
> 
> 同社では「ちょうど日曜日で、受験シーズンのまっただ中でもあり、新幹線などの利用には注意をいただきたい」としている。


There is news of unexploded ordnance dating from World War II every now and then in Japan. Just four days ago, Jōban Line service between Hitachi and Tōkai was halted to disarm and remove unexploded ordnance discovered on the line, affecting a total of 15 trains. There was an infamous incident in 2008 where service on the Keiō Line, a key urban / commuter line for western Tōkyō, was severely disrupted to disarm and remove an unexploded bomb dropped by a B-29 during World War II, discovered during the continuous grade-separation and undergrounding of the line near Chōfu.

This latest news involves ordnance found on the site of JR Central’s Hamamatsu Plant in Naka Ward, Hamamatsu City, which will necessitate disruptions to service on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen on 2013.02.17 to allow JSDF personnel to safely disarm and remove the device starting at 8:00 am. The process will take about one hour, and while no trains will be cancelled, a total of 40 trains will be affected. Service will return to normal around 12:00.


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## quashlo

*Track laying kicks into gear for Hokkaidō side of Shinkansen extension*
http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/economic/430275.html



> 【北斗、木古内】２０１５年度開業予定の北海道新幹線20+ 件新青森―新函館（仮称）間で、道内側のレール敷設工事が、北斗市と渡島管内木古内町にまたがる渡島当別トンネル（８０７３メートル）で本格化している。
> 
> 建設を進める鉄道建設・運輸施設整備支援機構は１１月下旬から、枕木の役割を果たすコンクリート製の「スラブ」の上に、１本２００メートルのレールを並べる作業を開始。１２月中旬からは、作業員がレールの継ぎ目をバーナーで溶接し表面を研磨している。列車の乗り心地を良くして騒音も減らすため、レール１本の長さを１～２キロに伸ばす作業だ。


Article has a video report.

The majority of the work began in late November when the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT) began laying down the 200 m segments of rail onto the concrete slab track bed inside the 8,073 m Oshima–Tobetsu Tunnel connecting Hokuto City and Kikonai Town. Rail welding to produce continuous segments of one to two kilometers in length followed starting in mid-December.


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## quashlo

*MLIT to begin testing final variable-gauge train prototype on Kagoshima Main Line*
http://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/localnews/super_expless/39174.html



> 国土交通省は８日までに、線路幅の異なる新幹線と在来線を直通運転できるフリーゲージトレイン（軌間可変電車、ＦＧＴ）の実用化に向けた費用を本年度補正予算案に盛り込む方針を固めた。車輪の幅を線路に合わせて変換する装置を新八代駅（熊本県八代市）に整備し、２０１４年度からＪＲ九州の熊本―鹿児島中央で新型車両の試験走行を始める予定。ＦＧＴは九州新幹線長崎ルートのほか、北陸新幹線でも導入が検討されている。
> 
> 国交省によると、試験走行は車両や装置の耐久性やコストを確認するために実施する。熊本―新八代は在来線、新八代―鹿児島中央は九州新幹線を使い、約３年で計６０万キロ走らせる。車両は１３年度完成を目指している新型を使う予定で、営業運転を想定した本格的な試験になる。
> 
> 国交省は新年度予算概算要求で新八代の装置設置費用などＦＧＴの技術開発費４５億円を含め、整備新幹線建設促進高度化事業５０億５５００万円を計上。補正予算案では、この新年度予算の一部を前倒しする格好。
> 
> 北陸新幹線でも検討されるＦＧＴについて福井県は「あくまでも大阪延伸までの暫定的な接続方法」との立場。高島善弘新幹線・交通政策監は「今回の補正予算措置が北陸新幹線への導入に直接的に結びつくものではない」とした上で「福井のような降雪地帯でＦＧＴの安全性を保てるのかどうかもしっかりとした検証が必要だ」としている。


Starting in FY2014, the MLIT will begin testing the final pre-mass production prototype Free-Gauge Train (FGT) on the Kagoshima Main Line between Kumamoto and Kagoshima Chūō to verify the reliability and cost of the train and equipment. A gauge changer will be installed at Shin-Yatsushiro Station, with the train running on narrow-gauge _zairaisen_ tracks between Kumamoto and Shin-Yatsushiro and on the Kyūshū Shinkansen between Shin-Yatsushiro and Kagoshima Chūō. The train will be run a total of 600,000 km over the course of three years approximately three years. The prototype itself will be completed in FY2013.

Recent FGT testing in Shikoku… Arrival at Sakaide on the Yosan Line (2012.11.24). Curious what the new train will look like...


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## coth

So, if there is a mini-Shinkansen for dual HSR/conventional single gauge, then this would be nano-Shinkansen? )


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## quashlo

*Politicians debate scope of JR Central-backed environmental work for Texas HSR project*
http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/01/10/4539292/officials-wrangle-over-rail-study.html



> State and regional leaders are at odds over whether a company that wants to build a 200 mph bullet train from Houston to Dallas should be required to conduct an environmental study that also includes rail stops in Fort Worth and either Arlington or Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.
> 
> North Texas leaders say it's crucial that the proposed Texas Central Railway stop not only in downtown Dallas but also in downtown Fort Worth as well as somewhere about midway between the region's two dominant cities. That way, the high-speed rail line can pick up passengers from throughout the Metroplex instead of just the east side.
> 
> "I want it to run from Houston to Fort Worth, with a stop in Dallas," Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes said.
> 
> But the Japanese-backed company that has proposed building the rail line, Texas Central High-Speed Railway Llc., is proposing to conduct only an environmental study from the outskirts of Houston to downtown Dallas. The Texas Department of Transportation supports that plan and is asking regional planners in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth to conduct separate environmental studies to figure out how the trains would connect in the inner cities.
> 
> In 2011, the state received a $15 million federal grant to study high-speed rail from Houston to North Texas. State officials argue that if Texas Central Railway can handle the costs of the environmental study along the mostly rural route from suburban Houston to downtown Dallas, then the grant can be spent in the metro areas.
> 
> "We're trying to look at the best value - at what is the best way to use the money without being duplicative," Phil Wilson, executive director of the Transportation Department, said Thursday before speaking to the 35W Coalition during an annual meeting in far north Fort Worth.
> 
> But many North Texas leaders disagree. Members of the Regional Transportation Council agreed more than a year ago that if a 200-mph train system can be built in the area, it must include at least three stations.
> 
> Splitting the project into separate environmental studies violates the spirit of that agreement, they said.
> 
> "Recent travel demand analysis conducted by Texas Central Railway confirms that passengers traveling from Houston are destined to all three of the North Texas stations at downtown Dallas, Arlington/DFW Airport and downtown Fort Worth," Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, wrote in a Jan. 4 letter to Wilson. "TxDOT's proposal for separate environmental documents developed independently by the public sector and private sector for the connecting facilities jeopardizes this three-station concept policy and does not serve our region's transportation needs as defined in our long range transportation plan."
> 
> Texas Central Railway director Travis Kelly said the disagreement can be worked out and won't slow the project. He said all the parties involved were talking through the best way to handle the environmental work.
> 
> "We think serving Fort Worth would be terrific and would pick up a lot of riders," Kelly said. But he said, "There is also additional right-of-way cost." The company, which is backed by the firm that built the world-renowned Central Japan Railway Co., is seeking roughly $10 billion in private investment to open Texas high-speed rail by 2020.
> 
> The group says it won't ask for state or federal funding, though North Texas officials are learning that extending the service into inner cities will cost more than the private sector is willing to put in.
> 
> Texas Central Railway envisions that most train riders would drive to the stations, at least in initial years. They would board in Dallas and arrive in Houston about 90 minutes later.
> 
> But in major metro areas such as Dallas-Fort Worth, regional planners say the bullet trains need to connect the central business districts, so that users can access the system by bus, commuter rail or other local means.


More news on JR Central’s interest in the Texas project…


----------



## quashlo

*Indian government seeking Japanese ODA for Bengaluru–Chennai high-speed freight railway*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASGM0303X_Q3A110C1MM0000/



> インド政府が、日系大手メーカーが進出するインド南部のチェンナイとバンガロールを結ぶ本格的な高速貨物鉄道の建設を計画していることが分かった。コンピューター制御で大量の貨物を高速輸送する約300キロメートルの新線を、2019年末にも完成させる計画。総事業費は1100億ルピー（約1800億円）程度を見込んでおり、日本政府に対し政府開発援助（ＯＤＡ）の適用申請を視野に入れている。
> 
> インド商工省などによると、貨物新線は、日産自動車や東芝などが進出している南部タミルナド州チェンナイと、トヨタ自動車が生産拠点を構えるカルナタカ州バンガロールを結ぶ。全線を複線電化し、速度は時速100キロメートル以上を計画。専用に設計した電気機関車や貨車も投入する予定だ。16年半ばに着工し、19年末の完成を目指す。
> 
> インド政府は近く、国際協力機構（ＪＩＣＡ）による事業化調査（ＦＳ）を日本政府に対し正式要請する見通し。日印間ではシン首相の訪日を調整中で、訪日が実現すれば安倍晋三首相との首脳会談で、インド側はこの貨物新線の開発を議題の一つにしたい考えだ。
> 
> インド政府は、東南アジア諸国連合（ＡＳＥＡＮ）への玄関口でもあるチェンナイとバンガロールを結ぶ一帯のインフラ開発と産業集積を進める「南部インド産業経済回廊」計画を掲げている。だが、北部のニューデリー首都圏などと比べてインフラ整備が遅れ、進出企業からは物流の改善を求める声が強かった。
> 
> すでに日印両政府は、ニューデリーとムンバイ間に貨物鉄道の線路を敷き、沿線に工業団地や発電所などのインフラを整える「デリー・ムンバイ産業大動脈」と呼ばれる開発プロジェクトを共同で進めている。（ニューデリー＝岩城聡）


This is a new corridor for southern India, in addition to the larger Delhi–Mumbai project (DMIC).
Construction of the 100 km/h+ electrified, double-track line (approx. 300 km in length) would start in 2016, with completion in 2019 at a total cost of ₨ 110 billion.


----------



## quashlo

*Hotel investment in Hakodate heats up in preparation for Hokkaidō Shinkansen opening*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFC1000B_Q3A110C1L41000/



> 函館市のホテル業界への投資が活発になってきた。2015年度に北海道新幹線開業が迫り、観光やビジネス需要が伸びるとみているからだ。ただ、観光客が伸び悩む冬場の価格競争はすでに過熱気味で、地元のホテルの間では「部屋数はもはや過剰」と不安の声も強い。新幹線開業を前に一足早く淘汰が進む可能性も出ている。
> 
> 「新幹線開業は大きなチャンス。函館の外から来た立場で観光のてこ入れ策も提案したい」。ゴルフ場経営の恵庭開発（札幌市）の小岩宏年専務は意気込む。昨年８月に老舗の函館国際ホテルを買収した。ロビーなどを改修し、当面の改修費だけで５億円に上る。
> 
> 同社は同５月にもホテルリソル函館の信託受益権を取得したが、半年後に大手不動産業のケン・コーポレーション（東京・港）グループに売却。恵庭開発の柴田和徳会長は「受益権転売を持ちかける話は複数から相次いでいた」と明かす。ケン・コーポ側の担当者は「観光地として魅力も高く、新幹線で発展する可能性もある」と期待する。
> 
> 長年閉鎖されていた函館駅近くのホテルも不動産業のデュアルタップ（東京・品川）が取得し、昨年11月からホテルプロモート函館として開業した。投資の主な理由はやはり新幹線開業。同社は旅行会社と観光商品を開発する予定で、臼井貴弘社長は「東京から４時間を切れば、飛行機より列車を好む客層の需要が増える」と見る。
> 
> 新幹線開業に向けて函館では一時ホテルの進出が相次いだが、08年のリーマン・ショックを機に止まった。その後、東日本大震災を背景に売りに出るホテルが相次ぐ一方、投資先を物色する動きが広がりつつある。警戒感を強めるのは地元の業者だ。
> 
> 「部屋数を約150にすること。温泉を作らないこと」。函館のホテル業界は昨年11月、北海道旅客鉄道（ＪＲ北海道）にこう要望をした。同社は同９月、ＪＲ函館駅前に250室規模のホテルを建設する計画を地元に説明。地元のホテル業界が一斉に反発を強めていた。
> 
> 函館のホテル稼働率は夏場に８～９割を超すが、低迷する冬はネット予約向けを中心に価格競争が激しくなる。同駅前のホテル、ニューオーテもリーマン・ショック後は最安価格を約3500円に下げた。斎藤利仁社長は「今や2000円台も目立つ。大規模ホテルができれば、新幹線開業前につぶれるホテルも出る」と懸念する。
> 
> 道南の地域間でも競争が始まる。新駅ができる北斗市は駅前にホテルの誘致を進め、道内の２社が検討している。市幹部は「最低でも100室程度のホテルを誘致したい」と話す。新駅に近く、ラムサール条約登録湿地となった大沼（七飯町）にあるホテルも観光誘致戦略を強化する。
> 
> 他方、道南の観光業界は開業効果を高めようと、青森と連携した観光振興も進めている。函館ホテル旅館協同組合の遠藤浩司理事長は「東北や関東の需要を掘り起こす策を練りたい」と狙う。


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## quashlo

JR East has a CM out for the E6:


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## Sopomon

quashlo said:


> JR East has a CM out for the E6:


Didn't really go full hog like they did with the E5 ads huh


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## quashlo

Well, the E6 is really only a big deal for Akita Shinkansen, and Akita is a relatively small market.


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## quashlo

*Fukui Prefecture segments of Hokuriku Shinkansen extension to break ground by March*
http://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/localnews/super_expless/39307.html



> 昨年８月に着工した北陸新幹線20+ 件金沢―敦賀の建設に伴う地元説明会が一通り終了し、建設主体となる鉄道建設・運輸施設整備支援機構は年度末の３月末までに本格的な工事、設計などの発注に取りかかる。工事が長期にわたる新北陸トンネル、新九頭竜橋（仮称）の事業を先行させると同時に、ルートを確定する中心線測量に着手する。
> 
> 鉄道・運輸機構によると、２０１２年度第４四半期に発注見通しの事業は計２１件。そのうち県内分では、すでに概要が発表されている新北陸トンネルの第１期工事を含む１２件が発注される。
> 
> 福井県福井市北部の上野本町―寺前町の九頭竜川に架けられる新九頭竜橋（延長４１５メートル）は詳細設計を発注する。県内区間で１００メートルを超える主要な橋は２１本あるが、新九頭竜橋は唯一、線路の両わきを県道の上下線が走る構造になっていることや、九頭竜川の水量の増える６月中旬から１０月中旬は工事が制限されることなどから工期が長引くため、優先的に発注する。
> 
> 同橋の工事は鉄道・運輸機構と県が一体的に行う。福井県の試算では工期は橋本体に約６年、線路や架線部分に約３年の計９年を見込んでいる。
> 
> 南越前町と敦賀市をつなぐ全長約２０キロの新北陸トンネルの第１期工事は、南越前町奥野々から約４・９キロを掘削する。工期は５年１０カ月で、県内区間としては初の工事となる。トンネル内の地下水の流れなどを２年で調べる水文調査、環境全般について１年で調べる環境調査も簡易公募型競争入札方式で発注する。
> 
> 県内区間を複数に区切って行う中心線測量は、２０１３年度内に終了する予定。
> 
> 県内ではこのほか、敦賀市内に建設される深山トンネルの環境調査も盛り込まれた。期間は約１年６カ月。
> 
> 県外では、石川県内の現業事務所の建築工事や防護柵の設置工事、中心線測量などが発注される見通しになっている。
> 
> 鉄道・運輸機構は「あくまでも発注見通しなので追加発注や内容の変更がある可能性もある」としている。１３年度１回目の発注見通しは４月に公表する予定。


The first construction work on the extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga started in August of last year, and the bidding process and groundbreaking for the first segments in Fukui Prefecture will take place by March of this year. A total of 21 contracts will be finalized in the final quarter of FY2012 (January to March 2013), of which 12, including the Phase 1 of the 20 km Shin-Hokuriku Tunnel (新北陸トンネル), are located within Fukui. Also included is the 415 m Shin-Kuzuryū Bridge (新九頭竜橋) over the Kuzuryū Riverin northern Fukui City, which is the only one of the 21 bridges over 100 m in length within Fukui Prefecture to be designed with parallel roads on either side.


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## quashlo

*N700A boasts higher performance brakes to deal with earthquakes*
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T130113002683.htm



> The operator of Tokaido Shinkansen bullet trains will shift its long-running innovation priority from higher speeds to a shorter braking distance so that trains can better respond to major earthquakes.
> 
> Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai)'s new model, called the N700A, features a braking system with a shorter stopping distance.
> 
> The N700A, which will be introduced in February, is the sixth series in JR Tokai's Shinkansen designs. The Tokaido Shinkansen will soon mark its 50th anniversary.
> 
> Until now, each new series has brought greater train speeds and shortened riding times. With the latest model, however, these factors will remain unchanged.
> 
> From Tokyo to Shin-Osaka stations, the new model's maximum speed will be 270 kph, the same as now, and traveling time will also not change, currently at two hours 25 minutes.
> 
> One company official said: "We pursued faster stopping times for the new train. We prioritized improved safety over higher speed."
> 
> Shinkansen trains have systems in place that apply emergency braking if strong earthquake tremors are detected.
> 
> According to JR Tokai, the N700A's braking distance is about 10 percent shorter than conventional models.
> 
> With its improved speed control device, the new model can also automatically maintain speeds close to the limits on each section of a line.
> 
> Even if service is disrupted, a delay in the bullet train's arrival can be minimized.
> 
> The Tokaido Shinkansen Line started operations in October 1964, just before the Tokyo Olympics. At the time, their bullet trains connected Tokyo and Osaka in four hours, compared with the 6-1/2 hours required on conventional train lines.
> 
> In 1965, bullet trains became full-fledged high-speed services, and travel time was reduced to three hours 10 minutes.
> 
> Later, technological upgrades, such as lighter train bodies, raised the maximum possible speed, which resulted in even shorter travel times.
> 
> The speed limit on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line is currently 270 kph. The 300 series introduced in 1992 shortened the journey to 2-1/2 hours.
> 
> Since then, the travel time has been reduced by only five minutes.
> 
> Because the line has many curves, it is difficult to increase the train's speed. The company must also consider noise pollution as the trains run through densely populated areas.
> 
> The plan to build the Linear Chuo Shinkansen Line, whose maximum speed will be 500 kph, has caused the company to end its half-century-long tradition of raising trains' maximum speeds.
> 
> Under JR Tokai's plan, the linear line will start services from Tokyo to Nagoya in 2027, and in 2045, it will connect Tokyo and Osaka in one hour seven minutes.
> 
> Nobuyuki Sato, a traffic affairs commentator, said, "On the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, higher speeds and shorter travel times are no longer necessary."
> 
> On the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, which has many straight sections, the practice of raising trains' maximum speeds will continue.
> 
> East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) plans to run its trains at a maximum speed of 320 kph, which will be a record in the nation, to connect Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations in two hours 59 minutes--11 minutes shorter than now.
> 
> JR East aims to raise the maximum speed on the Shinkansen lines to 360 kph in the future.


English language article on the N700A…
I believe right now, the JRs use their own seismographs for the earthquake detection system, but I remember reading not too long ago that they were looking to tie this into the JMA’s 緊急地震速報 system.

With their debut in February approaching fast, JR Central has already begun testing the N700A units on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.

Unit G2 at Kyōto Station (2013.01.08), together with Doctor Yellow (Unit T5):






Same day at Tōkyō Station:


----------



## quashlo

*Kawasaki Heavy Industries considers exporting 700 series Shinkansen to Russia, Eastern Europe*
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/economy/news/130117/biz13011701150000-n1.htm



> 川崎重工業は１６日、東欧とロシアに高速鉄道車両の輸出を検討していることを明らかにした。東海道新幹線で運行される「７００系新幹線」をベースとした高速鉄道車両などの輸出を目指す。川崎重工は、国内の新規鉄道車両需要が伸び悩むなか、鉄道車両市場が年率２割以上の伸びを続けるロシア・東欧向けなど海外での受注で補い、事業拡大につなげたい考えだ。
> 
> 日系鉄道車両メーカーのロシア、東欧への高速鉄道車両の輸出は初めて。東欧では、ルーマニアとハンガリーの２カ国の間で総延長約９００キロメートルの高速鉄道計画があり、２０２０年（平成３２年）から入札が本格化するとみられる。ロシアでも新路線構想があり、こうした計画の実現性や事業採算性などを見極めて、輸出の可否を最終判断する。
> 
> 川崎重工は、これまでアジアや北米向けを中心に鉄道車両輸出を強化。昨年５月には、台湾高速鉄道から高速鉄道車両を４８両、８月にはシンガポールの地下鉄１３２両を相次いで受注した。ただ長期的に、事業売上高を３千億円まで引き上げる計画を掲げる中、目標を達成するには新市場開拓が欠かせないと見て、ロシア、東欧への輸出を狙う。
> 
> 川崎重工は、海外の大型案件と期待する米カリフォルニア州やベトナムなどの高速鉄道計画で、資金問題などを背景に事業に遅れが生じ、鉄道車両事業の売上高は平成２４年度見込みで１３００億円と、３年前に計画した目標値に対して３００億円も下回っている。


The railcar market in Russia and Eastern Europe is continuing to show over 20% annual growth, and Kawasaki is interested in tapping into this potential. In particular, in Eastern Europe they are looking at a proposed 900 km line connecting Romania and Hungary, where contracts are scheduled to be awarded starting in 2020, while there are various new high-speed lines proposed in Russia. Kawasaki will look at the likelihood and profitability of these projects before making a final decision, but if they move forward and are successful in winning contracts, this would be the first time a Japanese railcar manufacturer supplied HSR rolling stock to Russia and Eastern Europe.

This new has yet to be corroborated by sources other than Sankei, so not sure what exactly they mean by “700 series Shinkansen”… I suspect this is really just the efSET.


----------



## quashlo

*Abe markets Shinkansen to Thailand in PM talks*
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20130118D1701A18.htm



> BANGKOK (Nikkei)--Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with his Thai counterpart here Thursday to promote Japan's bullet train technology for a planned local high-speed rail network.
> 
> "We want to contribute to developing infrastructure in Thailand," Abe told Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The two agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment in such areas as flood prevention, railway construction, satellites and information technology.
> 
> Abe discussed the shinkansen bullet trains, to which Yingluck expressed interest, describing her own experience riding one in the Kyushu region while visiting Japan last year.
> 
> Thailand plans to construct four high-speed railway lines connecting Bangkok and the northern province of Chiang Mai, among other regions. The Thai government will conduct international bidding to select firms for the projects, which are expected to cost a total of 400 billion baht, or around 1 trillion yen.


Thanks to *ukiyo* for finding the English-language article.


----------



## quashlo

*JIC completes pre-feasibility study for Johannesburg – Durban high-speed line*
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/ar...pleted-sa-secures-japan-commitment-2013-01-21



> The development of a high-speed rail link between Johannesburg and Durban could potentially remove between 1.9-million tons and 3.6-million tons a year of freight volumes off South Africa’s roads, a prefeasibility study (PFS) has found.
> 
> Speaking at the second South Africa–Japan Railway conference, in Midrand, on Monday, Japan International Consultants for Transportation technology headquarters senior manager Yoshimasa Sakon said that, by 2050, the current Johannesburg–Durban rail system would carry freight volumes of 600 000 t/y.
> 
> However, with the development of a R160-billion high-speed rail route, based on Japan’s Shinkansen rail, the volume could reach between 2.5-million and 4.2-million tons a year.
> 
> The study, which was undertaken from August 2011 to February 2012, compared three routes from Johannesburg to Durban, including a railway running parallel to the current system, navigating through Newcastle.
> 
> The high-speed rail development could reduce travelling time for passengers to three hours, travelling at 300 km/h, from morning to late evening, while freight transport time could be reduced to five hours, at 160 km/h during the night.
> 
> Sakon also pointed out that a passenger high-speed rail system – with a 600- to 900-person capacity on an 8- to 12-car configuration – between the two cities could potentially carry 15 000 to 17 000 travellers a day by 2025, and between 33 000 and 38 000 a day by 2050.
> 
> This was compared with the current forecast of 600 000 train travellers, 2.2-million vehicles and 3.9-million air travellers expected to travel between Johannesburg and Durban each year by 2050.
> 
> Further, the PFS revealed that the project had the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to between 900 000 t/y and 1.8-million tons a year and nitrogen oxide emissions by between 3 000 t/y and 7 000 t/y by 2050.
> 
> The Tambo Springs inland port was revealed as the most cost-effective and environment-friendly location for a Johannesburg-based freight station, while Germiston station proved the most viable passenger station ahead of Johannesburg station and Marlboro station, said Sakon.
> 
> The study found that, should the proposed project advance, it would result in economic development, social upliftment, job creation, a reduction in road accidents and less stress on the country’s already strained roads.
> 
> The link was expected to partially open in 2020 with an initial Phase 1, 100 km “airport” access link between King Shaka International Airport and Pietermaritzburg. Phase 2 would see the development completing the 500 km link between Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg.
> 
> Sakon noted that a number of approvals were still required to move the project forward, including the Department of Transport’s (DoT's) authorisation to embark on a feasibility study.
> 
> DoT deputy director-general Dr Lanfranc Situma said the department was currently examining the study and would present it to Cabinet once it had determined the benefits the project could hold for South Africa.
> 
> *JAPAN COMMITS TO SA RAIL DEVELOPMENT*
> The release of the PFS comes as a South African delegation to Japan last week secured commitment from the Asian country to invest in South Africa’s rail industry, while ensuring sufficient skills transfer.
> 
> Portfolio Committee on Transport chairperson Nozabelo Bhengu said on Monday that Japan’s advanced rail technology and expertise and South Africa’s ambitious modernisation programme provided an opportunity for the countries to collaborate and cooperate on development of South Africa’s outdated railway system.
> 
> However, she noted that South Africa would not buy or develop the required technology without assurance that it would help tackle the country’s social challenges, enable skills transfer, boost investment and ensure economic development, job creation and local beneficiation.
> 
> Bhengu said Japan’s Ministers “understood” South Africa’s requirements and agreed that, should Japan invest, it would work towards ensuring South Africa reaps sustainable benefits, particularly in terms of skills transfer.
> 
> The delegation, led by Bhengu and comprising chairpersons from the portfolio committees on Public Enterprises and Economic Development, on Sunday completed a week-long tour of Japan’s railway systems, while meeting with government and private rail companies to analyse the link between transport and economic benefits.


JIC (Japan International Consultants for Transportation) is a consulting JV between JR East (53%), JR West (20%), Tōkyō Metro (20%), and six other Japanese railway operators (JR Kyūshū, JR Freight, Tōkyū Corporation, Keihan Electric Railway, Seibu Railway, Keiō Corporation, and the Ōsaka Municipal Transportation Bureau, each with a 1% share).


----------



## quashlo

E6 in the snow on the Tazawako Line (2013.01.17):






They had a press-only invitation test ride yesterday (2013.01.21) between Ōmiya and Sendai. No videos but here’s some pictures at Ōmiya from Sankei:


----------



## quashlo

*JR East to begin construction of new station tenant building at Nagano Station*
http://www.shinmai.co.jp/news/20130122/KT130121ATI090006000.php



> ＪＲ東日本長野支社（長野市）は２１日、長野市が進めるＪＲ長野駅善光寺口（西口）駅前広場の整備事業にあわせ、新しい駅ビル建設を始めると発表した。今月下旬に着工し、北陸新幹線金沢延伸開業を見据えて２０１４年度末に全面オープンする予定。
> 
> 新駅ビルは３階建てで幅約１２０メートル、奥行き約３０メートル。延べ床面積は約９６００平方メートル。既存の駅ビル「ＭＩＤＯＲＩ（ミドリ）長野店」と「ホテルメトロポリタン長野」の間に建設する。飲食施設など８店舗が入居する商業ビル「ティリア」や、駅前のドラッグストアなどは取り壊す。総事業費は明らかにしていない。
> 
> 外観はガラスを多用し、市が新駅ビル前に整備する大きなひさしや列柱と調和するよう、格子を主題にしたデザインにする。１階は公衆トイレや交番などの公共機能を用意し、２階の東西自由通路上は吹き抜けに、３階部分には地域住民も利用できるスペースなどを設ける。入居する店舗や店舗数は決まっていない。
> 
> 同時に、駅北側にある平面駐車場を４階建てに立体化し、駐車台数を約１４０台から約３１０台に増やす。
> 
> 今月下旬、新駅ビルに隣接する駅舎内などで仮設工事を始め、４月に本体工事に着手。駅舎２階の東西自由通路と駅前広場を結ぶエスカレーターも整備し直すため、仮通路を設ける。４月から１４年度末の完成まで「ミドリ口改札」は閉鎖する。
> 
> ＪＲ長野支社によると、長野駅の乗降客数は１日当たり約４万２千人。「長野の顔となる長野駅が（金沢延伸後に）通過駅とならないよう拠点性を高めたい」としている。


This is in preparation for the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension to Kanazawa. The building will be located at the station’s Zenkōji Exit (West Exit), and will be built in conjunction with the improvements to the Zenkōji Exit station plaza. Total building floor area will be about 9,600 sq m, sandwiched between the existing station tenant building (MIDORI Nagano) and JR East’s Hotel Metropolitan Nagano. The existing retail building at the site will be demolished to make room for the new building, which will feature a glass exterior with a lattice design. Other work will require replacing the east-west public passage at level 2 of the station. Grand opening will be in late FY2014, in time for the opening of the extension. 

In other news at the station, the surface parking at the north side of the station will be replaced with a four-story garage, increasing capacity from 140 spaces to 310 spaces. 

Render:


----------



## quashlo

*New Jōetsu Station on Hokuriku Shinkansen will use geothermal heat pumps to melt snow*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNZO50912590T20C13A1L21000/



> 上越市などは2015年春に開業予定の北陸新幹線上越駅（仮称）前に、地中熱を使った融雪装置を導入するための事前調査を始めた。年間を通して温度が一定の地中熱を地下水の代わりに利用する。市は新幹線の新駅周辺で土地区画整理事業を進めており、融雪装置を新エネルギー利用の象徴とし、雪国・新潟の新産業育成にもつなげる。費用や効果を検証し、2013年度中にも事業化を目指す。
> 
> 地中熱は地下にパイプを通し、熱交換技術を使って冷暖房に利用する仕組み。駅前の歩道や屋根に融雪装置を設置すれば、地中の熱で雪や氷を溶かすことができる。
> 
> 現在、県内企業などで構成する新潟県地中熱利用研究会と県などが上越市内の地質を調査中で、実際にどの程度の地中熱を利用できるか試算する。３月までに調査を終えて上越市が導入を目指す。県が雪国型再生可能エネルギーの地産地消を目指すモデル事業として、国の助成も含め1500万円弱を調査に補助している。
> 
> 融雪装置は散水式が一般的だが、地下水をくみ上げる必要があるため、地域によっては地盤沈下の恐れがある。上越市は一部地域で新規の井戸掘削を制限している。地中熱利用は工事費用などコストが割高となりがちだが、地下水の保全につなげられる。
> 
> 地中熱を利用する場合、地下水量の変動で熱交換効率が変わるため、導入にあたっては事前の調査が必要となる。ただ、こうしたノウハウを積んで導入事例が増えれば、新エネルギーを使った地元企業の振興にもつなげられるとみている。
> 
> 北陸新幹線は県内では上越市と糸魚川市に新駅が設置される。上越市内の駅はＪＲ脇野田駅のすぐそばに新築され、2015年の開業を目指して現在駅舎を建設中。周辺には商業施設などを誘致する考え。新駅の名称は今春にもＪＲ東日本が決定する。


----------



## quashlo

More pictures from the press-only invitation test ride on the E6:
_Source: http://rail.hobidas.com/blog/natori/_


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## quashlo

*JRTT moves forward with elevated design for Kucchan Station segment*
http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/economic/436429.html



> 北海道新幹線の札幌延伸で、建設主体の鉄道建設・運輸施設整備支援機構（鉄道・運輸機構）が、現計画で半地下となっている倶知安駅周辺の新幹線区間約１・３キロを高架化する方向で検討に入ったことが２４日、分かった。後志管内倶知安町と道の要望を受けたもので、同機構は今後、環境影響評価（アセスメント）などを経て、国交省に計画変更を申請する見通し。整備新幹線の工事で、着工認可後に地元の意向で計画変更となるのは初めて。


Original design for the track near the station, located on the Sapporo extension of the Hokkaidō Shinkansen, was half-underground / trench. After requests from the local government (Kucchan Town, Shiribeshi Subprefecture), they will now redesign about 1.3 km of the alignment as a viaduct, and will now work on going through the environmental assessment and approvals process with the MLIT.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

quashlo said:


> *JRTT moves forward with elevated design for Kucchan Station segment*
> http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/economic/436429.html
> 
> 
> 
> Original design for the track near the station, located on the Sapporo extension of the Hokkaidō Shinkansen, was half-underground / trench. After requests from the local government (Kucchan Town, Shiribeshi Subprefecture), they will now redesign about 1.3 km of the alignment as a viaduct, and will now work on going through the environmental assessment and approvals process with the MLIT.


Interesting. Apparently this is the first time an alignment has been changed due to local request after planning approval has been done. It seems the town of Kutchan was concerned a trench alignment would divide the town, while an elevated section is more permeable. Opposite thinking from SF peninsula communities (re. the CAHSR project), curiously.


----------



## Silver Swordsman

k.k.jetcar said:


> Interesting. Apparently this is the first time an alignment has been changed due to local request after planning approval has been done. It seems the town of Kutchan was concerned a trench alignment would divide the town, while an elevated section is more permeable. Opposite thinking from SF peninsula communities (re. the CAHSR project), curiously.


It seems that the Japanese are familiar with the level of noise generated by the Shinkansen and have decided that it is fine, compared to the ignorants in the USA, who liken HSR to a jetplane on wheels. ("If it goes fast, it must be loud") hno:


----------



## Blackraven

Do Japanese bullet trains have individual private cabins or rooms?

Such as the ones featured in the movie 'Inception'?


----------



## chornedsnorkack

No, no partitions on any Shinkansen.

Zairaisen do have sleeper cabins. And CRH also is experimenting with compartments.


----------



## Bannor

This might have been posted before, but its quite good:

http://youtu.be/VZjYL847KnI


----------



## SamuraiBlue

Although only in Japanese, I believe this vid provides better information about the Japanese Shinkansen system as a whole.


----------



## timo9

SamuraiBlue said:


> Although only in Japanese, I believe this vid provides better information about the Japanese Shinkansen system as a whole.


:cheers:


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> Although only in Japanese, I believe this vid provides better information about the Japanese Shinkansen system as a whole.


That's a good one, produced by TV Asahi (curiously the one uploaded was broadcast on their Hokkaido affiliate, HTB), though a bit outdated now politically, the Florida HSR proposal was still in play before Rick Scott deep-sixed it, and Maehara was still transport minister, lol. It indeed gives a good overall picture of the shinkansen _system_, especially interesting are the segments on catenary/track maintenance and the safety drill/simulation at the CTC center.

The program asks if the strict operating practices of the shinkansen can be duplicated in the US, given the differences in culture (as embodied in practices such as _yubisashi kukunin_). The JR Central officials responds in the affirmative, saying that the practices are firmly based on objective data and the knowhow of professionals, and thus can be understood in other cultural contexts.


----------



## Sunfuns

How are Shinkansen operating practices different from other well established high speed rail systems (TGV, ICE, AVE etc.)?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

Sunfuns said:


> How are Shinkansen operating practices different from other well established high speed rail systems (TGV, ICE, AVE etc.)?


I'm not familiar with the European systems enough to make a definitive comparison, though the program above refers to the Japanese emphasis on punctuality, which is a function of a number of factors on various levels, such as:
1. completely segregated HSR lines, with no grade crossings anywhere, with no sharing of city and terminal trackage with conventional lines
2. fixed length trainsets (as much as possible), with trains stopping at exact spots clearly marked for passengers, to reduce dwell time
3. adherence to a 15 second interval timetable (similar tolerances are followed on SBB I have read)- trains more than 60 seconds off schedule are considered "late", not "on time if within 5 minutes of published schedule" as is the practice on some railways.
4. high availability of trainsets due to a precise maintenance regimen- a while back the head of SNCF made a comment that shinkansen trainsets have a lower failure rate per tens of thousands of km compared with TGV trainsets
5. an awareness of adhering to the timetable on all staff levels, from drivers keeping synchronized pocket watches to train cleaning staff cleaning carriages in short order.

Other points:
-quick turnarounds at terminal stations (increased trainset utilization and less trackage needed)
-emphasis on high average speed, not high top speed

More about conventional railways than high speed ones, but this document may be interesting:
http://it13rail.ch/downloads/presentations/IT13_1701_2_2_Hofstra_K.pdf
as well as this:
http://signalling.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/signals-are-key/


----------



## Sunfuns

k.k.jetcar said:


> I'm not familiar with the European systems enough to make a definitive comparison, though the program above refers to the Japanese emphasis on punctuality, which is a function of a number of factors on various levels, such as:
> 1. completely segregated HSR lines, with no grade crossings anywhere, with no sharing of city and terminal trackage with conventional lines
> 2. fixed length trainsets (as much as possible), with trains stopping at exact spots clearly marked for passengers, to reduce dwell time
> 3. adherence to a 15 second interval timetable (similar tolerances are followed on SBB I have read)- trains more than 60 seconds off schedule are considered "late", not "on time if within 5 minutes of published schedule" as is the practice on some railways.
> 4. high availability of trainsets due to a precise maintenance regimen- a while back the head of SNCF made a comment that shinkansen trainsets have a lower failure rate per tens of thousands of km compared with TGV trainsets
> 5. an awareness of adhering to the timetable on all staff levels, from drivers keeping synchronized pocket watches to train cleaning staff cleaning carriages in short order.
> 
> Other points:
> -quick turnarounds at terminal stations (increased trainset utilization and less trackage needed)
> -emphasis on high average speed, not high top speed
> 
> More about conventional railways than high speed ones, but this document may be interesting:
> http://it13rail.ch/downloads/presentations/IT13_1701_2_2_Hofstra_K.pdf
> as well as this:
> http://signalling.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/signals-are-key/


There is a slightly different mindset in Europe. Just as in Japan dedicated lines are always grade segregated and usually exclusively for high speed passenger rail (some segments allow freight), but it is considered an asset to be able to run high speed trains also on conventional rail. Costs are reduces and more destinations could be reached that way. The closest system to Japan in this aspect is probably Spain - they are forced into more segregation by choosing to build HSR on a different gauge than the local network. 

HSR in Europe is quite punctual particularly when compared with local systems, but I don't think any network here can claim Japanese level of punctuality. SBB might be the most punctual system in Europe (no high speed train here, though) - they even apologise if the train is 2 min late which other Europeans find funny 

I can't really comment about train lengths or corporate cultures....


----------



## Coccodrillo

Sunfuns said:


> The closest system to Japan in this aspect is probably Spain - they are forced into more segregation by choosing to build HSR on a different gauge than the local network.


Also Japan HSL are completely segregated because of a different gauge (to be honest beside variable gauge trains in Spain there is a 22 km double gauge line with mixed HS and normal traffic).


----------



## Sunfuns

Coccodrillo said:


> Also Japan HSL are completely segregated because of a different gauge (to be honest beside variable gauge trains in Spain there is a 22 km double gauge line with mixed HS and normal traffic).


You mean the one to Huesca? It's used by just one HS train a day so I think we can ignore it for all practical purposes...


----------



## Coccodrillo

k.k.jetcar said:


> More about conventional railways than high speed ones, but this document may be interesting:
> http://it13rail.ch/downloads/presentations/IT13_1701_2_2_Hofstra_K.pdf


On page 4 the two Shinkansen lines are shown as not connected in Tokyo station. Is that true? Why? Different frequency of the overhead line (50/60 Hz)?Are they connected in another point?



Sunfuns said:


> You mean the one to Huesca? It's used by just one HS train a day so I think we can ignore it for all practical purposes...


I thought there were also some Avant (another type of HST) services.


----------



## Sunfuns

Coccodrillo said:


> I thought there were also some Avant (another type of HST) services.


I re-checked for some random date later this month and there are 2 AVE's and 6 Regional/Intercity per day. Still not a serious traffic.


----------



## loefet

Coccodrillo said:


> On page 4 the two Shinkansen lines are shown as not connected in Tokyo station. Is that true? Why? Different frequency of the overhead line (50/60 Hz)?Are they connected in another point?


Yes it's true, the Tohoku and Tokaido Shinkansen are not connected. There is no other connection between the East and the West lines, but depending of how the future Hokuriku Shinkansen will be connected to Osaka then there might be a connection in the future.
The difference in power is one reason, not many Shinkansen trains are able to run on both grids, there are about 30 trains that have this feature (if my calculations are correct), and most of them are running on the Nagano Shinkansen, since that line is part 60 Hz and part 50 Hz. All the new E/W7 trains will also be dual frequency to be able to run on the extension of the Nagano Shinkansen, the Hokuriku Shinkansen. 
Also another big reason is that the Tokaido Shinkansen is filled to the bursting point as it is, and they don't have space for more trains from the Tohoku Shinkansen. Aslo JR Central is adamant to only run 16 car trains with 1323 seats to make it easy for them if they need to change trains, etc. on the Tokaido Shinkansen, where as JR East run many different types of trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen because they run many types of services and also have several branches when going north.
What you need to remember is that most passengers are going to or from Tokyo not through, so having a connection makes it easier for each company to run as many trains as possible for a better service, and also it's not that hard to change between the lines anyway so it won't take much time for those that want to go through the city.
It would be possible to connect them, it might happen when the Chuo Shinkansen is fully built since it will free up capacity on the Tokaido Shinkansen which would make it possible to have a more flexible train schedules.


----------



## Coccodrillo

Thank you.

But I'm amazed that there is not even a service link. I know that the two Shinkansen lines are operated by two different companies, but in Europe usually even metro/subway lines are usually linked to main rail networks, even if vehicles are exchanged rarely.


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## M-NL

k.k.jetcar said:


> More about conventional railways than high speed ones, but this document may be interesting:
> http://it13rail.ch/downloads/presentations/IT13_1701_2_2_Hofstra_K.pdf



I've seen parts of this presentation before and there are several points I have a problem with: 

I don't think it's fair to compare Tokyo with Utrecht CS. If you compare the track layout of Kyoto without the Shinkansen tracks (as seen here on Wikipedia) with Utrecht CS, you will see they make a much better comparison.
A few pages later, if you would have taken the Japanese train drivers view 50 meters more to the right (where there is an entire station) you would have had a similar view.


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## Coccodrillo

Beside that, Tokyo is a terminus for most lines while Utrecht is a junction of 6 lines.


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## Bannor

SamuraiBlue said:


> Although only in Japanese, I believe this vid provides better information about the Japanese Shinkansen system as a whole.


Can't be compared really.... Your video is pure propaganda in its form, and completely gibberish for someone not understanding japanese.

While the BBC documentary goes in dept on the technology and principples used.

So the videos are radically different...


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## quashlo

*Toyota Bōshoku secures order for E7 / W7 GranClass seats*

Official press release:
www.toyota-boshoku.com/common/jp/pdf/130416.pdf

They normally manufacture seats for automobiles, but their first contract for railcars will be for the E7 / W7 series trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, being developed jointly by JR East and JR West. They will provide seats for the GranClass car.


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## quashlo

*東海道新幹線、12年度６％増　輸送実績*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD170I9_X10C13A4TJ1000/

JR Central announced financial performance results for FY2012 on 2013.04.17. Annual ridership on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen showed a 6% year-over-year increase, marking the third straight year of consecutive growth after rebounding from the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake in FY2011 thanks to growing tourist numbers, such as from the Tōkyō Sky Tree. Business passengers also showed stable growth, increasing 1% for the first half of April.


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## quashlo

*自動改札や可動柵設置　北陸新幹線金沢駅*
http://www.toyama.hokkoku.co.jp/subpage/H20130417105.htm

On 2013.04.16, the JRTT revealed details of the new Kanazawa Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, set to be completed in 2014.09. Specifically, the station will be four tracks (no surprise here), and the station building will be a three-story structure. 

The 1,700 sq m first floor will house the station offices, ticketing hall, and multi-purpose room (for nursing, etc.); the current staffed ticket counter (_Midori no Madoguchi_) will be relocated adjacent to the faregate array. The 1,400 sq m second floor will house the waiting room, fully accessible restrooms, and the transfer gates to _zairaisen_ trains. The third floor will be the platform level. Platforms will be 312 m long (i.e., 12 carlengths) and reach 9 m in width at the widest point.


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## quashlo

Hokkaidō Prefecture produced a promo video for the Hokkaidō Shinkansen. Will definitely make getting to Hokkaidō by train much easier… The limited expresses aren’t bad, but they are still slower, and you have to transfer at least once at Shin-Aomori, sometimes a second time at Hakodate just to get to Sapporo.


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## sacto7654

quashlo said:


> *Fukui Prefecture pushes Wakasa route for Hokuriku Shinkansen
> 新幹線敦賀以西 若狭ルート整備を前面に*
> http://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/localnews/editorial/42132.html
> 
> Fukui is pushing for this route as it puts more of the route in Fukui Prefecture, particularly the less accessible southern / western parts along Wakasa Bay, including Obama City. These parts are less developed than Tsuruga and Fukui, but a Shinkansen alignment would connect Obama City and Fukui City in about 20 minutes and potentially spur development in these areas. The Wakasa route does offer additional benefits over the other two routes (Kosei and Maibara) because it does not take capacity away from the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, although this comes at the price of a much higher cost.


While the _Wakasa_ option will mean no need to rebuild the Kosei Line, it would be *ENORMOUSLY* expensive because of the need to procure new right of way between Tsuruga and Shin-Osaka. I still like the idea of a potential parallel right of way to the JR West Kosei Line and a new tunnel into Kyoto, where west end of the Hokuriku Shinkansen will be in a rebuilt Kyoto Station with expanded JR local train service, expanded Kintetsu train service, and access to Hankyu trains for the first time so there is plentiful capacity from Kyoto back to Osaka.


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## StuZealand

Silly_Walks said:


> How did they fix this, and how did they solve it from occurring again, for example, while a train is going through it :lol:


In some cases by using special rings (a technology borrowed from mines) that closed up as the crushing pressure from above came down. There are some videos on the 'net about how this was achieved.

In some other places, they increased the diameter of the TBM to bore the tube deliberately larger, knowing it would close up again to the required diameter. This was determined to be easier and cheaper than having to re-profile the tunnel afterwards.


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## StuZealand

^^

This of course was done to the raw tunnel, before the concrete lining was installed. Touch wood they got their calculations right and the tunnel lasts for its planned 100 years.


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## Sunfuns

And what is expected to happen after 100 years? In the grand scheme of things a century is a short period of time. A planned lifetime should be at least a millennia.


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## Coccodrillo

It will be refurbished. Other tunnels were or will be closed for a while because of that: Gotthard (road), Furka basis, Mont Blanc*, Fréjus (railway)**, San Bernardino, ...to remain in Europe. As the Gotthard base tunnel has two tubes works will not decrease capacity as if it was single tube (the Seikan refurbishment will be more challenging in that).

* that has been done just after the fire in 1999, if they wanted just to repair the fire damages the tunnel would have reopened earlier

** it is very likely that during loading gauge enlargement works damaged parts of the tunnel were repaired, although in old rail tunnel there is less to repair than in new tunnels (road or rail)


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## quashlo

*Stalemate in fight over name for new Hakodate station on Hokkaidō Shinkansen
道新幹線「新函館」か「北斗函館」か　新駅名称、膠着続く　道の仲裁求める声も*
http://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/news/economic/463653.html










This type of debate frequently flares up in situations where the Shinkansen alignment can’t serve the city’s traditional terminus. Hakodate’s new station will actually be located at the current Oshima Ōno Station in Hokuto City, and Hokuto City wants to name the new station “Hokuto Hakodate”, while Hakodate City wants to name it simply “Shin-Hakodate”. There is plenty of precedence for “dual” station names, particularly on the Tōhoku Shinkansen (Iwate Numakunai, Shichinohe Towada, etc.), so there should be no reason not to just go with “Hokuto Hakodate”.


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## aquaticko

^^That station is nearly 20km away from Hakodate, and it says it takes about half an hour via train to the city. That seems like kind of a bad idea to me; is that sort of situation quite normal in Japan?


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## k.k.jetcar

aquaticko said:


> ^^That station is nearly 20km away from Hakodate, and it says it takes about half an hour via train to the city. That seems like kind of a bad idea to me; is that sort of situation quite normal in Japan?


As you know, HSR lines don't like abrupt curves, and in the cases where an on-line city station is rather off the alignment, the standard solution is to build a greenfield or greyfield station (_Shin~ Station_ in Japan). These are called parkway stations in the UK, I believe. Hakodate is a rather extreme example, as the existing city station is a stub end terminal located at the foot of a cape/promontory.

Perhaps they can name the new station Shin Hakodate Hokuto Station, utilizing kana for Hokuto. All-kanji may be too cumbersome and go against naming conventions.


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## quashlo

Yeah, it's a bit unfortunate, but given the geography of Hakodate, it's just not practical to serve the existing terminal station. Muroran is in an identical situation geographically (i.e., small promontory with a stub terminal off the mainline), and it likely would have gotten similar treatment if they had selected the southern Hokkaidō route for the Shinkansen. 

Shin-Hakodate actually isn't so bad... It will be only 15-20 minutes by train to Hakodate Station.
Otaru is getting a greenfield station, but it won't have any connecting rail service.


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## k.k.jetcar

> Otaru is getting a greenfield station, but it won't have any connecting rail service.


I reckon most tourists from down south will be staying in hotels in Sapporo anyway, so it's not that big a minus.


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## Coccodrillo

What about a spur to Hakodate, together with a greenfield station, like it has been done in Reims, France? In this case there is a station on the HSL (although near the city and connected by a tram line) and, to the east, a branch line going to the city centre station. Paris-Reims trains skip the greenfield station and stop in the central one, while trains going beyond Reims only stop at the greenfield station.


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## loefet

^^ Since most trains will continue onwards to Sapporo once the extension is complete and not end in Hakodate, I don't really see the point. There might on the other hand be trains from Sapporo that might terminate there, but I doubt that there will be enough traffic to demand a separate spur to Hakodate.

How likely would it be that JR Hokkaido would double track the final bit from Nanae to the location of the Shinkansen station? And also electrify the whole stretch between Hakodate and the Shinkansen station. It would really improve the service to and from the new station.


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## sacto7654

They should just call it _Shin-Hakodate_ and call it a day. After all, weren't they going to electrify the Hakodate Main Line from the new station to the original Hakodate Station anyway, so they could run faster trains from the new Shinkansen station back to Hakodate?


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## M-NL

Does anyone know the reason why JR Kyushu uses N700-8000 trainsets instead of extra 800-series sets for the Sakura and Mizuho services? Was it to improve mixed operations with JR West? Or was the 285 km/h top speed of the 800-series deemed unsufficient for the (300 km/h) Sanyo Shinkansen (doesn't make sense, because the remaining 500 and 700 series trains also have 285 km/h top speeds)? I bet Hitachi could have built 300 km/h 8-car 800-series trains without any problems.


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## Silver Swordsman

Speaking of which, what is the limiting factor for the newer Japanese shinkansen trains with reduced top speeds? 

500系 was designed for 320km/h; what technology was rescinded that gave the 700 and 800 series 285km/h?


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## k.k.jetcar

> Does anyone know the reason why JR Kyushu uses N700-8000 trainsets instead of extra 800-series sets for the Sakura and Mizuho services?


Operational commonality, also the N700 is a newer, higher performance design. The 800 series is the same generation as the 700 series.



> Speaking of which, what is the limiting factor for the newer Japanese shinkansen trains with reduced top speeds?
> 
> 500系 was designed for 320km/h; what technology was rescinded that gave the 700 and 800 series 285km/h?


The 500 series was an expensive design, though capable of 320km/h, line conditions dictated lower speeds. There are no "rescinded" specs- the Sanyo Line, for example has curves and tunnels that restrict top speeds to below 300km/h, as well as noise restrictions (the Sanyo Corridor is densely populated, unlike, say, northern Tohoku, where 320km/h operation is in effect). There is also some speculation that JR West is still keeping a low profile due to the Amagasaki crash, instead focusing on safety, especially on zairaisen lines.


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## Silver Swordsman

No, no, no. 

I'm aware of the track conditions that limit operating speeds; my question is what hardware differences were made to the trains themselves that reduced their top speed?


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## loefet

I would think that cost and JR Central have something to do with the lower top speed.

The 500 series was designed by JR West to be the fastest possible train for the Sanyo line, where as the 700 series was co-developed between JR Central and JR West for both lines as a replacement for the 300 series. And since the Tokaido line have a top speed of 270 km/h then you don't need trains that go much faster than that. Also the advantage in speed didn't really produce that much of an advantage in travel-time on the Sanyo Line (I'm pretty sure that the difference at that time was just 5-10 minutes).

Also cost, since why would you need to pay 25% more for a train that only gives a few minutes improvement in travel time when you can have a train that will perform just as great for a lower price. 


Wikipedia on the 700 series Shinkansen train said:


> The cost of a 16-car 700 series unit is approximately 4 billion yen compared with around 5 billion yen for a 16-car 500 series train.


And since the 800 series is just a 700 series with fewer cars and a different front, it got the same speed restriction. But then again since the Kyushu line have a limit of 260 km/h then they don't really need a faster train than that.


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## sacto7654

M-NL said:


> Does anyone know the reason why JR Kyushu uses N700-8000 trainsets instead of extra 800-series sets for the Sakura and Mizuho services? Was it to improve mixed operations with JR West? Or was the 285 km/h top speed of the 800-series deemed unsufficient for the (300 km/h) Sanyo Shinkansen (doesn't make sense, because the remaining 500 and 700 series trains also have 285 km/h top speeds)? I bet Hitachi could have built 300 km/h 8-car 800-series trains without any problems.


Here's the thing:

1. The _Sakura_ and _Mizuho_ limited-stop Shinkansen trains can often run the full distance between Kagoshiima-Chūō and Shin-Osaka Stations. As such, it makes more sense to use 700 and N700 Series trainsets, which are already being used by _Nozomi_ trains between Tokyo and Hakata Stations.

2. The 800 Series trainset is only limited to 260 km/h maximum, and are used on all-stops _Tsubame_ service between Kagoshima-Chūō and Hakata Stations or a shorter-distance version of the _Sakura_ service between the two stations I mentioned.


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## M-NL

The normal (16-car) 700 and N700 sets would be to long for the Kyushu platforms and have to much unused capacity. The 8-car N700 sets are not simply halved 16-car sets. They lack tilting, have all axles powered and only have 524 seats instead of the 650 you would expect.

The 800 series can do 285 km/h just like the 700 series. In fact given that the 700T does 300 km/h there is no reason why the 800 couldn't also. JR Kyushu could also have asked for N700s with the 800 nose design just to differentiate themselves from JR West. In a few years you will only see N700 variants south of Tokyo (Not that they are bad, but it's to much of a monoculture for me)

Thing is the difference between service speed and design speed. The 500 series might have a higher top speed then the N700, but accelerates slower because of it's taller gearing. I wonder if they changed it now that the 500's are limited to 285 km/h in Hikari/Kodama service.


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## chornedsnorkack

Chuo Shinkansen has 4 stations between Shinagawa and Nagoya: Hashimoto, Kofu, ??? and Nakatsugawa. Tokaido Shinkansen has 10.

When, in 2027, Chuo Shinkansen shall open, what shall be the trip time Shinagawa-Nagoya inclusive of all 4 station stops?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

chornedsnorkack said:


> Chuo Shinkansen has 4 stations between Shinagawa and Nagoya: Hashimoto, Kofu, ??? and Nakatsugawa. Tokaido Shinkansen has 10.
> 
> When, in 2027, Chuo Shinkansen shall open, what shall be the trip time Shinagawa-Nagoya inclusive of all 4 station stops?


The travel time for a _nonstop_ Tokyo(Shinagawa)-Nagoya service via the JR Tokai-favored Minami Alps route is 40 minutes.

http://bizmakoto.jp/makoto/articles/0906/18/news047.html


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## chornedsnorkack

k.k.jetcar said:


> The travel time for a _nonstop_ Tokyo(Shinagawa)-Nagoya service via the JR Tokai-favored Minami Alps route is 40 minutes.


Which is precisely why I asked.

Also, what is the maximum speed where maglev switches can handle a train on diverging path?


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## Erick Satoh

Erick Satoh said:


> wow almost 3 hours, im going there definitely after my work shift, its raining since tuesday here plus i dont have a pro camera but i will post here some pics
> thanks for the info


just got back, sorry impossible to take pics from a simple compact camera...
lot of dad's mom's and kids some tv crew too 

but i can tell u, was the Z11 being transport


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## k.k.jetcar

^^ (just a couple hours old)
Passing through Ogaki:






With a Tarumi Railway railcar departing in the foreground at Higashi Ogaki


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## k.k.jetcar

chornedsnorkack said:


> Which is precisely why I asked.
> 
> Also, what is the maximum speed where maglev switches can handle a train on diverging path?


I don't think there is such definitive information released yet by JR Tokai. There is one hypothetical schedule outlined in a 4 year old article by Nikkei. It considers an off-peak service of _4 non-stop services (every 15 minutes) and one all stops service/hour_. The all stops service would take 70 minutes between Shinagawa and Nagoya.

I cannot find the maximum speed on the traverser switches which will be used. I assume they are low speed, consistent with conventional shinkansen operating practice (they will handle the local service pulling into the intermediate stations, which are already slowing down to stop).

http://kenplatz.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/knp/column/20090824/534916/?P=3


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## Northridge

E5 and E6 series. Pretty sleek trains if you ask me.


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## javimix19

Hi, today I have two questions :

- Why Shinkansen is the most succesfull HSR in the world? Is for the population density? Or because it is cheap? I'm very impressed with the success of the Shinkansen.

- Is the Hokoriku Shinkansen works already started? I read in english wikipedia that there is three alternatives and the works will not finish until 2025. It is that true? Why the works will last so many years?

P.D.- I have other question: How much it costs a trip in Tohaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka? (in US $ or in Euros) I don't understand the success of this line


----------



## asahi

javimix19 said:


> - Why Shinkansen is the most succesfull HSR in the world? Is for the population density? Or because it is cheap? I'm very impressed with the success of the Shinkansen.


Is it really the most successful HSR in the world? It's successful for sure, but it would be hard to compare it with e.g. the Chinese HSR because the Japanese lines have been in service much longer. 
Nevertheless, it transports big number of people on long distances in short time, hence its popularity, especially the Tokaido shinkansen. 



> - Is the Hokoriku Shinkansen works already started? I read in english wikipedia that there is three alternatives and the works will not finish until 2025. It is that true? Why the works will last so many years?


The Hokuriku shinkansen's section to Tsuruga is almost done. Only a short section to connect it with the Tokaido shinkansen is being studied now. That's the 3 options you're mentioning. Planning and building anything in Japan is difficult, pricey and takes a lot of time. It's a densely populated, mountainous country, so it kind of complicates the whole process. 



> P.D.- I have other question: How much it costs a trip in Tohaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka? (in US $ or in Euros) I don't understand the success of this line


You can always check it in JPY at www.hyperdia.com
Unreserved seat from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka costs 13,850¥, roughly 108€.


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## makita09

javimix19 said:


> Hi, today I have two questions :
> 
> - Why Shinkansen is the most succesfull HSR in the world? Is for the population density? Or because it is cheap? I'm very impressed with the success of the Shinkansen.


Further to Asahi's reply, there are some other factors. The legacy railways in Japan were (are) narrow gauge and poor (curvy) alignments, and far from optimal in terms of providing intercity services. They were also destined to be run at capacity just providing local and regional services, hence the use of completely segregating long distance traffic to release as much capacity for this as possible.

After segregation there is also a holistic benefit, in that high frequency connectivity on the legacy lines is provided to the shinkansen stations, making high speed servies more attractive to more people.

Add in the Japanese habit of doing things almost as well as they can be done and you have a success story.


----------



## sacto7654

javimix19 said:


> Hi, today I have two questions :
> 
> - Why Shinkansen is the most succesfull HSR in the world? Is for the population density? Or because it is cheap? I'm very impressed with the success of the Shinkansen.
> 
> - Is the Hokoriku Shinkansen works already started? I read in english wikipedia that there is three alternatives and the works will not finish until 2025. It is that true? Why the works will last so many years?
> 
> P.D.- I have other question: How much it costs a trip in Tohaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka? (in US $ or in Euros) I don't understand the success of this line


To answer your questions in order:

1. The Shinkansen--especially the Tokaidō/San'yō Shinkansen that connects the Tokyo/Nagoya/Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe/Okayama/Hiroshima/Tokushima/Hakata (Fukuoka) corridor and the Tōhoku Shinkansen that connects the Tokyo/Fukushima/Sendai/Morioka/Hachinohe/Aomori corridor--are enormously popular. Indeed, on the Tōhoku line, it's popular enough that all seats have to be reserved ahead before taking the train. Because it's under 2.5 hours one-way between Tokyo and Osaka on the _Nozomi_ train, the result is a huge number of travelers on this part of the Tokaidō Shinkansen route, especially business travellers.

2. I believe the full Hokuriku Shinkansen route from Tokyo to Kanazawa will open March 2015. Work on extension beyond Kanazawa to Tsuruga has begun, but that won't be finished until 2025, 12 years from now. The extension to Tsuruga will take some time due to the need to build a brand-new tunnel (what may be called the _Shin-Hokuriku Tunnel_) between Fukui and Tsuruga, a tunnel that maybe one of the longest in Japan. I personally think from Tsuruga, the continuation of this Shinkansen route will parallel the JR West Josei Line, then the train terminates at an expanded Kyoto Station, where passengers can take local JR or Kintetsu trains to reach other parts of the Kansai region.

3. According to Hyperdia, the cost of a one way ticket between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka Stations is 13,550 yen (around US$139 as I type this) for the _Hikari_ train (which is covered under the Japan Rail Pass) and 13,850 yen (around US$142 as I type this) for the _Nozomi_ train (which is not covered under the Japan Rail Pass). The _Nozomi_ train takes about 2.5 hours journey tme, and the _Hikari_ train takes about 3 hours journey time (since it does make additional stops between Shin-Yokohama and Nagoya stations).


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## javimix19

asahi said:


> Is it really the most successful HSR in the world? It's successful for sure, but it would be hard to compare it with e.g. the Chinese HSR because the Japanese lines have been in service much longer.


Ok, I know that Chinese High Speed Rail has more total passengers but in my opinion and I'm considering the data that I read on several web pages Shinkansen is the most succesfull HSR in the world . China has 1300 billion unhabitants and Japan 100 million. 

Also if we compare Shinkansen for example with my country HSR (spanish AVE), Japanese Shinkansen wins I think in all their lines in passengers per year and the tickets in Spain have more or less the same price than in Japan. 

(For example and unreserved ticket from HSR Madrid-Barcelona it costs 125 euros, around 16028 yens and the trip lasts 2h 30min.) but the salaries I think (I don't know sure) that are much higher in Japan that in Spain.


----------



## M-NL

asahi said:


> Is it really the most successful HSR in the world?


I would say yes. Name me one other HSR system where the trains run as frequent and dependable as in Japan. My personal experience: TGVs and ICEs aren't even in the same league compared to a N700, when it comes to ride comfort. In both the TGV and ICE I've experienced vibrations and resonances at various speeds, where the N700 was completely smooth. Also seat pitch is much better in the N700. The E5/E6 and N700A are supposed to be even better.


----------



## Silly_Walks

javimix19 said:


> China has 1300 billion unhabitants and Japan 100 million.


lol :lol::banana:


----------



## quashlo

*MHI, Tōshiba receive trackwork, E&M contract for Taiwan HSR Nangang extension*
http://www.mhi.co.jp/en/news/story/130624en.html



> Tokyo, June 24, 2013 - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Toshiba Corporation have received a turnkey order from Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC) for its Nangang Extension Project in Taipei. The order calls for the two companies to provide trackwork and E&M (electrical and mechanical) systems for approximately 5 kilometers (km) of the 9.2km extension line to connect Taipei Station and the city's new Nangang Station, which will replace Taipei Station as the north terminus of the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) system. The extension line is scheduled to go into operation in March 2016. The order, received with the cooperation from Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui), is worth about 20 billion yen.
> 
> THSRC's Nangang Extension Project covers the provision of new facilities and equipment, to extend the THSR line from Taipei Station to Nangang Station, which is currently under construction in the northern sector of Taipei. MHI and Toshiba will install the trackwork and overhead electric power lines for the trains, and also design, supply and install E&M systems for signaling, communications, power supplies, operation management, etc.
> 
> MHI will be responsible for overall project management, provision of trackwork, signaling, overhead power line equipment, and systems for data transmission, telephone and operation monitoring cameras. Toshiba will be responsible for the provision of the train traffic control system - the THSR's command system - as well as the maintenance management information system, the system to supply power to trains and wayside equipment, the train radio system and passenger information systems.
> 
> THSR's trains currently travel the 345km between Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taiwan's two most important cities, in as short a time as 90 minutes. Since its launch in January 2007, over six and a half years of safe operation, the line has seen a steady increase in passengers and become an essential component of Taiwan's transportation network. With completion of the extension project, the THSR system is expected to play an even greater role in vitalizing Taiwan's economy.
> 
> The original order for the THSR project was placed in 2000, with a consortium consisting of seven Japanese companies, including MHI, Toshiba and Mitsui. MHI and Toshiba believe the team's track record in the project contributed to the award of the extension project. Going forward the two companies, applying their respective accumulated advanced technologies, knowhow and sophisticated system integration capability, will proactively conduct marketing activities to win high-speed railway projects planned in various countries and regions.


Japanese press release:
http://www.mhi.co.jp/news/story/130624206.html


----------



## asahi

M-NL said:


> I would say yes. Name me one other HSR system where the trains run as frequent and dependable as in Japan. My personal experience: TGVs and ICEs aren't even in the same league compared to a N700, when it comes to ride comfort. In both the TGV and ICE I've experienced vibrations and resonances at various speeds, where the N700 was completely smooth. Also seat pitch is much better in the N700. The E5/E6 and N700A are supposed to be even better.


I've taken the Shinkansen numerous times and I also think it's totally great. However, the question is, how do you measure if it's the MOST successful system? There are many factors:
- ticket price
- frequency
- reliability 
- general maintenance level
- safety
- availability
etc.

One could argue that Shinkansen is better than AVE, 'cause it runs more frequently, but then Spain's population would have to triple to justify such frequency. 

High speed system in all countries have its pros and cons and it's really hard to determine which one is the best, mainly because every country is different and generalising is not the best option. 

Btw, the San'yo Shinkansen can be pretty shaky too. Mostly due to many tunnels, but even without that, from my experience, it's not as smooth a ride as the Tokaido Shinkansen.


----------



## mkill

I personally prefer taking the ICE over the Shinkansen. The interior design is much nicer. The Shink really isn't that comfortable, it's just fast. On the tracks that have been newly built as high-speed corridors in Germany (a sad few, such as Cologne - Frankfurt and Berlin - Hannover) the ride is as smooth as the Shink.

Of course, Deutsche Bahn will never ever reach Japanese standards of operation and on-time performance... *sigh*


----------



## Silver Swordsman

It could also simply be that Tokaido doesn't run at 300 km/h. It runs at around 270 due to its many tight curves, if I remember correctly. 

Comparing the CRH to the Shinkansen is a little bit like comparing apples and oranges. 



*日本(Shinkansen)*
*Pros* 
First high speed rail line in the world.

40 years of operation

No fatalities

10 billion riders carried.

Highest service frequency (10 per hour)

 Ridiculous punctuality (To the _second_)
*Cons*
Oldest HSR line in service

Saturated - Cannot expand

ROW initial designed speed: 230km/h. Speeds are limited to 270km/h max.

Older technology (Ballasted Track) incurs exorbitantly high maintenance costs.

*中國(CRH)*
*Pros*

Length. China's network is larger than the rest of the world combined.

Designed speed is 380km/h (Operating speed limited to 300km/h); room for future growth.

Built within two years, one year ahead of schedule. (Beijing - Shanghai)

Relatively cheap compared to international standards
CRH 380-series trainsets are highly optimized for high speed travel.

Large stations have significantly higher capacity.

Ridership on the Beijing - Shanghai PDL is projected to exceed ridership on the Tokaido Shinkansen.

China enjoys ridership in excess of 1 million *per day*.
*Cons*

*Wenzhou. 40 dead.*

Allegations of intellectual property theft

Train for the wealthy - most Chinese cannot afford it, and therefore does little to solve the country's transportation problems.

Internal corruption charges.

Internal charges of low quality construction

Both have very different strengths and weaknesses, and very little overlap.


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## Silly_Walks

I assume you are talking about a specific line, because the entire Chinese HSR network was not built in 2 years.


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## asahi

Of course, I didn't want to compare the Shinkansen only with Chinese HSR. I personally think that considering the country's size and population density, Spain is doing more than great in connecting its cities with high speed trains. The AVE trains are also more comfortable than Shinkansen, but that's 'cause the idea of a high speed train in different in both countries. In Japan it's more like a high speed commuter train. 
Anyway, such comparisons don't really make much sense though.


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## quashlo

Construction is already well underway... For the 67.0 km Takeo Onsen – Nagasaki section (full Shinkansen standard track), they have already allocated ¥55.32 billion (11.1%) of the total ¥500.0 billion cost (through FY2012).

Construction progress (as of end of March 2013):



Code:


                        Length   Work Has
Jurisdiction /                   Begun on
Segment                  (km)      (km)
=====================   ======   ======== 
Saga Prefecture         17.750     9.759  (55.0%)

Nagasaki Prefecture     49.251    17.676  (35.9%)
  Higashi-Sonogi Town    8.365     7.917  (94.6%)
  Ōmura City            14.310     2.863  (20.0%)
  Isahaya City          12.325     2.996  (24.3%)
  Nagasaki City         14.251     3.900  (27.4%)

Entire route            67.001    27.435  (40.9%)

Some pictures from October of last year in Higashi-Sonogi:
_Source: http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/prefna1991/_




























The section between Shin-Tosu and Takeo Onsen will be _zairaisen_ (existing narrow-gauge) track on the Nagasaki Main Line and Sasebo Line. The key construction work there will be the double-tracking of the Sasebo Line between Hizen Yamagauchi and Takeo Onsen, which will only begin in 2016 at the earliest.


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## sacto7654

I believe there are 53 operational E2 trainsets now in service, mostly on the Tōhoku and Nagano lines, with a small number on the Jōetsu line. I think one very likely possibility is that when the E4's retire, E2's displaced from the Tōhoku line will replace all the E4's, and I wouldn't be surprised that Hokuriku Shinkansen terminates at Omiya instead of Tokyo to reduce traffic load on Omiya-Ueno-Tokyo segment. By the time the Hokuriku Shinkansen line fully opens to Kanazawa, the Tōhoku Jūkan Line would have been open for some time, so passengers that need to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen could travel from as far away as Yokohama back to Omiya on limited express trains to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen train.


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## k.k.jetcar

^^
This is all 2ch and Yahoo Chiebukuro-type speculation, but I would think if any trains were to terminate at Omiya, it would be Joetsu Shinkansen line trains. I seriously doubt JR East would take the shine off their new Hokuriku Shinkansen services (not to mention dashing the hopes of JR West and all the cities on the Japan Sea) by having the indignity of forcing passengers off at Omiya.


----------



## 00Zy99

Two questions:

Any news on the rolling stock for the West Kyushu line? Are they going to build something new? Order more of existing designs?

Also, regarding traffic in Tokyo, are there any plans to expand capacity? Will they build the line to Shinjuku? If so will it extend further? What will the stops be? 

Might they expand further in the Omiya-Ueno-Tokyo-Shinagawa-Yokohama corridor? Through-running in Tokyo station would improve efficiencies to allow deadhead movements to move to yards without reversing. The stretch of track north of Akabane along the Saikyo line has room for expansion to quad-track. Could this be implemented?


----------



## sacto7654

k.k.jetcar said:


> ^^
> This is all 2ch and Yahoo Chiebukuro-type speculation, but I would think if any trains were to terminate at Omiya, it would be Joetsu Shinkansen line trains. I seriously doubt JR East would take the shine off their new Hokuriku Shinkansen services (not to mention dashing the hopes of JR West and all the cities on the Japan Sea) by having the indignity of forcing passengers off at Omiya.


Actually, ending the Jōetsu Shinkansen at Omiya Station once the full Hokuriku Shinkansen opens makes more sense, since traffic levels between Tokyo and Nagano are going to increase quite a lot--not only with E2 trainsets, but the new E7/W7 trainsets. The new Tōhoku Jūkan Line may make it possible to run limited express trains from Yokohama that only stops at Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ueno Stations to serve Jōetsu Shinkansen riders starting at Omiya.


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## javimix19

- How is affected the construction of the Hokkaido Shinkansen on Seikan Tunnel? The tunnel is close now to trains or the works are doing with conventional trains doing the recorride.

- When first phase of this Hokkaido Shinkansen finish how much time will cost to go between tokyo and Sapporo?

Seikan tunnel actually is the largest railwail tunnel in the world (until Gothard Base Tunnel is open), I consider one of the greatest man made engineering. 

- I don't know how the japanese engineers have done the works in this tunnel, is difficult to understand to me. It's a great work of engineering.


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## loefet

^^ On the first one, then I'm pretty sure that the traffic is running as normal, and they do whatever work needed between trains/nights. But seeing that the tunnel is built with Shinkansen traffic in mind then there isn't that much to do. Just add the 3:rd rail and upgrade whatever is needed to the latest standards.


----------



## quashlo

*Work begins on vertical circulation buildings at Jōetsu–Myōkō Station
北陸新幹線上越妙高駅の東西口の施設に着工*
http://www.joetsutj.com/archives/52040696.html

These are the new facilities housing elevators and escalators at the new Jōetsu–Myōkō Station—currently Wakinoda (脇野田) Station (Jōetsu City, Niigata Prefecture)—on the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension to Kanazawa, and will be connected to the station building currently being constructed by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT). A special ceremony to pray for safety during construction was held on 2013.07.10 at the future location of the East Exit station plaza.

The East Exit building will feature a glass-block domed ceiling, designed to be reminiscent of snowflakes during the day and Oriental lamps (_andon_ 行燈) during the night, and will feature a 170 m long gangway. 



The West Exit building will feature an observation deck with views towards Mt. Myōkō (妙高山).










The station building itself is about 78% complete (as of end of June), and they have finished the exterior. They are now working on the interior, with completion scheduled for February of next year. Test runs on the Shinkansen extension are expected to begin this December.


----------



## quashlo

*JR Central to replace faregates at Tōkaidō Shinkansen stations*

Official press release:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001254.html

The automatic faregates at Tōkaidō Shinkansen stations are approaching the end of their 10-year life cycle, and JR Central has announced that they will introduce newer models with several new features to improve the passenger experience. In particular, the new faregates feature LCD screens with improved visibility, as well as a lighting system to guide passengers to take their ticket as they exit the faregate (sort of like runway lighting). The new gates are also slightly slimmer than the existing models, increasing the gate clearance by as much as 4 cm. 

All 295 faregates at all 17 stations on the line will be replaced, starting with Shinagawa Station in the first half of FY2014, followed by a gradual rollout at the remaining stations between the latter half of FY2014 and the first half of FY2016. Estimated cost is approx. ¥5.2 billion.










Existing and new


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## quashlo

What the 1972 Shinkansen Master Plan might look like at build-out.
Click for larger size.


----------



## chornedsnorkack

I note that though it avoids a bottleneck at Tokyo, it still incorporates a bottleneck at Osaka.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

chornedsnorkack said:


> I note that though it avoids a bottleneck at Tokyo, it still incorporates a bottleneck at Osaka.


I would think the market for intercity passengers in western Japan and southern Hokuriku avoiding the Kansai region is _very_ small.


----------



## chornedsnorkack

k.k.jetcar said:


> I would think the market for intercity passengers in western Japan and southern Hokuriku avoiding the Kansai region is _very_ small.


Yes, as long as the railways out of Osaka are intact. In 1995, they were not.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

chornedsnorkack said:


> Yes, as long as the railways out of Osaka are intact. In 1995, they were not.


Building a HSL just as a bypass route in case of an emergency is "boondoggle" territory. The existing zairaisen lines are adequate.


----------



## loefet

quashlo said:


> What the 1972 Shinkansen Master Plan might look like at build-out.
> Click for larger size.


Love the image, have been looking for one of these for a while, and only found small useless ones. So thank you!!

But shouldn't there be one dotted line between Fukushima and Akita, via Yamagata? Which instead seems to have become the mini-shinkansen routes today.


----------



## quashlo

You're correct, but I've "tempered" the plan somewhat with what's already been built. The original plan called for full-standard Shinkansen from Fukushima to Akita via Yamagata, but what we have right now is mini-Shinkansen branches of the Tōhoku Shinkansen running on regauged / dual-gauge _zairaisen_ track. 

Between Shinjō and Ōmagari, it's less than 100 km (98.4 km to be exact) on the Ōu Main Line, about 80 km as the crow flies, so who knows what they would do to "complete" this segment of the plan... The passenger market won't be very big (train service on this segment of the Ōu Main Line is hourly at best, and even then, with huge gaps), so it seems like they could get away with just some double-tracking in strategic locations to allow for passes and maybe some new standard-gauge tunnels (between Izumita 泉田 and Yokobori 横堀, for example). In the end, I got tired (lazy?) of thinking about it, so I didn't draw anything there.


----------



## coth

Wasn't Narita Shinkansen emerged as Narita Skyliner?


----------



## quashlo

Sort of, but the _Skyliner_ isn't really a "Shinkansen", just a fast (160 km/h) limited express. Of course, an all-new Shinkansen (or faster) link to Narita is unlikely to be built in any of our lifetimes, especially with all the efforts being directed towards the Asakusa Line bypass instead.

But I put a dotted line out to Narita anyways since the Shinkansen line was already partly under construction before the project was halted... I envisioned it as an extension of the Chūō Shinkansen from Shinagawa up to Tōkyō then over to Narita.


----------



## coth

I mean it could be marked as tiny line like mini Shinkansen. As it turns to be middle Shinkansen)


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## sacto7654

I believe a good fraction of the Keisei _Sky Access_ route was the right of way intended for the Narita Shinkansen.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

This telephoto spy shot from early June apparently shows the front end of a E7/W7 trainset:

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kei9_masahukudo/64118377.html

According to the JR East presser, the E7 trainset will be revealed this autumn...


----------



## M-NL

The train on the photo looks kind of like an 800-series Shinkansen. I like it.


----------



## quashlo

TV program from a few months ago (mostly) about the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Starts off in the recently restored historic Marunouchi Station Building of JR Tōkyō Station, then a ride to Nagano on the “Nagano” Shinkansen, where they discuss some of the issues about the naming of the new line (“Nagano” vs. “Hokuriku” Shinkansen), as well as the history of the planned Shinkansen routes (整備新幹線) and the construction / operating schemes (constructed by a governmental agency, the JRTT, and then the JRs pay infrastructure lease fees to operate trains on the lines). A discussion of the E7 / W7 series, as well as the GranClass amenities, followed by a tour of Kanazawa Station and how the Shinkansen is effecting economic and tourism changes in Kanazawa. Then, a discussion of Iiyama Station and efforts to promote tourism in Nagano, including marketing to Taiwanese airlines by getting passengers to arrive via Toyama Airport and take the Shinkansen “backwards” into Nagano. Then, a tour of Iiyama Station and a discussion of what will happen with the parallel conventional line (_zairaisen_). Last are tours of Toyama Station and Nagano Station, including the under-construction platform extension work at Nagano.






A web TV tour of the under-construction Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen:






Catenary being erected in Miyanokubo, Namerikawa City (滑川市宮窪) in eastern Toyama Prefecture (2013.08.04):


----------



## sacto7654

I do think once the Hokuriku Shinkansen opens, there will be a major push for a lot more foreign tourists visiting the historic sites on the Sea of Japan side coastline of Honshu--especially Kanazawa, a city with major significance in Japanese history. Small cities like Naoetsu and Itoigawa may experience economic booms as they could even become "weekend bedroom communities" for people working in Tokyo.


----------



## foxmulder

quashlo, do you have any pictures or videos about construction of E5 Series?


----------



## SamuraiBlue

k.k.jetcar said:


> This telephoto spy shot from early June apparently shows the front end of a E7/W7 trainset:
> 
> http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kei9_masahukudo/64118377.html
> 
> According to the JR East presser, the E7 trainset will be revealed this autumn...


Looks somewhat like a Ferrari.:banana:


----------



## quashlo

Some more photos of E7 / W7 series at the Kawasaki plant:
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/superhakuto7000hot/10267038.html
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/superhakuto7000hot/10035789.html


----------



## sacto7654

Has anyone checked Hitachi's assembly line at Kudamatsu, Kinki Sharyo's assembly line in the Osaka area, or J-TREC's assembly line at Yokohama for their first E7/W7 trainsets?


----------



## quashlo

For Kinki Sharyō’s plant near Tokuan Station on the JR Katamachi Line (Gakken Toshi Line) in Higashi-Ōsaka City, this is probably the best blog, although the picture quality is not so good:
http://ken-n701.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/

Nothing on the E7 / W7, but they have a snap of the new JR West commuter EMU for the Hiroshima area:
http://ken-n701.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2013/08/20130819-6b30.html

Not sure if there’s any dedicated blogs for the two other plants (Hitachi in Kudamatsu and J-TREC in Yokohama), although there’s generally a lot of video coverage on the latter whenever they do movements for new train sets, given its proximity to Tōkyō.

Based on all the photos on blog covering the Kawasaki plant, it may be that Kawasaki is producing the entire pre-production prototype (12 cars) of the E7 series, which is supposed to be completed first by autumn 2013 (the first W7 series is in spring of next year). There’s 2 cars in this shot from June, and then in this shot from a week ago, there’s at least 3 cars stationed out on the open tracks and another at least another 3 being actively worked on under the roofed tracks. That would leave only four remaining cars to complete the set, and it’s entirely likely they could be tucked away in parts of the plant where we can’t see them. 

I’m still amazed at the variety at the Kawasaki plant… Taiwan Taoyuan Airport MRT stock, JR Freight EF510 freight locomotive, E6 and E7 Shinkansen, JR Hokkaidō 733 series, Kōbe Municipal Subway 1000 series, and up until recently Metro North M8s for New York and the first 7000 series subway cars for Washington Metro—it’s like a circus over there. :lol:


----------



## sacto7654

That confirms it--JR West will deliver 225 Series EMU's to replace the large fleet of aging 115 Series EMU's in at least the Hiroshima area. That means by 2016 most of JR West's EMU commuter trains running on the San'yō Main Line west of Himeji will be 225's.

But getting back on topic,  any news on whether KHI will no longer deliver E6 Shinkansen trainsets by boat but deliver them towed by a locomotive like a couple of recent trainsets?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> But getting back on topic, any news on whether KHI will no longer deliver E6 Shinkansen trainsets by boat but deliver them towed by a locomotive like a couple of recent trainsets?


Were some previous E6 trainsets delivered by boat? The E6 trainset loading gauge permits delivery via the conventional railway network easily enough. Location of the receiving depot (and manufacture location) may also influence delivery mode.

*reading some blogs, it appears the first E6 units were delivered by boat via Sendai Port, but that KHI will deliver by rail exclusively. Hitachi-built E6 units will continue to be delivered by boat.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> do you have any pictures or videos about construction of E5 Series?


FWIW (not much at all, I readily admit), TV Tokyo I believe had a report on the E5 testing prior to its general introduction. If I remember correctly, it focused on the active suspension system, and the pantograph design. I may be mistaken, but JR-E staff found that above 320km/h, the active suspension did not work effectively enough to be acceptable to their standards of passenger comfort, which were set high.

I can't find that segment on YouTube. Maybe someone else can, if it exists.

Here is a Kawasaki Heavy newsletter that has some pics and descriptions of E5 construction at the KHI Hyogo Plant (Japanese language):
http://www.khi.co.jp/knews/backnumber/bn_2009/pdf/news156_01.pdf


----------



## sacto7654

k.k.jetcar said:


> *reading some blogs, it appears the first E6 units were delivered by boat via Sendai Port, but that KHI will deliver by rail exclusively. Hitachi-built E6 units will continue to be delivered by boat.


I believe that because KHI's assembly plant near Kobe is right next to the San'yō Main Line, that makes it easy to ship the whole trainset to the Akita depot for setup by train. Hitachi's assembly at Kudamatsu makes it much easier to just transport the whole trainset by boat.


----------



## javimix19

Hi I have a question:

- Shinkansen has 50 years of time. Since that according to Wikipedia Japan has constructed more than 2500 km of lines. 
Do you think when the extension that are now under construction will finish, the network is going to be complete?

Now there are four lines under construction: Hokoriku Shinkansen extension to Kanazawa, Nagasaki Route, Hokkaido Shinkansen and Chuo Shinkansen (Maglev).
Japan has now 30 years to complete this lines until 2045. (I read in Wikipedia)

- What is the next level in Shinkansen? Upgrade the speed? Build more Maglev?

Thank you in advance.


----------



## quashlo

*Chūgoku prefectures push for FGT on Hakubi Line
「伯備線にＦＧＴ導入」継続*
http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/News/Tn201309060037.html

A general meeting of a special committee comprising representatives of Shimane, Tottori, and Okayama Prefectures, established to lobby for introduction of the variable-gauge “Free Gauge Train” (FGT) technology onto the Hakubi Line, was held in Matsue City on 2013.09.05. The technology would allow for Shinkansen services to run directly to and from the Hakubi Line at Okayama, connecting Matsue and Tottori Prefectures to the national high-speed network.

At this particular meeting, the committee reaffirmed its plan to lobby the national government to introduce the technology to the Hakubi Line, including earmarking money for studies and testing of the technology on the Hakubi Line. However, some of the committee representatives—including those from Tottori—expressed concern over the lack of progress in the 20 years since the establishment of the committee, despite progress being made on practical applications of the technology for the Kyūshū Shinkansen and Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2020 and later.










===

Well, it’s only a matter of time, really… Nagasaki and Hokuriku will be the first implementations, and if successful, I’m sure local governments across Japan will be fighting to be the next to have the service. :lol:

FGT testing on the Yosan Line (2013.08.04):






Apparently, Higashi-Matsue City in Shimane Prefecture is also commissioning a study of a new Shinkansen station:
http://www.kentsu.co.jp/webnews/html_top/130831700003.html


----------



## quashlo

*Excavation of Shimizu Tunnel complete
「清水トンネル」貫通、関係者祝う　九州新幹線西九州ルート*
http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/nagasaki/article/37602

Excavation of the 972 m long Shimizu Tunnel (清水トンネル) on the Nishi-Kyūshū (Nagasaki) route of the Kyūshū Shinkansen in Kobagō, Higashi-Sonogi Town (東彼杵町木場郷) was completed on 2013.09.04, with about 150 local residents and project representatives attending a special ceremony to commemorate the milestone.

The tunnel is located between the future Shin-Ōmura and Ureshino Onsen Stations. Work on the tunnel and the adjacent Chiwata Tunnel (千綿トンネル) began in January 2010, and this latest milestone marks the fifth tunnel excavation completed in Nagasaki Prefecture. The 67 km route between Nagasaki and Takeo Onsen is scheduled to open in FY2022, and 40.7 km (60.7%) of the route will consist of tunnels. Currently, excavation work for about 24% (10 km) is complete.










===

A tour of the station plaza and storage tracks at Nagasaki Station, which will soon undergo major changes when the elevated Shinkansen tracks come into the station. In particular, the entire station, including the _zairaisen_ tracks will be grade-separated (elevated) and the storage yard functions will be relocated elsewhere.


----------



## quashlo

“Wolverine” action scene on the Shinkansen:


----------



## Silver Swordsman

:no: 
No. 

Just no. 


So much technical ignorance...


----------



## quashlo

*JICA will study Mumbai–Ahmedabad HSR corridor*
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com...d-high-speed-rail-corridor/article5101029.ece



> New Delhi, Sept 6: Railways has given green signal to Japan for conducting a detailed study for the proposed 543 km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor, in another step towards implementing the bullet train project.
> 
> “Japan Internal Cooperation Agency will conduct a feasibility study for Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor and for this a MoU will be signed soon”, said Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar here today.
> 
> Kumar had gone to Japan on a four-day visit to discuss certain issues including the proposed high speed corridor and modalities of JICA fund for Western DFC project among others.
> 
> Though RITES and Systra, a French firm, had already carried out the pre-feasibility study of the route, the Japanese study is expected to be a more detailed one exploring the possibility of running train at a speed of 300 km per hour between the two cities.
> 
> “It will be a detailed study which will examine the funding pattern, alignment, patronage, possible halts, fare structure and other details required for the project. All modalities for the study will be finalised this month so that it can possibly begin next month,” Kumar said.
> 
> The high speed corridor study has to be completed within 18 months and the cost of it will be shared jointly by railways and JICA.
> 
> Estimated to cost about Rs 63,000 crore, the 534-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad route is expected to be the first corridor to be explored for the Railways ambitious bullet project.
> 
> Besides Mumbai-Ahmedabad, railways has identified six routes for conducting pre-feasibility study for high speed corridors including Delhi-Agra-Patna, Howrah-Haldia, Chennai-Bangalore-Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi-Amritsar.
> 
> Considered a key infrastructure project, the Prime Minister’s Office is also monitoring the Mumbai-Ahmedabad project and has asked railways to constitute a project steering group to examine options for executing it.
> 
> The project is likely to be executed on PPP model where state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat are expected to be stakeholders along with railways.


----------



## Silly_Walks

> The high speed corridor study has to be completed within 18 months


Euhh... is this possible?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

Silly_Walks said:


> Euhh... is this possible?


I would think a study (gathering data, surveying, weighing options) is quite doable in a year and a half.


----------



## sacto7654

Speaking of the Shinkansen, with Tokyo now holding the 2020 Summer Olympics, will JR Central have to adjust adjust schedules for the _Nozomi_ and _Hikari_ Shinkansen to accommodate Olympic visitors? Shinagawa Station will be especially important since it's the closest major station to many Olympic venues.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

^^
Difficult to say, as the event is still _seven_ years away. Who knows what the travel patterns and demand will be then- especially wrt competing forms of transport. For all we know, LCCs may have a significant share of the domestic travel market then. At least JR Tokai can schedule existing intermittent services to run daily during the weeks of the Olympics, as the pathings are already there.


----------



## castermaild55




----------



## KingNick

I love how enthusiastic Hammond is about what he presents. Second video is much more interesting though.


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## Sr.Horn




----------



## quashlo

Looking good... The side profile sort of reminds me of the N700 sets for the Kyūshū Shinkansen.


----------



## sacto7654

quashlo said:


> Looking good... The side profile sort of reminds me of the N700 sets for the Kyūshū Shinkansen.


Actually, I think you may be referring to the 800 Series Shinkansen trainsets built by Hitachi that are used exclusively between Kagoshima-Chuo and Hakata Stations on the all-stops _Tsubame_ and limited-stop _Sakura_ services.

(It should be noted there are two types of _Sakura_ train services--one with the 800 Series trainsets only between Kagoshima-Chuo and Hakata, and one with N700-8000 Series trainsets between Kagoshima-Chuo and Shin-Osaka.)


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## quashlo

The front looks like the 800 series, yes. But I'm talking about the paint scheme on the sides... Both use simple, thin belt lines. Even the colors are actually pretty close, too, although the Kyūshū Shinkansen N700 color is gold:
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ファイル:JRW_Shinkansen_Series_N700_787-7000.jpg

For JR East, it's a bit of a departure from the E5 / E6 styling, which use bright colors (green + pink or red). The navy blue + burnt orange is much more sublime.


----------



## quashlo

*Japan interested in high-speed trains for Malaysia*
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=978109



> JAKARTA, Sept 17 (Bernama) - Indonesian Transportation Minister Evert Erenst Mangindaan said Japan is keen to develop high-speed trains to enhance connectivity between Indonesia cities.
> 
> The trains travelling at 300 km per hour are expected to connect Jakarta to Bandung and Surabaya, Indonesian news agency ANTARA reported Mangindaan as saying on Monday.
> 
> "We hope to implement the trains after Indonesia completes the construction of a double-track railway line in northern Java," the minister said.
> 
> "Japan is also keen to build an overpass track above the double track in the north coast area of Java. We plan to use the double track for container trains to accelerate cargo transportation in Java, we will use the overpass track for passenger trains," said Mangindaan.
> 
> The government plans to use the overpass line track for passenger trains travelling between Jakarta and Surabaya and Jakarta and Bandung.
> 
> The government anticipates the construction of a double track between Jakarta and Surabaya will be completed by the end of the year.
> 
> Mangindaan did not state the cost of developing the new rail lines.
> 
> "We will put forth several options, including the extension of the concession to manage train service," he added.


----------



## quashlo

*Variable-gauge train testing on Yosan Line complete
鉄道・運輸機構、予讃線でのフリーゲージトレイン走行試験を終了*
http://response.jp/article/2013/09/17/206553.html

The Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT) announced on 2013.09.17 that it will finish running tests of the variable-gauge Free Gauge Train (FGT) on JR Shikoku’s Yosan Line on 2013.09.21. The JRTT says that it has obtained a sufficiently-sized data sample to evaluate the train’s durability.


----------



## quashlo

*New detection equipment accelerated Tōkaidō Shinkansen recovery after typhoon
台風18号で増水、新計測装置が新幹線の運転再開早める*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFK1703O_X10C13A9000000/

Water levels in the Fuji River rose as a result of Typhoon #18, which entered mainland Japan on 2013.09.16, forcing JR Central to temporarily suspend Tōkaidō Shinkansen service between Shizuoka and Shin-Fuji starting at 8:40 am, eventually expanding to Mishima later. With the aid of new measurement equipment that began operation on 2013.09.01, the railway was able to resume service much quicker than before, with trains running on the affected segments by 3:00 pm.

Rising river levels generally result in erosion of the earth surrounding the columns supporting Shinkansen bridges, potentially affecting the strength of the columns, a phenomenon known as bridge scour. As a result, the railway has established safety thresholds for water level on some bridges on the line, which can be considered a proxy for the level of bridge scour. The new equipment allows them to physically measure the effects of bridge scour on the bridge columns, allowing the railway to resume service on the line even if water levels exceed the established thresholds.

In the case of the Fuji River, Shinkansen service was previously suspended when river levels exceeded 7.2 m from the bottom of the bridge girders. Once the water levels receded, the railway would measure the natural frequency of the bridge columns to determine the potential for bridge scour and resume service at 70 km/h. Under the new system, the water level threshold remains the same, but if the weather has died down and the water levels are below historical highs and on the decline, the railway takes continuous measurements of the natural frequency using new automated vibration detection equipment. The equipment collides a 30 kg weight with the bridge colume to measure the natural frequency, allowing the railway to determine the level of bridge scour. By repeating the process every 2 minutes, the railway can obtain information on bridge scour in realtime. After visual safety inspections of the bridge by railway staff, the railway can now resume service at 30 km/h.










===

The typhoon caused some service disruptions for both rail and air travel:


----------



## quashlo

JR Central provided some updates on the progress of overhauls to their existing fleet of 80 N700 series trains (1,280 cars) to bring them up to the same standards as the new N700A series trains:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001311.html

The overhaul program details are as follows. The bulk of the work involves installation of center-mounted brake discs (~15% increase in braking power), an “earthquake” braking system (10% decrease in stopping distance after detection of a seismic event), and constant speed controllers (i.e., cruise control) to accelerate recovery after service disruptions. Other work involves installation of air tanks and associated piping, for a total of 10,000 components that must be equipped in each train.



Code:


                                                     N700
                                                --------------
Function                                        Pre-OH Post-OH  N700A
==============================================  ====== =======  =====

Safety
  Center-mounted brake discs                      N       Y       Y
  Earthquake brakes                               N       Y       Y

Stability
  Cruise control (constant speed)                 N       Y       Y
  Bogie vibration detection system                N       N       Y

Comfort
  Expanded use of tilting equipment               N       Y       Y
    (improves ride comfort)

Energy conservation
  Reduced electricity consumption                 Y       Y       Y
    (19% less than the 700 series)
  Controlled lighting for restrooms               N       N       Y

Interior features
  Emergency notification system (deck section)    N       N       Y
Door open / close lights (deck section)         N       N       Y

The work is being conducted by a special team as part of the general maintenance cycle at JR Central’s Hamamatsu Works, and takes about one month per trainset. The ¥23 billion project will last until FY2015. They’ve completed overhauls on 12 trainsets, 9 of which are in operation. The schedule is as follows:

FY2013: 32 sets
FY2014: 37 sets
FY2015: 11 sets
Total: 80 sets


----------



## quashlo

Window view on Tōkaidō / San’yō Shinkansen _Nozomi 11_, Tōkyō to Hakata (1069.1 km), Car 8 (Green Car), Unit Z79. Schedule:

0730 Dep Tōkyō
0736 Arr Shinagawa
0748 Arr Shin-Yokohama (18:45)
0911 Arr Nagoya (1:42:29)
0950 Arr Kyōto (2:21:30)
1006 Arr Shin-Ōsaka (2:37:35)
1022 Arr Shin-Kōbe (2:52:46)
1055 Arr Okayama (3:26:30)
1133 Arr Hiroshima (4:04:08)
1156 Arr Tokuyama (4:26:50)
1226 Arr Kokura (4:56:58)
1243 Arr Hakata (5:10:05)


----------



## foxmulder

Sr.Horn said:


>


Nice videos. what is the date for introduction?


----------



## coth

When Hokuriku Shinkansen open


----------



## PiotrG

Spring 2015 to Kanazwa.
2026 to Tsuruga.


----------



## foxmulder

Cool, hope to see pictures of it during the tests. I assume they are very close to start.


----------



## quashlo

*General service patterns for Hokuriku Shinkansen announced*

JR West and JR East announced that there would be four types of service on the Hokuriku Shinkansen:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2013/20131002.pdf
http://www.westjr.co.jp/press/article/2013/10/page_4539.html

Tōkyō – Kanazawa (fast)
Tōkyō – Kanazawa (slow)
Toyama – Kanazawa (shuttle)
Tōkyō – Nagano (existing Nagano Shinkansen _Asama_)

The official name of the line will also be the “Hokuriku Shinkansen”, although they will include “(via Nagano)” on signage.

FNN news report (2013.10.02):


----------



## sacto7654

That's great, but have they given the _official_ name for each type of service on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line? I know the current service between Tokyo and Nagano is named _Asama_ (after Mt. Asama, which borders Gunma and Nagano prefectures); I'd love to see them use _Hakutaka_ for the limited-stop service between Tokyo and Kanazawa and _Hokuetsu_ for all-stations service between Nagano and Kanazawa.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

^^
The train names will be revealed sometime this autumn or later. There already was a contest where the public could submit their ideas:

http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2013/20130514.pdf

http://www.shinkansen-name.jp/


----------



## sacto7654

I like my name suggestions for two reasons:

1. _Hakutaka_ is already used as the name of the limited-stop express train between Echigo-Yuzawa and Kanazawa Stations. It would be a perfect name for the limited-stop Shinkansen train from Tokyo all the way to Kanazawa, which will only stop at Ueno, Omiya, Takasaki, Ueda, Nagano, Jōetsu-Myōkō, Toyama and Kanazawa.

2. _Hokuetsu_ is already used as the name of the limited-stop express train between Kanazawa and Niigata. They can transfer that name to the all-stops Shinkansen train between Nagano and Kanazawa.


----------



## quashlo

JR West has filed applications with the Trademark Office for the names “Tsurugi” (つるぎ) and “Tateyama” (たてやま):
http://www.sankeibiz.jp/business/news/131004/bsd1310041104010-n1.htm

These are names of two famous mountains in the Hokuriku region—Mt. Tsurugi (劔岳) and Mt. Tate (立山)—and there are rumors that the railway will use these as names for services on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, although the application was technically filed on 2013.05.14, before the start of the public naming invitation process (2013.05.31 – 2013.06.30). The proposed shuttle services between Kanazawa and Toyama (20-minute travel time, about half the current travel time via limited express) would be operated in JR West territory, so it’s possible that these could be used for those services.

Currently, there are over 40 limited express roundtrips on the Kanazawa – Toyama section of the Hokuriku Main Line, including 15 _Thunderbird_ roundtrips from Ōsaka and 8 _Shirasagi_ roundtrips from Nagoya. JR West is expected to eliminate these services and replace them with the Shinkansen shuttles, with passengers transferring at Kanazawa.


----------



## quashlo

*Hokuriku Shinkansen testing to begin 2013.12.01
走行試験　１２月１日から　北陸新幹線*
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/toyama/news/20131005-OYT8T00013.htm

On 2013.10.04, the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT) announced that it would begin running tests on the Nagano – Kurobe–Unazuki Onsen section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, scheduled to open in spring 2015, starting on 2013.12.01. About 1 to 2 roundtrips would be operated for about 70 days total until 2014.03.28 jointly by the JRTT, JR East, and JR West. The tests would be conducted with the East-i, JR East’s test unit for Shinkansen electrical and track systems, and 10-car E2 series units currently in use as _Yamabiko_ services on the Tōhoku Shinkansen.

The majority of the testing would be conducted at night, starting at low speeds and gradually increasing to the 260 km/h top speed to confirm the satisfactory performance of the track, catenary, and structures, as well as the adequate functionality of the ATC equipment.

Track and electrification is already complete on the Nagano – Kurobe–Unazuki Onsen section, and work is proceeding on the stations. Track-laying is currently underway west of Kurobe–Unazuki Onsen to Kanazawa.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

*E7 trainset at the factory*

Speaking of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, recent shunting of the first E7 trainset at KHI's Hyogo Plant:


----------



## sacto7654

Now that the first trainset for the Hokuriku Shinkansen is just about complete, when will they ship it out to Omiya Station just north of Tokyo for setup and at least initial testing between Tokyo and Nagano stations?


----------



## sanarsoe

I love his country things.Really


----------



## quashlo

*JICA and Indian government sign MOU on Mumbai – Ahmedabad high-speed corridor*
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131008p2g00m0bu040000c.html



> NEW DELHI (Kyodo) -- The Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Indian Ministry of Railways on Monday signed a memorandum to conduct a joint feasibility study on introducing Japan's bullet train technology in India.
> 
> The Japanese agency said contractors would be selected by the end of the year to start the study on technology, cost and impact on society and environment for the roughly 500-kilometer route between Mumbai and Ahmedabad over one and a half year.
> 
> The joint study was agreed in May during talks between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It may take some time before India decides whether or not to introduce Japan's shinkansen system.


===

This NHK article has a video:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20131008/k10015107231000.html


----------



## k.k.jetcar

^^
And should India decide to build a system using a non-Japanese supplier, I certainly hope JICA will no longer provide funding (i.e. my tax money).


----------



## quashlo

Names for the new services for the Hokuriku Shinkansen have been selected.

Fast service between Tōkyō and Kanazawa:
_Kagayaki_ (かがやき): Means “brilliance” or “radiance”. This name debuted in 1988 between Kanazawa and Nagaoka for fast services operating on the _Hokuetsu_ route, with intermediate calls at Naoetsu, Toyama, and Takaoka. The name was eventually abandoned when the _Hakutaka_ debuted via the Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line in 1997. This was the #5 most popular name among the suggestions received.

Slow service between Tōkyō and Kanazawa:
_Hakutaka_ (はくたか): Means “white hawk”, and is currently in use on limited express services on the Fukui – Kanazawa – Toyama – Echigo Yuzawa via the Hokuriku Main Line, Shin’etsu Main Line, Hokuhoku Line, and the Jōetsu Line. This was the #1 most popular name among the suggestions received.

Shuttle service between Toyama and Kanazawa:
_Tsurugi_ (つるぎ): Drawing its name from Toyama’s Mount Tsurugi (剱岳), this name has a fairly rich history as an overnight / sleeper service between Ōsaka and Niigata, debuting in 1961 until being downgraded to seasonal service in 1994 and eventual abandonment in 1996. Calls were at Shin-Ōsaka, Kyōto, Itoigawa, Naoetsu, Kashiwazaki, Nagaoka, Mitsuke, Higashi-Sanjō, Kamo, Niitsu, and Niigata. This was the #71 most popular name among the suggestions received.

The existing Nagano Shinkansen service will continue to be called the _Asama_.

Kyōdō report, with a nice shot of the E7 / W7 1:20 scale model they put on display at the press conference. 






ANN report:


----------



## quashlo

*JICA to conduct Shinkansen studies for Indonesia
日本が初の新幹線本格調査へ　インドネシア*
http://www.47news.jp/CN/201310/CN2013101601002362.html

It was revealed on 2013.10.16 that the Japanese and Indian governments have signed an agreement to commission a feasibility study to consider the potential introduction of a Shinkansen high-speed railway to Java. This is the first real feasibility study for a high-speed railway for the Indonesia, beating out competitors from China and Korea, and a big first step for Japan, which estimates that the entire project could be worth about Rp 50 trillion (about ¥45 trillion). According to officials close to the negotiations, the study will be conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is expected to sign an MOU with the Indonesian government on 2013.10.17.


----------



## quashlo

*MLIT establishes joint working group to assist Sweden with HSR plans
国交省/実務者連携体制を構築/スウェーデンの高速鉄道整備*
http://www.kensetsunews.com/?p=21273

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has established a joint working group (JWG) to facilitate further discussion of technological issues facing high-speed rail in Sweden, including the cooperative relationship with the Swedish side and strategies for dealing with snow. Sweden is set to construct about 200 km of high-speed lines, and the JWG will consider how Japanese firms can get involved in the project.

Swedish railway officials signed an MOU with the MLIT in May of this year regarding an exchange of railway expertise, and various events have already been held, including workshops, seminars, and visits to Shinkansen construction sites in Japan. Another workshop was held in Stockholm in September to flesh out details for seminars and studies to be conducted through to 2016.

The participants concluded that a forum was needed to share information regarding technologies related to high-speed rail implementation, so the MLIT established the new JWG to serve this purpose. Sweden is looking to build two lines, one west from Stockholm to Göteborg via Jönköping and another branch from Jönköping to Malmö, with potential extensions to Copenhagen in Denmark and Oslo in Norway. The JWG is currently focusing on providing assistance on a portion of the western trunk line to Göteborg, which will be constructed first starting as soon as 2017.


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ I can only hope something will come out of that.


----------



## quashlo

A news feature on the N700A:


----------



## PredyGr

Hi,
I would like to ask, if there are available to commoners the maximum permitted speed limits along the shinkansen lines. My google-fu has failed me :hammer: .

Thanks.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

PredyGr said:


> Hi,
> I would like to ask, if there are available to commoners the maximum permitted speed limits along the shinkansen lines. My google-fu has failed me :hammer: .
> 
> Thanks.


Tohoku Shinkansen: 320 km/h
Joetsu 240
Nagano 260
Tokaido 270
Sanyo 300
Kyushu 260


----------



## asahi

^^ I think he might have meant a detailed speed limit map with stretches where trains need to slow down due to curves etc. 

The general information you posted is widely available, though I also have never seen a detailed speed limit map of the Japanese Shinkansen.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

I'm not a mind-reader, I merely answered the question as phrased by the OP at face value. Oh yeah, thanks for the advice.

There was an identical question a while back, I now recall. Perhaps by the same person. I think I said nothing available on the web. If there is such info, it's in a booklet issued to drivers, and is not for public consumption. They may turn up on Yahoo Auctions from time to time, maybe.


----------



## sacto7654

Speaking of which, I wonder when will JR East officially unveil the first E7 trainset for the Hokuriku Shinkansen line? Someone mentioned that the first trainset is now complete and has been loaded on a boat next to the KHI plant in Hyogo for a trip to the Tokyo area, where it may be set up at Omiya Station for test runs late this year (don't be surprised that the first E7 trainset is running between Tokyo and Nagano by middle December 2013).


----------



## k.k.jetcar

^^
This is all I could find for now re. latest E7 movements. Nothing on the Tube.

https://twitter.com/hamashin223/status/392855254200381440/photo/1

*online chatter is that the barges carrying the trainset are currently around the vicinity of Rokko Island (towed by "Aki Maru"), possibly waiting for typhoon #27 to pass by, before leaving Kobe Port.

http://new.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/431000674


----------



## PredyGr

First of all, I have to thank you for the replies. Maybe i have not formulated properly the question. Sorry for the inconvenience I caused to you.

As asahi pointed, I am looking for the maximum speed map of each shinkansen line. Yahoo auctions is a good tip, thank you.

PS: This was the first time I made this question.


----------



## asahi

k.k.jetcar said:


> I'm not a mind-reader, I merely answered the question as phrased by the OP at face value. Oh yeah, thanks for the advice.


Well, since he asked for speed limits along the lines it was rather clear he did not mean the max. speed allowed on the line. But anyway, it doesn't matter.



PredyGr said:


> I am looking for the maximum speed map of each shinkansen line. Yahoo auctions is a good tip, thank you.


Sometimes people use the gps (like in their smartphones) to measure the speed when on the train. It's not the most accurate method, but I think there might be such records available somewhere online, so you could try looking for that.


----------



## sacto7654

k.k.jetcar said:


> ^^
> This is all I could find for now re. latest E7 movements. Nothing on the Tube.
> 
> https://twitter.com/hamashin223/status/392855254200381440/photo/1
> 
> *online chatter is that the barges carrying the trainset are currently around the vicinity of Rokko Island (towed by "Aki Maru"), possibly waiting for typhoon #27 to pass by, before leaving Kobe Port.
> 
> http://new.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/431000674


Thanks for the latest information.  It appears that the first completed trainset will soon be on its way to the Tokyo area for setup and initial testing possibly the the end of November 2013.

Speaking of which, I wonder are the E7/W7 trainset's loading gauge compatible with stations along the Tokaidō Shinkansen line? If that is the case, KHI (and maybe Kinki Sharyo) could deliver individual cars of each trainset by oversized load truck to the big Shinkansen service yard east of Shin-Osaka Station, assemble the trainset, and run the completed trainset at reduced speed (maybe at most 190-200 km/h) back to Omiya Station.


----------



## 00Zy99

sacto7654 said:


> Thanks for the latest information.  It appears that the first completed trainset will soon be on its way to the Tokyo area for setup and initial testing possibly the the end of November 2013.
> 
> Speaking of which, I wonder are the E7/W7 trainset's loading gauge compatible with stations along the Tokaidō Shinkansen line? If that is the case, KHI (and maybe Kinki Sharyo) could deliver individual cars of each trainset by oversized load truck to the big Shinkansen service yard east of Shin-Osaka Station, assemble the trainset, and run the completed trainset at reduced speed (maybe at most 190-200 km/h) back to Omiya Station.


There is no track connection at Tokyo Station.

Look on Google Maps Satellite-the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks terminate at the far right, and the Joetsu/Tohoku tracks are just to the left. There is no connection. Transferring them at Tokyo Station would involve cranes and be a tricky proposition at best.


----------



## M-NL

One other factor they aren't connected is that JR Central runs on 25 kV 60 Hz and JR East on 25 kV 50 Hz. Also there probably isn't that much through traffic, otherwise this connection would have already been made in the JNR days. Even in the JNR days the rolling stock north and south of Tokyo was already different.


----------



## Coccodrillo

I always found that strange. Usually rail systems of the same gauge are connected, if that's easily feasible like in Tokyo main station. And that even if their rolling stock is incompatible in normal service, like metro networks, where the track link is used to deliver new rolling stock.

If tracks in Tokyo were connected, would it have been possible to deliver the new E7/W7 sets towing them on the Tokaido Shinkansen?

Will the Hokuriku Shinkansen be connected to the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen at the other end?

Then a dumb question: by whom are financed new Shinkansen lines?

Do you know maps of the Japanese railways showing gauges and electrification, similarly to these?


----------



## loefet

Coccodrillo said:


> If tracks in Tokyo were connected, would it have been possible to deliver the new E7/W7 sets towing them on the Tokaido Shinkansen?


Easy, they could even be driven there without a problem, since the new E7/W7 are bi-current for them to work on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line. And I also think that there are some maintenance locomotives that they use on the 
Shinkansen lines that would be able to tow them if the above wasn't feasible. The main problem except for the tracks not being connected at Tokyo would be to get permission from JR Central to transport the trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line.



Coccodrillo said:


> Will the Hokuriku Shinkansen be connected to the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen at the other end?


It depends on how they do the connection from Tsuruga to Osaka, one option is to use the connect the Hokuriku Shinkansen line with the Tokaido Shinkansen line at Maibara and then use those tracks to go into Osaka. 
But this is not an option today since there is no space for more trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. 
We just have to see what happens.

I'll leave the other questions to someone that know the answer for them.


----------



## sacto7654

I'm actually disappointed that the Tokaidō Shinkansen line cannot interchange with the Jōetsu/Tōhoku Shinkansen lines at Tokyo Station. While I'm not asking for through train service, at least it can allow KHI, Hitachi, and Kinki Sharyo to deliver completed full-width Shinkansen trainsets (running at reduced speed or course) on the Tokaidō line to run on the Jōetsu, Tōhoku and Hokuriku lines.

Hopefully, we'll see the first completed E7 trainset being set up at Omiya Station within the next 20-30 days or so.


----------



## quashlo

*Surveying to begin next year for Shinkansen railyard in Tsuruga
敦賀の新幹線車両基地年明け測量　予定地地形、地元で住民向け説明会*
http://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/localnews/super_expless/46542.html

The Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT) will begin surveying work in January 2014 at the planned site of a new Shinkansen railyard as part of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga. The JRTT will hold a workshop for local residents on the evening of 2013.10.25 to explain the details of the project.

Surveying will take place along approx. 1.8 km of the JR Hokuriku Line, covering a width of 40 to 130 m along the alignment in Tsuruga City, between Wakaizumichō (若泉町) and Sakanoshita (坂下). The JRTT will negotiate with property owners by December to perform the work from January through March, which involves measuring ground elevations in preparation for discussions with JR West to develop a conceptual design for the railyard and perform the necessary land acquisition and detailed design tasks. The JRTT hopes to break ground on the railyard in three years.

===

A recent “railwalk” event on the completed Shinkansen viaduct at Kanazawa Station:


----------



## quashlo

*Digitalization of Tōkaidō Shinkansen track circuits to be completed in November
東海道新幹線の軌道回路デジタル化、11月末に完成…着手から14年*
http://response.jp/article/2013/10/26/209409.html

Press relase:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001320.html

Work on digitalization of track circuit systems on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen will soon be complete, 14 years after JR Central first began work on the project. The railway announced on 2013.10.24 that it expects to complete the work in late November.

Track circuits detect the presence of trains on track blocks through transmission of signal currents in the rails. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen uses track circuits to allow trains to maintain their running speed while instantaneously switching power sources when transitioning between zones powered by different transformer stations. Digitalization of the track circuit systems eliminates the need for relay connections (moving switches) for the track circuits, reducing instances of mechanical failure. The signal currents can also be placed under continuous surveillance at the central control center, alerting the railway to inspection needs on any track blocks before problems occur.

Work on the project began with upgrading the line’s automatic train control (ATC) system between FY1999 and FY2005. The railway invested ¥40 billion into digitalization of the track circuit systems, allowing for improved ride comfort through smoother braking patterns and greater scheduling flexibility. The tilting systems on the N700 series and cruise control systems on the new N700-1000 (N700A) series also make use of the line’s digital ATC.

Starting in May 2011, the railway began work on converting the track circuits controlling power switches to digital technology, There are a total of 80 track circuits controlling power switches along the line, but 66 of these were already shared with the digital ATC system, so the railway has been investing about ¥1 billion on the 14 remaining locations controlling only power switches.


----------



## quashlo

*Yamagata Prefecture restarts lobbying efforts for Ōu, Uetsu Shinkansen
フル規格新幹線へ再始動　山形県、県民運動に着手*
http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2013/10/20131028t51028.htm

Efforts in Yamagata Prefecture to realize the planned Ōu and Uetsu Shinkansen, full-standard Shinkansen lines between Fukushima and Akita (270 km) and between Toyama and Aomori (560 km) have restarted, 40 years after their inclusion in the 1973 Shinkansen master plan. There has been no real progress since the lines were first proposed, but the importance of a transport corridor along the Sea of Japan coast is getting some new thought following the Great East Japan Earthquake. With efforts to speed up the Tōhoku Shinkansen currently underway, Yamagata is concerned that it will be relegated to obscurity due to its remote location. Lobbying efforts by the Prefectural Government were suspended in 2005, but were restarted last year.

The Fukushima – Yamagata section of the planned line opened in 1992 with “mini” Shinkansen technology, but the suspension of Tōhoku Shinkansen services for a month and a half following the 2011 earthquake has confirmed, at least for supporters, the need for an alternative transport corridor along the Sea of Japan coast. The seven lines approved before adoption of the 1973 master plan—Tōkaidō, San’yō, Tōhoku, Jōetsu, Hokkaidō, Hokuriku, and Kyūshū—have already been completed or are under construction. The 1973 plan later added more lines, including the Ōu, Uetsu, Cross-Chugoku, Shikoku, and East Kyūshū routes. With work set to begin in FY2014 on the Chūō Shinkansen in preparation for a 2027 opening, the Prefectural Government believes the time is right to restart grassroots efforts for the Ōu and Uetsu Shinkansen.

In particular, the Prefectural Government is concerned that travel times to Yamagata are not competitive, with the fastest services between Yamagata and Shinjō (approx. 421 km) taking 3h 11m, longer than the 2h 59m fastest time for the 714 km between Tōkyō and Shin-Aomori. Introduction of the E6 onto the Akita Shinkansen, JR East’s other “mini” Shinkansen, has also reduced travel times between Tōkyō and Akita (approx. 663 km) to 3h 45 m.

===

I’m extremely doubtful we’ll ever see these built… Putting some new E6s on the Yamagata Shinkansen seems like a much more realistic improvement.

Yamagata Shinkansen clips:


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## quashlo

*Snow fences on Akita Shinkansen to be completed in December
秋田新幹線脱線:事故受け、防雪柵を設置*
http://mainichi.jp/area/akita/news/20131023ddlk05040006000c.html

Following a minor derailment in March of this year, JR East’s Akita office has been installing snow fences (防雪柵) on approx. 2.4 km of the JR Ōu Line near the site of the accident, between Jingūji (神宮寺) and Kariwano (刈和野) and between Kariwano and Mineyoshikawa (峰吉川). The railway expects to complete the work, estimated to cost around ¥1 billion to ¥2 billion, by December.

The fences are coated steel, measuring 4 m high, placed upwind to prevent snow from blowing onto the tracks. Final reports regarding the March derailment are being prepared by both the Transport Safety Commission (運輸安全委員会) and JR East, and are expected to be published by year’s end.










===

E3 and E6 in the snow on the Akita Shinkansen:


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## sacto7654

I think there is a chance that there will be consideration for a new Shinkansen line, initially north from Niigata to Akita, then eventually to Shin-Aomori. Since it won't require long trains like it does on the Tōhoku line, they could run essentially use improved eight-car versions of the well-tried E2 trainset limited to a top speed to 260 km/h. This line may be the last new Shinkansen line to be approved and built, since they've already started planning to extend the Hokuriku line westward to (likely) terminate at Kyoto, they've started work on the Nagasaki line extension, and it's likely engineering work has begun to extend the Hokkaido line from Shin-Hakodate to Sapporo.


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## Sopomon

^^
Oh there are always crazy proposals though

Who knows, maybe one day we'll see a Tottori Shinkansen (lol)


----------



## k.k.jetcar

*First E7 trainset delivered to JR East depot in Rifu (Miyagi Pref.)*


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## k.k.jetcar

Sopomon said:


> ^^
> Oh there are always crazy proposals though
> 
> Who knows, maybe one day we'll see a Tottori Shinkansen (lol)


As a taxpayer, I certainly hope not.


----------



## chornedsnorkack

k.k.jetcar said:


> As a taxpayer, I certainly hope not.


While I am not sure how the master plan groups or names the routes, I see the following routes on the master plan (excluding the ones firmly planned):

Osaka-Matsue-Shimonoseki
Okayama-Matsue
Hakata-Oita-Kagoshima
Kumamoto-Oita
Okayama-Takamatsu-Oita
Takamatsu-Kochi
Takamatsu-Naruto-Akashi
Toyama-Niigata-Akita-Aomori
Fukushima-Yamagata-Akita (full Shinkansen)
Oshamanbe-Muroran-Sapporo
Sapporo-Asahikawa
Which of these 11 would you, as a taxpayer, be most willing to put up with?


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## Sopomon

8 and 9 are the most likely to generate benefits in my opinion.
Maybe 2 as well


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## sacto7654

#8--Niigata to Shin-Aomori via Yamagata, Shinjo and Akita--may likely be the very last Shinkansen line approved and built in Japan.


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## SamuraiBlue

Osaka-Matsue-Shimonoseki route may get a Maglev extension in the future when Chuo Shinkansen reaches Osaka to develop an alternative route for the Sanyo Shinkansen and provide a direct route from Tokyo to Hakata within 2~3 hours which will become direct competition with air travel.


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## quashlo

A series of news reports from the Toyama area following the delivery of the first E7 series to JR East’s main Shinkansen facility in Rifu (Sendai). The front looks a bit like the 500 series.

KNB






FNN






Tulip TV






BBT


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## quashlo

N700A unit F1 on the traverser at JR West’s Shinkansen facility in Hakata. This is the first N700A unit for JR West.


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## Silver Swordsman

On the topic of punctuality (as the Shinkansen probably holds the world record in this), do HSR train drivers overspeed at times to make up for lost time? And if they do, how much of a margin do they have?


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## quashlo

*Turkey hopes to entice Japanese involvement in HSR plans
トルコ運輸相、高速鉄道整備で日本の参加促す*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASGM2902A_Z21C13A0FF1000/

In an interview with the _Nikkei Shimbun_, Turkish Minister of Transport Binali Yıldırım said he hopes to attract Japanese participation in the country’s high-speed rail plans. Turkey is currently constructing high-speed lines between Ankara and Instanbul and between Ankara and İzmir in western Turkey. A line between Ankara and Konya in central Turkey is already in service, and the eventual vision is to connect Turkey’s 15 largest cities, housing about half of the country’s population, with a high-speed network.

===

Marmaray Tunnel opening:






Taisei Corporation CM on the project:


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## M-NL

Silver Swordsman said:


> On the topic of punctuality (as the Shinkansen probably holds the world record in this), do HSR train drivers overspeed at times to make up for lost time?


No, they can't because the ATC would not allow them. The timetable is probably calculated for a slightly slower speed then they actually run (say 295 km/h instead of the 300 kmh/h allowed) to create a small buffer. However, knowing the Japanese they are trying to find a way to even reduce those bufers.


----------



## FM 2258

quashlo said:


> *Yamagata Prefecture restarts lobbying efforts for Ōu, Uetsu Shinkansen
> フル規格新幹線へ再始動　山形県、県民運動に着手*
> http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2013/10/20131028t51028.htm
> 
> Efforts in Yamagata Prefecture to realize the planned Ōu and Uetsu Shinkansen, full-standard Shinkansen lines between Fukushima and Akita (270 km) and between Toyama and Aomori (560 km) have restarted, 40 years after their inclusion in the 1973 Shinkansen master plan. There has been no real progress since the lines were first proposed, but the importance of a transport corridor along the Sea of Japan coast is getting some new thought following the Great East Japan Earthquake. With efforts to speed up the Tōhoku Shinkansen currently underway, Yamagata is concerned that it will be relegated to obscurity due to its remote location. Lobbying efforts by the Prefectural Government were suspended in 2005, but were restarted last year.
> 
> The Fukushima – Yamagata section of the planned line opened in 1992 with “mini” Shinkansen technology, but the suspension of Tōhoku Shinkansen services for a month and a half following the 2011 earthquake has confirmed, at least for supporters, the need for an alternative transport corridor along the Sea of Japan coast. The seven lines approved before adoption of the 1973 master plan—Tōkaidō, San’yō, Tōhoku, Jōetsu, Hokkaidō, Hokuriku, and Kyūshū—have already been completed or are under construction. The 1973 plan later added more lines, including the Ōu, Uetsu, Cross-Chugoku, Shikoku, and East Kyūshū routes. With work set to begin in FY2014 on the Chūō Shinkansen in preparation for a 2027 opening, the Prefectural Government believes the time is right to restart grassroots efforts for the Ōu and Uetsu Shinkansen.
> 
> In particular, the Prefectural Government is concerned that travel times to Yamagata are not competitive, with the fastest services between Yamagata and Shinjō (approx. 421 km) taking 3h 11m, longer than the 2h 59m fastest time for the 714 km between Tōkyō and Shin-Aomori. Introduction of the E6 onto the Akita Shinkansen, JR East’s other “mini” Shinkansen, has also reduced travel times between Tōkyō and Akita (approx. 663 km) to 3h 45 m.
> 
> ===
> 
> I’m extremely doubtful we’ll ever see these built… Putting some new E6s on the Yamagata Shinkansen seems like a much more realistic improvement.
> 
> Yamagata Shinkansen clips:


Is this a high speed train with a road crossing? I thought Shinkansen were all grade separated.


----------



## Sopomon

^^
Mini Shinkansen, where normal lines have been converted to standard gauge and the trains are limited to 130 km/hr. They run at 300ish up to Morioka and then split off onto the normal lines


----------



## quashlo

E6:
Source: kimuchi583, on Flickr


----------



## quashlo




----------



## hightower1

quashlo said:


> A news feature on the N700A:


 
I must be spending too much time on the net, cause i seem to find this still picture rather mirth inducing...is that a train in your pocket...


----------



## quashlo

Issue No. 44 (Summer 2013) of the _JR East Technical Review_ has an interesting article on the ongoing research into wayside noise mitigation (地上側環境対策) as part of the future speed upgrade of the Tōhoku Shinkansen from the current 320 km/h to 360 km/h:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/development/tech/pdf_44/Tech-44-73-76.pdf

As stated before, 360 km/h is the long-term goal for the line, which will make rail more competitive on the longer-distance markets captured with the Hokkaidō Shinkansen. Development of the Fastech prototype unit was part of the initial research efforts, the fruits of which have already been incorporated into the E5 series, the new workhorse of the Tōhoku Shinkansen. However, they determined that an initial phased speed-up to 300 km/h and then 320 km/h was best, so they have yet to accomplish their full vision to operate revenue trains at 360 km/h. 

This article describes some of their research programs to achieve that goal. They haven’t released the English-language version of this issue, but here’s a few key points translated / summarized.



> 研究開発センターでは、「グループ経営構想Ⅴ～限りなき前進～」にも掲げられている新幹線の360㎞/hでの営業運転の実現に向けた研究開発を行っている。現在は東北新幹線において、時速320㎞/h運転区間のさらなる拡大に向けた課題の抽出と対策案の検討を行っている。
> 
> 新幹線高速化に伴う環境対策としては、車両設備と地上設備の2点があげられるが、本稿では、地上設備の対策であるトンネル微気圧波と沿線騒音についての研究開発概要を報告する。





> At the (JR East) Research and Development Center, we are carrying out R&D efforts towards realizing Shinkansen revenue operations at 360 km/h, one of the goals in our _Group Business Vision V: Unlimited Progress_. Currently, we are identifying potential issues with expanding the amount of 320 km/h rated track on the Tōhoku Shinkansen, as well as investigating potential countermeasures.
> 
> With regards to environmental mitigation measures as part of a speed-up of the Shinkansen, there are two general strategies—rolling stock provisions and wayside provisions—but this document will summarize our R&D efforts on wayside mitigation measures—namely, tunnel micropressure waves and trackside noise.


With regards to tunnel micropressure waves (トンネル微気圧波), JR East is focusing on three countermeasures:

Preventing the creation of large pressure gradients (wave creation mitigation)
Not increasing the pressure gradient inside the tunnels (wave propagation mitigation)
Minimizing the energy released at the tunnel exit (wave emission mitigation)
*Wave creation mitigation (突入対策)*
For wave creation mitigation, JR East is focusing on installation of noise hoods with ducts at tunnel entrances (ダクト付きトンネル緩衝工), which smooth the initial pressure wave created when a Shinkansen train enters the tunnel at high speed. While extension of existing non-ducted noise hoods is one potential strategy to mitigate noise impacts with a speed increase to 360 km/h, the hoods become less effective at reducing the micropressure waves after reaching a certain length. There are also cost-related issues, as extension of the noise hoods requires relocation of existing wayside equipment, and can only be completed at night, when trains are not in service. To solve this, JR East modified the design of existing noise hoods to incorporate ducts, and after testing with laboratory scale models concluded that the design was effective at hood lengths of up to 40 m, successfully modified tunnel portals at 7 locations on the Ōmiya – Morioka section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen. The next goal is to implement the design on noise hoods longer than 40 m, starting first with laboratory model tests and eventually moving to field tests on actual tunnels.

*Wave propagation mitigation (伝播対策)*
For locations such as viaducts where localized conditions make it difficult to fully mitigate the noise at just the tunnel portals, wave propagation mitigation, which reduces the pressure gradient inside the tunnel and minimizes the micropressure waves, can be a complementary strategy. Installation of acoustic tubes (音響管) inside the tunnel, with openings facing approaching trains, are effective at reducing the pressure gradient by forcing the pressure wave to split into two and altering how the wave propagates through the tunnel over time. In order to be effective, however, the tubes must be sufficiently long, and while their effectiveness at reducing micropressure waves increases the greater the cross-sectional area of the tube or the greater the total distance of the tube installation, architectural / structural limitations and maintenance issues need to be fully investigated and resolved before the system can be implemented in real-world applications.

As an alternative solution for wave propagation mitigation, JR East is considering use of track ballast (バラスト散布) on slab track (スラブ軌道) sections. Unlike ballast track, slab track produces a steeper pressure gradient. While the pressure gradient later declines after about 8 km of tunnel, many of JR East’s Shinkansen tunnels are in the 3 km to 4 km range, resulting in large micropressure waves at the tunnel exit. Meanwhile, tests by the Railway Technical Research Institute (鉄道総研) have confirmed that ballast track tunnels are more effective at reducing tunnel micropressure waves, smoothing out the wavefront and reducing the wavefront pressure gradient. Between FY2013 and FY2014, JR East will conduct field tests, placing netted ballast bags in various parts of the slab track on 3,330 m of tunnel on the line, including inside the slab sections between the rails (枠型スラブ内), adjacent to the tunnel walls (トンネル側壁部下部), and near the center emergency passage (中央通路段差部).

*Wave emission mitigation (放射対策)*
The strength of the micropressure wave at the tunnel exit decreases the smaller the tunnel diameter. To mitigate wave emission at the tunnel exit, the RTRI has, therefore, proposed a new design of noise hood that incorporates an inner partition (内壁付きトンネル緩衝工). The inner partition minimizes the diameter of the tunnel exit while also forcing the micropressure wave to split into two, similar to acoustic tubes inside the tunnel. JR East is now investigating how to incorporate this design into existing tunnel noise hoods, as well as evaluating the cost effectiveness of the measure.

*Other mitigation*
Additional noise mitigation strategies are used on open sections of track to meet the Shinkansen noise thresholds of 70 dB for residential areas and 75 dB for other areas. The E5 series Shinkansen, the new flagship series of the Tōhoku Shinkansen, combats the increased noise impacts of 320 km/h running by incorporating highly-effective noise mitigation design elements that keep noise levels below the E2 series, even when running at higher speeds. However, a further increase to 360 km/h will require lineside mitigation (沿線騒音対策) at some locations in order to meet the noise thresholds, using construction methods that are cheaper than current methods.

The simplest noise mitigation measure is increasing the height of sound walls (防音壁嵩上げ) along the Shinkansen viaduct by installing concrete or transparent polycarbonate panels to the top of the existing sound wall. A 1 m increase in sound wall height was observed to reduce the noise level measured 25 m from track center and 1.2 m from ground level by 2 dB. Additional increases in sound wall height, however, are limited due to the ability of the viaduct to support the added weight, as well as interference with electrical systems. As a result, the focus is on increasing the effectiveness of sound wall mitigation while keeping the sound wall height increase to a minimum.

In particular, JR East worked with equipment manufacturers to develop special noise mitigation devices (騒音低減装置) that eliminate the need for land acquisition outside of the width of the Shinkansen viaduct. Called NIDES, the devices employ principles of sound diffraction and interference (多重回折・干渉) and improve upon previous designs, which required an additional 800 mm of space outside the exterior width of the viaduct. The new devices are contained entirely within the right-of-way and are capable of reducing the measured noise level by 2 dB independently, or 5 dB when used in tandem with a 1 m increase in sound wall height. The devices have been successfully used on 1.3 km of reinforced concrete sound wall, but have yet to be tested on “reverse-L” (逆L型構造) sound walls or H-column + panel steel-reinforced concrete sound walls. JR East will work on investigating how NIDES can be applied to these other sound wall designs, including the installation method, constructability, resilience, and cost.

Research by the RTRI also indicated that a Y-shaped sound wall (Y型防音壁) was the ideal sound wall design for reducing Shinkansen-generated noise. This design has already proven very successful in various shapes and styles for reducing traffic noise on roadways. Unlike roads, the Shinkansen has multiple sources of noise including the bogies (台車) and pantographs (パンタグラフ), but laboratory model tests indicated that this sound wall design has high potential to reduce Shinkansen noise. Although the design does extend beyond the current width of Shinkansen viaducts, requiring land acquisition and negotiations, it is an effective solution for locations where the ROW has already been secured, including cut or fill sections (盛土・切土区間) or areas near tunnel portals. JR East is currently investigating the ideal diameter and angle, separation distance from track, and height. While this is a cheaper solution than NIDES, additional research is needed regarding potential impacts from snowfall.

A separate solution involves an additional short (1.5 m) sound wall installed immediately adjacent to the rails (レール近接位置低防音壁), preventing the propagation of noise generated by Shinkansen bogies. This design has already proven successful on low-speed private-railway _zairaisen_ tracks, and while scale models indicate that it is effective in reducing noise, additional research is needed with regards to effectiveness against wind pressure, as well as the impacts to snow accumulation capacity (貯雪容量) and to regular track maintenance (the sound walls obstruct visual inspection of the rails).


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> A separate solution involves an additional short (1.5 m) sound wall installed immediately adjacent to the rails (レール近接位置低防音壁), preventing the propagation of noise generated by Shinkansen bogies. This design has already proven successful on low-speed private-railway zairaisen tracks


I've seen these installations on Tokyu Railway tracks, namely the quad track sections of the Den'en Toshi/Oimachi Line, and I believe the Toyoko Line. Tokyu has some interesting and innovative setups in their recent construction and line upgrades.


----------



## sacto7654

Folks, if you still want to ride the E3 trainset on the Akita Shinkansen, do it soon. It appears JR East are rapidly retiring the original E3 trainsets built in the late 1990's, and they could be gone by the beginning of Fiscal 2014 (March 2014). Of course, the E3's built for the Yamagata Shinkansen may operate until at least 2022, since the E3's on the Yamagata Shinkansen only run at full speed between Omiya and Fukushima Stations.


----------



## quashlo

Speaking of E3s:


----------



## quashlo

JR West and JR East have announced that they will unveil the new E7 / W7 series to the press on 2013.11.28. The first E7 set is currently undergoing inspections and running tests at JR East’s Shinkansen facility in Rifu.

News report. This video also has some clips of the construction work at Kurobe – Unazuki Onsen Station, which is now 85% complete. They’ve already completed most of the necessary work to permit testing with JR East’s _East-i_ unit in December.


----------



## sacto7654

quashlo said:


> Speaking of E3s:


Those are the oldest E3's being scrapped, all built in the late 1990's for the opening of the Akita Shinkansen service. They were built at the same time as E2 trainsets fitted with special couplers so the E2/E3 trainsets could run together at 275 km/h. I believe 19 of the 26 trainsets from that batch are being scrapped, but the last production models from that batch may stay around for a while, maybe even transferred to Yamagata Shinkansen service, in my opinion.


----------



## quashlo

The first E7 unit entering the inspection facility inside at Rifu (2013.11.17):


----------



## Silver Swordsman

quashlo said:


> <Snip>


Confirmation that yes, train porn exists.


----------



## quashlo

*Boring work completed for Nagasaki Shinkansen’s Enogushi Tunnel
江ノ串トンネル　１３０人が貫通祝う　新幹線西九州ルート*
http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/nagasaki/article/52018

Boring of the 1,351 m Enogushi Tunnel (江ノ串トンネル) on the Kyūshū Shinkansen’s West Kyūshū (Nagasaki) route scheduled to open in FY2022 has been completed, and a commemorative ceremony was held on 2013.11.12.

The tunnel is located between the future Shin-Ōmura (新大村) and Ureshino Onsen (嬉野温泉) Stations on the Shinkansen, at a location straddling Ōmura (大村) City and Higashi-Sonogi (東彼杵) Town. Work on constructing the tunnel began in July 2011, and this is the sixth Shinkansen tunnel to be completed in Nagasaki Prefecture. It’s also the second of 8 Shinkansen tunnels to be completed in Ōmura City.

===

Pictures:
http://www.city.omura.nagasaki.jp/s...inkansen/oshirase/enogushi/enogusikantuu.html


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## M-NL

One question I've always wondered: How does the ride of a mini-Shinkansen compare with a normal Shinkansen. The width shouldn't be an issue, but the shorter carriages may.


----------



## quashlo

The E7 began its first true running tests in the late hours of 2013.11.21 and into the wee hours of the following morning.

Video at Ichinoseki Station:






There’s also a video here.
http://www.tulip-tv.co.jp/news/detail/?TID_DT03=20131122115058


----------



## quashlo

Elected officials take a tour of the under-construction Kurobe – Unazuki Onsen Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The station will be completed in June 2014.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

M-NL said:


> One question I've always wondered: How does the ride of a mini-Shinkansen compare with a normal Shinkansen. The width shouldn't be an issue, but the shorter carriages may.


There are designed to provide a comfortable ride equivalent to the full-size shinkansen, as they run coupled together. Thus the use of active suspension and dampers connecting each carriage.


----------



## quashlo

E7 unit F1 arrives at Sendai during running tests (2013.11.21):






A separate news report from the Toyama area:






Flatbed delivery of Cars 1 and 2 from Sendai Port to the Shinkansen facility in Rifu, shot in late October:


----------



## sacto7654

Wow, they assembled that trainset pretty fast. Hopefully, after the public presentation on 28 November 2013, we'll see this trainset running in daytime at speed between Sendai and Morioka or Sendai and Fukushima.


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## quashlo

Yeah, it's a bit difficult to appreciate it at night. :lol:
Looking pretty good, though... It's a clear break from the E5 / E6 styling, but nice in its own right.

I'm still a bit curious about what minor differences, if any, there will be between the JR East and JR West sets... Obviously, the primary equipment will be identical, but I can imagine some minor differences in interior finishes, etc.


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## quashlo

*Shizuoka Prefecture to study new Tōkaidō Shinkansen station at Shizuoka Airport
富士山静岡空港に新幹線の新駅検討/11月27日まで参加表明/静岡県*
http://www.kensetsunews.com/?p=22385

Shizuoka Prefecture has begun the RFP process for a study to evaluate construction of a new station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen at Shizuoka Airport, located in Shimada and Makinohara Cities. After the completion of the Chūō Shinkansen, service patterns on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen are expected to undergo dramatic change. The Shinkansen passes directly underneath the airport, but does not serve the airport.

The study will identify the prerequisite conditions for getting the station built, as well as develop ridership projections, evaluate the feasibility of the project, and produce conceptual renderings of the station. The ridership projections will take into account the Prefectural Government’s urban planning efforts for the area surrounding the airport and strategies to expand airport demand. For the feasibility study, the winning team will evaluate two design proposals submitted by the Prefectural Government based on engineering standards, looking at structural design, constructability, estimated cost, and other factors.

The RFP calls for a contract not to exceed ¥5 million, with a proposal deadline of 2014.03.17.


----------



## Black Watch

7000, N700 & 500 series Shinkansen at Shin-Yamaguchi
25th May 2013


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## M-NL

k.k.jetcar said:


> There are designed to provide a comfortable ride equivalent to the full-size shinkansen, as they run coupled together. Thus the use of active suspension and dampers connecting each carriage.


That was exactly the reason for my question: Given the lengths they have gone through, has anybody, for personal experience, noticed any major differences?


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## quashlo

The best quality clips I’ve seen of the E7 trainset, shown here at Sendai. JR East just held the press tour of the trainset, but there’s nothing on YouTube yet, so I’ll refrain from posting anything for now.


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## sacto7654

quashlo, you looking for this?

FNN Report:






JNN Report:






Note the JNN report shows the driver's cab on the train. An interesting aspect of the FNN report shows the full "washing" toilet from TOTO installed in the (I think) the restroom in the Gran Class car....


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## quashlo

^^ No, that is the standard, wheelchair-accessible restroom design for the E7... All of the wheelchair-accessible restrooms in each trainset will look like that, including the washlet functionality. I don't believe Gran Class comes with dedicated restrooms.

Anyways, looks like JR East / JR West have JR Central beat on the washlets... The newest N700A doesn't even have them, just standard airplane toilets, although the additional orders starting from FY2014 will have them.


----------



## quashlo

*JR Central announces new snow measures for Tōkaidō Shinkansen
東海道新幹線、雪の徐行減らす　みぞれは平常運転*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDG27042_X21C13A1CR8000/

On 2013.11.27, JR Central announced that it will introduce new devices that will allow the railway to determine the condition of snow on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen. The devices use laser beams to identify whether the precipitation is snow or sleet. In the case of the latter, the railway can continue to run trains at high speed and forego establishing slow zones. As a result, the devices, to be installed at 10 locations between Gifu Hashima and Kyōto and begin operating this winter, will minimize schedule disruptions from weather.

The railway establishes slow zones during snowfall to prevent snow from flying up, attaching to the underbody of Shinkansen cars, and freezing into solid ice. When the ice falls off the underbody, it can push ballast onto the rails, a dangerous situation for high-speed operations.

Sleet, on the other hand, features a high percentage of liquid water and is much less likely to fly up. As a result, the railway can continue high-speed Shinkansen operations during sleet fall. Thus far, train operators have determined the type of precipitation visually, but the new devices will allow for accurate identification of the precipitation.

Unlike the Tōhoku Shinkansen, Jōetsu Shinkansen, and other Shinkansen lines running through heavy-snow areas, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen was not designed to readily deal with snow. Last winter, the railway was forced to implement snow-related speed restrictions on 31 days, resulting in a maximum delay of 34 minutes.

===

Official press release:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001337.html

Snowfall at Maibara:


----------



## M-NL

quashlo said:


> Last winter, the railway was forced to implement snow-related speed restrictions on 31 days, resulting in a maximum delay of 34 minutes.


In a lot of countries the railways come to a near halt when a substantial amount of snow fall. Japan really shows the way on what you can do to reduce the problem.


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## k.k.jetcar

> The railway establishes slow zones during snowfall to prevent snow from flying up, attaching to the underbody of Shinkansen cars, and freezing into solid ice. When the ice falls off the underbody, it can push ballast onto the rails, a dangerous situation for high-speed operations.


Though not high speed lines, here in Hokkaido they put netting over ballast within station limits and approaches to minimize the incidents of flying ballast caused by passing trains possibly hitting waiting passengers.


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## Silver Swordsman

So THAT's why some stations suddenly switch from ballasted to ballastless slab track near stations...


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## quashlo

Illustrating the problem...
Snow flying up underneath an E5:






Sort of begs the question of whether or not JR Central will convert the ballasted track at Sekigahara (basically the single biggest problem location for snow on the entire Tōkaidō Shinkansen) to slab track when they carry out the major infrastructure upgrades for the line in the coming years.


----------



## quashlo

A more comprehensive video report on the E7 press tour two days ago... Has a lot more info, and shows much more of the interior, including shots of the Green Car, which actually looks pretty darn good, even next to the Gran Class.

For the train’s livery, the base color is ivory white, but with a blue swath at top representing the sky and strokes of gold, drawing from the Hokuriku region’s rich history of bronze metalwork and Damascening (象嵌). The train has a total of 853 standard seats (10 cars) in 3+2 configuration, with seats that are 6 cm wider than the E2 series (104 cm vs. 98 cm). Car 11 (Green Car) features 63 seats in 2+2 layout, with now-standard amenities including button-controlled reclining and headrest-embedded reading lights, but I must say they did a bang-up job on the design. Car 12 is the GranClass (18 seats), which you can see looks mostly like the E5 and E6 Gran Class cars, but with some gorgeous decorative paneling (featuring the four seasons) near the doors. The seats include the same amenities as the Green Car seats, plus adjustable headrests, floorlights, and other features. The Gran Class car also features a full-active suspension to maximize ride comfort.


----------



## sacto7654

Thanks for that new TV news story! 

From what I see, the E7/W7 is essentially an E5 but designed for a much slower top speed (260 km/h, versus 300 km/h for the N700A Series and 320 km/h for the E5/E6 series). As such, it doesn't need to have a very pointed nose. 

Speaking of which, I wonder has JR East/JR West thought about running refurbished E2 trainsets on the all-stops _Hakutaka_ service, essentially upgrading E2's to the same specification E2's used on the _Asama_ service?


----------



## quashlo

Well, the E2-0 J-class sets on the Tōhoku Shinkansen are either headed for the scrapper or being shifted onto the Jōetsu Shinkansen as part of the phasing out of the 200 series and E4 series from that line. It's already over 50% complete, as they only have a handful more sets remaining.

I suppose they could shift the other J-class sets (E2-1000 series), which are a few years younger than the E2-0 series sets, but they aren't currently equipped to deal with the Nagano Shinkansen's frequency change from 50 Hz to 60 Hz between Karuizawa and Sakudaira... Only the E2-0 sets are.

This chart shows a good overview of the E2 fleet:
http://blog-imgs-50.fc2.com/v/v/v/vvvf136/201310062033564f9.jpg

Basically, there are 14 N-class E2 sets (designated as part of the E2-0 series), which are the ones used on the Nagano Shinkansen. From the JR West and JR East press releases, we already know that there will be 17 E7 and 10 W7 sets, and I believe the general understanding is that the E7 / W7 will eventually be the sole series on the Nagano / Hokuriku Shinkansen (similar to how the E5 / E6 will be the sole series on the Tōhoku Shinkansen and E2 will be the sole series on the Jōetsu Shinkansen).

Given that it's ~225 km already to Nagano, and the extension to Kanazawa is another 225+ km, we're basically doubling the length of the line, so a fleet of 27 trainsets, each 50% longer (12 cars vs. 8 cars), seems sufficient just based on eyeballing the proportions. This would seem to confirm that these will be the sole sets on the line, although we can probably expect the E2s will be around for at least a few years after the opening of the extension, until there are enough E7 / W7 sets.


----------



## quashlo

Silver Swordsman said:


> I've heard that the Beijing-Shanghai HSR recently surpassed Tokaido in highest daily ridership.


Your source is probably wrong, although feel free to post it, if you have it.

Average daily ridership on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen for FY2012 was 409,000, or 149 million annually.
http://english.jr-central.co.jp/company/ir/annualreport/_pdf/annualreport2013.pdf

This only gives an annual figure of 53.34 million in first year and 74.40 million in second year for Jinghu.
http://news.carnoc.com/list/255/255341.html

Anyways, it doesn't really make sense to compare Beijing ‒ Shanghai (1,300 km) with Tōkyō ‒ Ōsaka (515 km)... The only similarity is that they are anchored by two large cities. The distances (and travel times) are not really comparable.

On a pure distance basis (not saying this is a good way to compare them, either), Tōkyō ‒ Hakata (1,070 km) or Tōkyō ‒ Kagoshima Chūō (1,330 km) are better matches than Tōkyō ‒ Ōsaka, in which case you would need to add in some portion of 65 million annually for the San'yō Shinkansen and the 9.09 million (Hakata – Kumamoto) and 4.99 million (Kumamoto – Kagoshima Chūō) for the Kyūshū Shinkansen.


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## k.k.jetcar

To add to quashlo's point about HSR service distances, most customers (over 90%, IIRC) who need to get from Tokyo to Hakata _fly_*. I reckon even fewer "rail it" from Tokyo to Southern Kyushu. Those distances are past the HSR travel time "sweet spot".

*Flying in Japan is still relatively pleasant if pricey, without the invasive security theater of the U.S. and the horrendous delays of Chinese air carriers.


----------



## M-NL

00Zy99 said:


> Are there any E2/E2 formations? What about E5/E5?
> 
> Are there plans (longer term) for putting E5s on the Joetsu line? Will they ever use the Hokoriku? Will E7/W7 ever run on the Joetsu (I figure that their slower speeds will keep them off of the Tohoku)?


I've never seen an E2/E2 combo, but it might be possible to couple 2 8-car E2 sets. As the coupler used seems pretty universal to me I suppose all types could couple with each other. However, most E2/E2 combinations and a E5/E5 combo would be 20 cars and not fit into the existing stations.

E5 can't run on the Hokuriku for 2 reasons: First, it's geared for speed, not for the steep slopes of the Hokuriku line (yes, the weird conclusion is that an E5 would be to slow for the Hokuriku, while an E7 would be to slow for the Joetsu) and second, the E5 is 25 kV 50 Hz only, with part of the Hokuriku having 25 kV 60 Hz.


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## quashlo

E2 series Unit J5 begins testing on the Hokuriku Shinkansen (2013.12.06). This is the first time a trainset used in regular revenue service traversed portions of the line, just a few days after testing with the _East-i_.


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## quashlo

*Japanese airlines facing threat from below*
http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Trends/Japanese-airlines-facing-threat-from-below



> TOKYO (Nikkei) -- For major Japanese carriers vying for international routes, solidifying operations on the homefront is crucial. Yet they face an increasingly formidable competitor in ever-evolving shinkansen bullet trains.
> 
> Tadao Nishio, a Japan Airlines executive officer in charge of domestic route marketing, was taken aback by how comfortable his ride had been on a recent bullet train trip. The train did not seem to shake sideways like it used to. "This is a problem," Nishio said with a sense of dread. Smooth shinkansen trips mean fewer passengers for JAL. Nozomi services between Osaka and Tokyo have increased following the expansion of Shin-Oasaka Station in March. With the switch to more comfortable trains, the threat to airlines is growing.
> 
> The Ministry of Transportation formed a committee on Nov. 1 to discuss increasing the number of landing and departure slots at greater Tokyo airports. "Nothing will be considered a sacred cow in our discussions," says Hitoshi Ieda, a University of Tokyo professor who chairs the panel. One of the items on the committee's packed agenda is converting some landing slots at Haneda from domestic to international routes, a proposal that seeks to accommodate more international flights without a costly expansion. With shinkansen networks extending their reach to most regions of Japan, including Kyushu, Hokuriku and Hokkaido, critics contend that Haneda is serving more domestic flights than necessary.
> 
> 3-hour barrier
> 
> Japanese carriers have steadily lost ground to shinkansen in recent years. In 2003, a shinkansen stop opened in Tokyo's Shinagawa, and Nozomi service increased sharply. Six out of 10 travelers on the Tokyo-Hiroshima line used to fly the route, but now the ratio has reversed in favor of the bullet train. One theory is that travelers choose shinkansen if the trip takes less than three hours. This past March, Tohoku Shinkansen revved up its speed, reducing the travel time between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori to just under three hours -- two hours and 59 minutes at the shortest.
> 
> Meanwhile, JAL was forced to use smaller aircraft on Haneda-Aomori flights starting in October. Its revenue from domestic routes in fiscal 2012 came to just around 70% of the peak in fiscal 2006, or about 200 billion yen ($1.97 billion) lower. The drop was blamed on service cuts following the carrier's bankruptcy, as well as shinkansen siphoning away customers.


===

Thanks to *ukiyo* for this find... There's a lot of gloom-and-doom articles about the future fortunes of the Shinkansen against the LCC boom, so this one offers a bit more perspective from the other side.


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## sacto7654

k.k.jetcar said:


> To add to quashlo's point about HSR service distances, most customers (over 90%, IIRC) who need to get from Tokyo to Hakata _fly_*. I reckon even fewer "rail it" from Tokyo to Southern Kyushu. Those distances are past the HSR travel time "sweet spot".


That's because a one-way trip on _Nozomi_ from Tokyo to Hakata is around five hours, and (for Japan Rail Pass holders) a combined trip on _Hikari_ from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka and _Sakura_ from Shin-Osaka to Hakata is nearly seven hours! Lot faster to take a plane from Haneda to Fukuoka airports. 



quashlo said:


> Thanks to *ukiyo* for this find... There's a lot of gloom-and-doom articles about the future fortunes of the Shinkansen against the LCC boom, so this one offers a bit more perspective from the other side.


Yet Shinkansen continue to do well because you don't need to deal with the hassle taking transportation to an from the airport, since most Shinkansen stations are close to the city center. And thanks to improved technology, today's N700, 800, E2, E3, E5 and E6 trainsets have vastly smoother rides than the old 0 and 200 Series trainsets that dominated the Shinkansen lines for a number of decades.


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## quashlo

*Shin-Ōsaka Station upgrades to be completed in January
JR東海、新大阪駅の大規模改良工事が完了へ…災害時のダイヤ回復能力を強化*

On 2013.12.04, JR Central announced that it will find the major upgrades to Shin-Ōsaka Station (Yodagawa Ward, Ōsaka City) on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in January 2014. The station originally featured 4 platforms (3 island, 1 side) and 7 tracks, plus 2 sidings at the Shin-Kōbe end, but JR Central broke ground on a major upgrade of the station in 2007 designed to improve the railway’s ability to recover from service disruptions and facilitate expansion of the schedule with additional trains. The project involved adding an additional track and side platform on the north side of the station, and creating an additional two layover tracks at the west side of the station.

The upgrades used portions of land owned by Hankyū Corporation on the north side of the Shinkansen viaduct, originally secured as part of Hankyū’s proposed Shin-Ōsaka Connector from Jūsō (十三) to Awaji (淡路) via Shin-Ōsaka and from Shin-Ōsaka to Kanzakigawa (神崎川). Hankyū’s plans, with the exception of the Jūsō – Shin-Ōsaka section, were shelved in 2003, freeing up the land to be used by JR Central instead.

The new Platform 27 and No. 3 and No. 4 sidings at the station opened earlier this year on 2013.03.16, but the upgrades to the existing No. 1 and No. 2 sidings will be completed on 2014.01.26, returning to full use after testing.

Before:









After:









===

Official press release:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001341.html

The new Platform 27 that opened earlier this year:


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## quashlo

Don’t know how I missed this, but Japan California High Speed Rail Consortium produced some simple promo videos (in English, to boot). God-awful cheesy (they should have just gotten a professional reporter who can actually speak English to do it), and there are some glaring spelling / pronunciation mistakes, but it does include some interesting behind-the-scenes footage. :lol:

Manufacture of E5 + E6 at KHI Hyōgo:






Maintenance of E6 at Akita:






Boarding at Morioka, in-train amenities, and in-cab footage:


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## Silver Swordsman

My eyes are happy, but my ears hurt.


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## k.k.jetcar

> Japan California High Speed Rail Consortium produced some simple promo videos


Then again, why should they spend money for high production values on a project that is pretty much doomed?


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## Silly_Walks

Silver Swordsman said:


> My eyes are happy, but my ears hurt.


You just convinced me to watch the video... muted :lol:


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## castermaild55

as for Hokuriku shinkansen , Can we see Sankyo village(散居村） from window in Tonami plain?

https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=散...KVlQXJpoHoDw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=642


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## quashlo

Hm, not sure if the Shinkansen will be up high enough to really see it that well.
新幹線の高架橋は普通そんな高くないのであんまり見えないかも。


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## quashlo

*JR Central finalizes platform door program for Kyōto Station
JR東海、東海道新幹線京都駅にホームドア設置 - 2015年2月から順次使用開始*
http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2013/12/06/235/

On 2013.12.04, JR Central announced that it had finalized the implementation program to install platform doors at Kyōto Station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen. The program will encompass all four tracks (two island platforms) at the station, with the first installation beginning operations in February 2015 on Platform 12. Platforms 11, 13, and 14 will follow in that order, with the construction scheduled for completion in March 2016. The total cost is approx. ¥1.5 billion.

Platform doors are currently in operation on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen only at selected stations, and only at selected platforms( Platforms 14-16 at Tōkyō, Platforms 21 and 24 at Shinagawa, Platforms 2 and 3 at Yokohama, Platforms 6 and 7 at Atami, and Platform 27 at Shin-Ōsaka). Work is currently underway on installing doors for Platforms 17-19 at Tōkyō Station and Platforms 14-17 at Nagoya Station, with the former scheduled for completion before March 2015 and the latter before March 2017.

Platform doors on Platform 27 at Shin-Ōsaka:









===

Official press release:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001340.html＝


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## quashlo

First daytime E7 testing between Sendai and Kitakami, shot at Furukawa on 2013.12.09. According to the video info, the speed of the first train should be about 270 km/h, and they were doing testing of the acceleration and braking performance at Furukawa and Kurikoma Kōgen. Only a few months before we see them in service on the Nagano Shinkansen.


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## quashlo

Some recent news reports:

The first E2 tests on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. According to a Mainichi Shimbun report, these specific tests were designed to confirm the functionality of the ATC systems, as well as stability and safety of high-speed running. Max speed in the tests was only 110 km/h, average was 60-70 km/h. Trains will begin testing at 260 km/h in early March.






Tourism efforts in Iiyama (Nagano Prefecture):


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## dimlys1994

quashlo said:


> Platform doors on Platform 27 at Shin-Ōsaka:


A very beautiful screen doors, especially for railway station. I wonder how much in dollars did Japan spend on installation PSC?


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## quashlo

Well, the cost for the Kyōto Station installation is ¥1.5 billion divided across 4 platforms, so about ¥375 million per platform, which sounds about right... Obviously, a Shinkansen platform is 400 m long, so it would be slightly cheaper for an urban transit / metro station.

The cost can be highly variable, though, and ultimately depends on a lot of other factors, probably the biggest being whether the platforms need to be structurally reinforced or rebuilt to support the added weight of the doors. At least in Japan's case, many of the platform doors outside of the Shinkansen stations are being installed are on legacy lines, with stations that were never designed with platform doors in mind, so they have to do a lot of work on the platform before they can even begin erecting the system.

Another factor is whether or not to introduce some form of ATO to help the train operator... Most legacy lines aren't ATO and require a human operator to be present to control braking of the train, which becomes particularly important given the precision and accuracy needed to stop the train at the correct position on the platform.


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## dimlys1994

^^How tough, isn't it? Japan is perhaps the only railway in the world, which have PSDs on most stations in the populated cities.


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## riles28

While Hokuriko shinkansen taking shape ahead, any update for the Hokkaido shinkansen line what are the latest development on that.


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## quashlo

riles28 said:


> Why the E7 call also as W7 ? They have a plan to connect the Hokuriko line to Tokaido line to allow E7 run in tokaido line?


The Hokuriku Shinkansen will be operated jointly by JR East (green) and JR West (blue):









http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...en_map.png/1024px-Hokuriku_Shinkansen_map.png

The E7 and W7 are basically the same, just that the E7s will be owned by JR East and the W7s owned by JR West.



riles28 said:


> In my own obsevation the E7 is upgraded model of 500 series


In terms of paint scheme, there is definitely a similarity. In terms of specs, the E7 / W7 is actually based on the E2.


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## quashlo

Pics of the E7 at Tōkyō Station:
http://denshawotorou.blog73.fc2.com/blog-entry-1061.html










Stopped on Track 20, as railway staff scramble to confirm the door positions in the few minutes of dwell time available.










Even the cleaning staff, renowned for their punctuality and efficiency in turning around trains at the station, are curious about this new guest… :lol: I imagine they must get their own training and practice time on how to clean each specific train series at the yard, so it shouldn’t be long before they get to see the inside for themselves.










Some of the markings made by staff. The variety in rolling stock designs means that the doors don’t necessarily line up, although in this case, Car 11 on the E7 lines up with this platform marker for Car 11 on the E4 double-decker sets.










The full-color LED destination signs were set to “試運転 Test Run”










At 21:00, Unit F1 leaves for Nagano…


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## riles28

What will happen to the 681 limited express train run from osaka to hokuriko when the hokuriko shinkansen open the west japan railways will reduce it or revise the time table or some revision on the route? and i noticed the 681 is famous among passenger came from osaka to hokuriko it's just like shinkansen when its run.


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## k.k.jetcar

riles28 said:


> What will happen to the 681 limited express train run from osaka to hokuriko when the hokuriko shinkansen open the west japan railways will reduce it or revise the time table or some revision on the route? and i noticed the 681 is famous among passenger came from osaka to hokuriko it's just like shinkansen when its run.


The services such as Super Raicho will be cut back in distance, terminating at the shinkansen railhead at that moment in time. They will be timed to connect with the shinkansen.


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## k.k.jetcar

Some test runs at speed on the Tohoku Shinkansen, locations Furukawa, Ichinoseki, and environs.


----------



## Sopomon

It has a real scream to it as it runs, what causes that?
New wheels? New engine type?


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## quashlo

Not exactly sure where you're referring to... Is there a specific timepoint in the video?

There was perhaps some "resonance" or humming in the first two passes, but I imagine noise can be a tricky thing to try and determine from a YouTube video, since a lot of what you hear just depends on the settings and equipment used, not to mention all the post-processing. Ignoring those, then it could perhaps just be new wheels not fully adjusted to the rail profile. I think those particular sections of the Tōhoku Shinkansen are also fairly old, and probably generate substantially more noise and vibration than ballast track or more modern slab track designs.

Just at face (ear?) value, there appears to be only minor differences between E5 and E7 in this video, shot at a fair distance from the track... The E5 seems a bit more muffled perhaps.


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## Sopomon

It sounds most like it's the engines - it surprised me as the E5 didn't catch my attention as much in that way


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## sacto7654

riles28 said:


> What will happen to the 681 limited express train run from osaka to hokuriko when the hokuriko shinkansen open the west japan railways will reduce it or revise the time table or some revision on the route? and i noticed the 681 is famous among passenger came from osaka to hokuriko it's just like shinkansen when its run.


The _Thunderbird_ and _Shirasagi_ trains that used to terminate at Toyama will now terminate at Kanazawa instead starting March 2015.


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## Silver Swordsman

The E7 motors sound distinctly different from those by previous models. Is there any published technical specs on the E7 propulsion systems?


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## k.k.jetcar

Silver Swordsman said:


> The E7 motors sound distinctly different from those by previous models. Is there any published technical specs on the E7 propulsion systems?


No, it's still too early. Perhaps the railway magazines this month (sell date Dec. 21) will have some details. All we know is that the motors are built to handle the grades on the Usui Pass area between Takasaki and Karuizawa. Recent JR East shinkansen models (the E5 and likely the E6), have used Hitachi IGBT motors- these of course are tuned for 320km/h running on the Tohoku Shinkansen. The E2, which apparently is what the E7 is based on, uses motors from a variety of makers.


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## quashlo

*Tōkaidō Shinkansen speed-up could happen in spring 2015
東海道新幹線の最高速度引き上げ　ＪＲ東海社長方針*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD190FG_Z11C13A2TJ0000/

At a press conference on 2013.12.19, Central Japan Railway Company (東海旅客鉄道) president Yamada Yoshiomi (山田佳臣) indicated that the railway intends to increase the maximum operating speed of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, currently set at 270 km/h. If realized, this would be the first speed upgrade for the line since the introduction of the _Nozomi_ services in 1992, reducing travel times between Japan’s two largest metropolises. The railway has already conducted a series of late-night running tests to determine impacts to both rolling stock and existing infrastructure such as tracks, and plans to file an application for approvals to operate at higher speeds with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省) early next year.

Because of the high number of curves on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, the speed upgrades would affect only a small portion of the line, but the president says that no specific changes to rolling stock are needed, as Tōkaidō Shinkansen trains already through-service with the San’yō Shinkansen between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata, where the top speed is 300 km/h. The railway is currently collecting data on ride comfort and potential impacts to the surrounding environment, but it’s likely that the speed-up could happen as early as the spring 2015 timetable change. 

===

FNN video report.
This report, as well as some articles from other news sources, seem to indicate that the speed-up may be restricted to runs operate with N700A units. Based on the timing, it would seem that elimination of most of the 700 series from the line was a key requirement... Currently, only 700, N700, and N700A sets are used on the line.






Good to see movement on this, as I was beginning to question whether they were really committed to a speed-up of the line given the progress on the Chūō Shinkansen maglev.

There was no mention of the new top speed or the affected segments, but it seems likely that this would be a speed upgrade to 300 km/h for the Maibara–Kyōto section of the line, but there are some additional relatively straight sections, such as Toyohashi – Nagoya and Shizuoka – Kakegawa where it may also be possible to do 300 km/h. Currently, the fastest travel times on the line are 1h 35m for Tōkyō – Nagoya and 2h 25m for Tōkyō – Shin-Ōsaka.


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## sacto7654

quashlo, do you think JR Central is aiming for cutting at least 10-15 minutes off the fastest run of the _Nozomi_ train between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka Stations?

Actually, an interesting question is how will they speed up the _Hayabusa_ service between Morioka and Shin-Aomori, especially with the large number of tunnels on this part of the Tōhoku Shinkansen route. Will it be possible to run the E5 trainset at 320 km/h through those long tunnels?


----------



## foxmulder

I like the E7's handsome look. That deep blue color looks great, too. I think camera settings are a bit over saturated but still, nice livery.


----------



## quashlo

sacto7654 said:


> quashlo, do you think JR Central is aiming for cutting at least 10-15 minutes off the fastest run of the _Nozomi_ train between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka Stations?
> 
> Actually, an interesting question is how will they speed up the _Hayabusa_ service between Morioka and Shin-Aomori, especially with the large number of tunnels on this part of the Tōhoku Shinkansen route. Will it be possible to run the E5 trainset at 320 km/h through those long tunnels?


Well, if it's just the Maibara ‒ Kyōto section, I'm not sure they'd really get more than five minutes, if even that, since all trains stop at Kyōto. The articles gave the impression of a relatively minor speed-up, though, and since JR Central has specifically mentioned this section in the past as part of a speed-up of the line, I suspect this is all they're really looking at. Time savings on the order of 10 to 15 minutes isn't "minor", and would probably require speeding up other sections of the line.

As for Tōhoku Shinkansen, I translated that article from _JR East Technical Review_ that basically describes what's involved in further speeding up the line... It's not so much a technological issue (in other words, it's entirely feasible to run the trains faster), but more an engineering and cost issue (finding the cheapest way to mitigate the noise). In that respect, it's really just a matter of time. The second phase of the Hokkaidō Shinkansen (extension to Sapporo) will probably be the final piece of the puzzle, providing the necessary business justification for JR East to actually take the necessary steps to mitigate lineside noise and design appropriate rolling stock to operate at 360 km/h.


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## castermaild55

Hayabusa "GranClass"First Class


----------



## sacto7654

quashlo said:


> Well, if it's just the Maibara ‒ Kyōto section, I'm not sure they'd really get more than five minutes, if even that, since all trains stop at Kyōto. The articles gave the impression of a relatively minor speed-up, though, and since JR Central has specifically mentioned this section in the past as part of a speed-up of the line, I suspect this is all they're really looking at. Time savings on the order of 10 to 15 minutes isn't "minor", and would probably require speeding up other sections of the line.
> 
> As for Tōhoku Shinkansen, I translated that article from _JR East Technical Review_ that basically describes what's involved in further speeding up the line... It's not so much a technological issue (in other words, it's entirely feasible to run the trains faster), but more an engineering and cost issue (finding the cheapest way to mitigate the noise). In that respect, it's really just a matter of time. The second phase of the Hokkaidō Shinkansen (extension to Sapporo) will probably be the final piece of the puzzle, providing the necessary business justification for JR East to actually take the necessary steps to mitigate lineside noise and design appropriate rolling stock to operate at 360 km/h.


A couple of comments:

1. I do think with the faster acceleration and the ability to slightly "tilt" the trainset with the air suspension of the N700A trainset, JR Central could crank up the speeds on many parts Tokaidō Shinkansen line--including long stretches of 300 km/h running between Atami and Nagoya Stations and between Maibara and Kyoto Stations. It's the 300 km/h speeds on these stretches that may make a ten-minute improvement in travel time on the _Nozomi_ train possible between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. And with the retirement of the earlier 700 Series trainsets, JR Central might even be able to increase the speeds even between Shin-Yokohama and Atami Stations, since every train will be able to take the curves on this part of the line faster.

2. As for the Tōhoku Shinkansen, with the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen extension to Shin-Hakodate Station in March 2016, there will be pressing need to up the speed on every part of the line between Omiya and Shin-Aomori Stations. With the slow phaseout of the E2 trainsets off the Tōhoku line with E5 and E6 trainsets, I wouldn't be surprised that by 2016-2017 we may see speeds as high as 340 km/h between Omiya and Morioka and 320 km/h from Morioka to Shin-Aomori.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

*E7 to begin revenue operations on Nagano Shinkansen in March*

*_cross posted from JNS Forum_

According to a report today in the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, E7 trains will begin revenue operations on the Nagano Shinkansen route between Tokyo and Nagano from March 15. Three 12-car E7 trainsets will initially be introduced, providing 7 roundtrip services/day. The services will continue to use the Asama monicker used by the current E2 trains. With this introduction, 1/4 of all Asama services will be run with E7 trainsets (the regular schedule on this route sees 28 r/t a day). As the E7 trainsets are 12 cars, with a passenger capacity of 934, they provide 1.5 times the passenger capacity of the current E2 Asama trainsets, which have 630 seats.

http://www.shinmai.co.jp/news/20131220/KT131220ATI090006000.php


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## 00Zy99

Am I the only one who sees a distinct resemblance between the E7 and the 800? Both are somewhat shorter than the full potential length of a Shinkansen (16 cars). Both have a top speed somewhat below that of their contemporaries (>300 kph). Both have somewhat similar noses. Both have wood trim on the interior. 

That reminds me: Why is it that Tohoku Shinkansen trains seem to have gotten shorter in the past few years. They aren't running any more 16-car consists, aside from paired E4 sets. 

The start of the video above brings to mind another question. What are the turn-around times for Shinkansen at Tokyo? At other stations? Are they serviced between every one-way trip? Are all servicings done at the platform? I know that there are some sheds beyond Shin-Osaka that could be used for turning a train real quick-is that sometimes done? Is it faster either way?


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## quashlo

*Schedule changes for Tōkaidō–San’yō–Kyūshū Shinkansen*

Official press releases:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001357.html
http://www.westjr.co.jp/press/article/items/131220_00_honsya.pdf
http://www13.jrkyushu.co.jp/NewsReleaseWeb.nsf/Search/B2930DB34E80E6C349257C47003B34FD?OpenDocument

On 2013.12.20, JR Central, JR West, and JR Kyūshū announced that they would implement changes to the Tōkaidō–San’yō–Kyūshū Shinkansen timetable on 2013.03.15 (Saturday). 

*Tōkaidō–San’yō Shinkansen*
Specifically, with the completion of major upgrades at Shin-Ōsaka Station and the ongoing introduction of new N700A trainsets, JR Central will expand the ability to operate a 10 tph _Nozomi_ schedule during high-volume periods such as spring break, Golden Week, and _Obon_, replacing the current 9 tph _Nozomi_ schedule.

Currently, JR Central operates primarily a 9 tph _Nozomi_ schedule, with the 10 tph _Nozomi_ schedule restricted only to the outbound direction (for Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata) and only for some hours (0700, 0800, 1700, 1800, and 1900 hours). The upcoming timetable revisions will make it possible to operate a 10 tph _Nozomi_ schedule in both directions, and during all hours. This will increase the railway’s flexibility in operating special _Nozomi_ services during high-demand periods such as holidays. Specifically, the outbound schedule from Tōkyō for 0700 to 2000 departures and the inbound schedule into Tōkyō for 0900 to 2100 arrivals will now be able to operate as many as 10 _Nozomi_ services an hour.

JR Central will also expand N700 / N700A use on _Hikari_ and _Kodama_ runs:

Scheduled runs operated with N700 / N700A sets (daily services), current timetable → March 2014 timetable
_Nozomi_: 163 → 163 (±0)
_Hikari_: 19 → 39 (+20)
_Kodama_ 26 → 41 (+15)
Total: 208 → 243 (+35)

Other minor changes include the following:

Introduction of N700 series sets to _Hikari_ services stopping at Gifu Hashima (岐阜羽島) and Maibara (米原), reducing the travel times for these trains and the following _Nozomi_ services between Tōkyō and Shin-Ōsaka by about 3 minutes. 
Revisions to _Nozomi_ departure times at Hiroshima Station, converting the inbound _Nozomi_ schedule (for Tōkyō) to roughly 20-minute headways.
===

The basic hourly pattern for the line in the outbound direction (Tōkyō departure time) is designed to allow up to 14 tph (10 _Nozomi_, 2 _Hikari_, and 2 _Kodama_), although some of the slots are non-daily runs, typically operated only on specifically identified days with high passenger volume.

Black = _Nozomi_
Red = _Hikari_
Blue = _Kodama_
_bold_ = irregular service (non-daily, destination changes on specific days, etc.)

xx00: _Nozomi_ for Shin-Ōsaka
xx03: _Hikari_ for Okayama
xx10: _Nozomi_ for Hakata
*xx13: Nozomi for Shin-Ōsaka, Hiroshima, or Hakata*
*xx20: Nozomi for Shin-Ōsaka*
*xx23: Nozomi for Shin-Ōsaka*
xx26: _Kodama_ for Nagoya
xx30: _Nozomi_ for Hakata
xx33: _Hikari_ for Shin-Ōsaka
*xx40: Nozomi for Shin-Ōsaka, Hiroshima, or Hakata*
*xx47: Nozomi for Shin-Ōsaka*
xx50: _Nozomi_ for Hiroshima
*xx53: Nozomi for Shin-Ōsaka*
xx56: _Kodama_ for Shin-Ōsaka

The xx53 slot is currently only operated during the 0700, 0800, 1700, 1800, and 1900 hours, but the timetable changes will now make it possible to operate this slot at all hours. It’s a similar situation in the inbound direction, except that they never operated a max 14 tph schedule (only 13 tph). Now, they will add an additional _Nozomi_ slot to the inbound schedule for high-volume days. The slots added in both directions will operate between Shin-Ōsaka and Tōkyō.

Based on the half-hourly patterns, I imagine they have unused slots at xx17 and xx43 for additional _Nozomi_ runs, which could increase it to a 16 tph schedule. The terminal capacity at Tōkyō may prevent them from running these, but it seems they could feasibly operate them out of Shinagawa, as the four-track layout at Shinagawa was designed to allow for turnbacks there.


----------



## quashlo

*San’yō–Kyūshū Shinkansen*
_Nozomi_ and _Sakura_ schedules at Tokuyama (徳山) and Shin-Yamaguchi (新山口) will change, improving convenience to / from Tōkyō for Tokuyama passengers and to / from Kyūshū for Shin-Yamaguchi passengers:

Tokuyama: 10 _Nozomi_, 13 _Sakura_ → 15 _Nozomi_, 10 _Sakura_
Shin-Yamaguchi: 28 _Nozomi_, 18 _Sakura_ → 23 _Nozomi_, 23 _Sakura_

In addition, one of the _Sakura_ roundtrips will be sped-up (-23 minutes outbound and -13 minutes inbound between Shin-Ōsaka and Kagoshima Chūō) and converted into a _Mizuho_, bringing the total to 6 _Mizuho_ roundtrips a day. Two of these _Mizuho_ roundtrips will also begin stopping at Himeji now, improving convenience for passengers in the western part of Kansai.

Additionally, all _Sakura_ will now stop at both Shin-Tosu (新鳥栖) and Kurume (久留米). These two stations are very close to each other (separated by less than 6 km), and the current schedule is designed so that some stop at Shin-Tosu while others stop at Kurume. The revised _Sakura_ stopping pattern (excluding trains terminating or beginning at Kumamoto) will look like this:



Code:


Hakata             X    X
Shin-Tosu          X    X
Kurume             X    X
Chikugo Funagoya   |    |
Shin-Ōmuta         |    |
Shin-Tamana        |    |
Kumamoto           X    X
Shin-Yatsushiro    |    X
Shin-Minamata      |    X
Izumi              |    X
Sendai             X    X
Kagoshima Chūō     X    X
===============  ==== ====
TRAINS PER DAY    19   33

* Some trains also stop at Chikugo Funagoya, Shin-Ōmuta, and Shin-Tamana.


----------



## quashlo

*Nippon Sharyō receives order for N700A units*

Official press release:
http://www.n-sharyo.co.jp/topics/tp131219.pdf

On 2013.12.19, Nippon Sharyō announced that it had received an order from JR Central for an additional 12 N700A trainsets (192 cars total). The total value of the contract has not been released, but involves provision of four trainsets (64 cars total) each for FY2015, FY2016, and FY2017. The company is already supplying 10 trainsets (160 cars) under a contract covering FY2012 and FY2013. This latest news brings the total number of N700A sets at completion to 22 (352 cars).


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## quashlo

*4 JRs team up for international standardization, export of Japanese HSR technology
ＪＲ４社、高速鉄道輸出で共同戦線　日本規格の国際標準狙う*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD190F1_Z11C13A2TJ0000/

Four of the JR companies including Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and East Japan Railway Company (JR East) are teaming up to push the export of Japanese high-speed rail technology including the Shinkansen and superconducting maglev in overseas markets. By April of next year, the four companies will establish an organization to push for international standardization of Japan’s HSR standards, and by inviting railway companies in overseas countries currently contemplating HSR projects, such as the U.S. and U.K., they hope to gain an edge in winning contracts. The news that four JR companies will be joining forces for overseas HSR projects may also give new emphasis to the joint public-private infrastructure exports being pushed by the Japanese government.

The global rail infrastructure market, including rolling stock and components, is continuing to grow by about 2% annually, and is expected to reach ¥22 trillion by 2020, over 20% larger than the current market. Most of the global market is held by the “Big 3”—Canada’s Bombardier, France’s Alstom, and Germany’s Siemens—which are aiming to establish HSR standards for mixed-traffic lines shared with slower-speed passenger and freight trains in an effort to secure HSR contracts.

In contrast, Japanese firms are hoping to globally market high-safety HSR systems such as the Tōkaidō Shinkansen that operate on exclusive tracks. As a result, JR Central, JR East, West Japan Railway Company (JR West), and Kyūshū Railway Company (JR Kyūshū) will team up to form the International High-Speed Rail Association (国際高速鉄道協会) next April, working to push for the establishment of new international standards based on Japanese HSR technologies.

Up until now, JR Central and JR East have been working individually to market their technologies for HSR projects in the U.S. and Asia. While the two will continue their individual marketing efforts, cooperation in the international standardization of Japan’s exclusive-track HSR systems is expected to give their bids more weight. The IHRA would also invite participation from railway companies and government agencies in overseas countries currently considering new-build HSR projects, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The IHRA would serve as a forum to enhance awareness of the superior safety of Japan’s HSR systems, with the eventual hope of increasing the chances for Japanese firms to win contracts.

The current share of Japanese firms in the global rail market stands at about 10%, primarily focusing on provision of rolling stock and equipment. Meanwhile, the “Big 3” have adopted a systems approach where they provide rolling stock, maintenance service, and train control systems as part of a single package.

Hitachi Ltd. (日立製作所), Kawasaki Heavy Industries (川崎重工業), and other Japanese rail firms are also expected to join the IHRA in the future. Officials from various countries, such as former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Tom Schieffer, would be invited to serve on an advisory panel, while a former vice-minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省) or former Ministry of Transport (運輸省) would serve as director. With their maintenance and operations knowhow, the four JR companies would take the lead, supported by experts from the MLIT and railcar manufacturers, hoping to accelerate public-private cooperation in the export of Japanese railway technology.


----------



## quashlo

A special informational event about the new GranClass service for the Hokuriku Shinkansen was held at Kanazawa Station on 2013.12.14. Some pictures:
http://ihoku.jp/ishikawa/kanazawa-city/11323.html


----------



## quashlo




----------



## Equario

^^
Looks much more better than some airlines' F and C classes.


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## quashlo

*Komachi to begin 320 km/h operations*

JR East announced that the Akita Shinkansen _Komachi_ services will begin 320 km/h operations on the Utsunomiya – Morioka section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen with the regular timetable revisions taking effect on 2014.03.15 (Saturday). 

Currently, services on the Akita Shinkansen are split between _Komachi_ services operated with slower E3 series trains (max speed of 275 km/h on the Tōhoku Shinkansen) and the _Super Komachi_ services, operated with E6 series and coupled with E5 series on the Tōhoku Shinkansen (max speed of 300 km/h). 

With the timetable changes, all E3 series trains will be removed from the Akita Shinkansen, leaving only E6 series trains for the line. In addition, all services will begin operating at 320 km/h on the Tōhoku Shinkansen. This will reduce the fastest travel times between Tōkyō and Akita from 3h 45m to 3h 37m (-8m) in the outbound direction and from 3h 46m to 3h 39m (-7m) in the inbound direction. With the removal of slower E3 runs, the _Super Komachi_ name will also be decommissioned, and all Akita Shinkansen services will return to the _Komachi_ name.

With _Hayabusa_ + _Komachi_ formations being consolidated to 320 km/h (currently, some runs are operated at 275 km/h or 300 km/h), there will also be some fairly large improvements in average travel times:










Tōkyō – Sendai:
Outbound: 1h 37m → 1h 32m (-5m)
Inbound: 1h 37m → 1h 33m (-4m)

Tōkyō – Morioka:
Outbound: 2h 21m → 2h 13m (-8m)
Inbound: 2h 23m → 2h 14m (-9m)

Tōkyō – Shin-Aomori:
Outbound: 3h 23m → 3h 14m (-9m)
Inbound: 3h 27m → 3h 18m (-9m)

Tōkyō – Akita:
Outbound: 3h 59m → 3h 47m (-12m)
Inbound: 4h 02m → 3h 53m (-9m)

Current service (_Hayabusa_ / _Komachi_ / _Hayate_):










Future service:










===

Press release:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2013/20131217.pdf


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## quashlo

*Komachi E3 series to be shifted to Tsubasa
「こまち」を「つばさ」に*
http://www.asahi.com/articles/CMTW1312200600002.html

It was revealed that JR East plans to convert some of the E3 series currently operating on Akita Shinkansen _Komachi_ services for use on Yamagata Shinkansen _Tsubasa_ services. Both lines use E3 series “mini” Shinkansen trains. As part of the shift, JR East will renovate the interiors of all trains used on _Tsubasa_ services in preparation for a major tourism campaign by Yamagata Prefecture next summer.

The E3 series _Komachi_ trains debuted with the opening of the Akita Shinkansen in March 1997, and a total of 26 trainsets were produced up through 2005. They are gradually being replaced by modern E6 series trains (currently operated as _Super Komachi_ services), and there are currently only 8 E3 series trains left in the Akita Shinkansen fleet, all of which will be eliminated with the timetable changes in spring 2014.

While the majority of the E3 sets will be eliminated, several of the newer sets will be shifted onto the Yamagata Shinkansen. At least two sets have already been transported from Akita to the J-TREC plant in Kanagawa Prefecture for exterior and interior renovation work.

The current E3 series fleet on the Yamagata Shinkansen was introduced between 1999 and 2001 when the line opened to Shinjō. These trains feature some minor improvements over the Akita Shinkansen sets, as well as minor differences in headlights, seats, and other design features. Overall, in terms of specs, the two E3 series classes are similar, and are interchangeable without the need for major overhauls.

In response to the introduction of modern E6 series capable of 320 km/h running onto the Akita Shinkansen, Yamagata Prefecture submitted a petition to JR East’s Sendai division in April of this year to introduce E6s to the Yamagata Shinkansen. A similar petition was later submitted to JR East HQ in November by a committee representing Yamagata Prefecture and local municipalities.

A major tourism campaign (Yamagata Destination Campaign山形デスティネーションキャンペーン) is scheduled for Yamagata Prefecture next summer, and while JR has no plans to introduce new trains to the Yamagata Shinkansen, the railway will begin running renovated E3 series for the line, enlisting the help of industrial designer Ken Okuyama (奥山清行), the same designer behind the new E6 series.










===

Just some semi-official confirmation of what we suspected…

The second E3 unit (R25) being transported to Yokohama:






Last run of E3 unit R4, shot at Tōkyō Station (2013.12.15):






And up north in snow country:


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## quashlo

k.k.jetcar said:


> *_cross posted from JNS Forum_
> 
> According to a report today in the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, E7 trains will begin revenue operations on the Nagano Shinkansen route between Tokyo and Nagano from March 15. Three 12-car E7 trainsets will initially be introduced, providing 7 roundtrip services/day. The services will continue to use the Asama monicker used by the current E2 trains. With this introduction, 1/4 of all Asama services will be run with E7 trainsets (the regular schedule on this route sees 28 r/t a day). As the E7 trainsets are 12 cars, with a passenger capacity of 934, they provide 1.5 times the passenger capacity of the current E2 Asama trainsets, which have 630 seats.
> 
> http://www.shinmai.co.jp/news/20131220/KT131220ATI090006000.php


Some other information to add from the JR East press release:

E7 units will gradually replace the current E2 units on the Nagano Shinkansen (_Asama_ services) at the rate of about 1 per month. The GranClass car will be operated as a seat-only service (in other words, no attendant), although presumably this will change once the extension to Kanazawa opens… Nagano probably isn’t far enough and large enough of a market on its own to justify a full GranClass roll-out.

Conversion of the train control system on the Nagano Shinkansen to digital ATC (デジタルATC) with the new timetable will also reduce travel times between Tōkyō and Nagoya:

Outbound:
Fastest: 1h 25m → 1h 24m (-1m)
Average: 1h 41m → 1h 39m (-2m)

Inbound:
Fastest: 1h 23m → 1h 20m (-3m)
Average: 1h 43m → 1h 39m (-4m)


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## sacto7654

I really have my doubts that the Yamagata Shinkansen will be converted to E6 trainsets, since the only section of truly high-speed running between Omiya and Fukushima Stations is not long enough to justify switching to the E6 trainset. It was understandable why they switched from the 400 trainset to the E3 with the top speed between Omiya and Fukushima increased from 240 km/h to 275 km/h, but it may not justify the increase to 320 km/h on such a relatively short run time on the high-speed portion of the Tōhoku line.

As such, the remaining E3 trainsets will get major refurbishment with new, improved interiors, since I foresee the E3 running on _Tsubasa_ service until at least 2020.


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## quashlo

^^ _Super Tsubasa_…
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/kenta201_proof/9951695.html


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## quashlo

E3 and E6 action on the Tazawako Line:


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## sacto7654

I just read that JR Central (JR Tokai) is removing drink vending machines from all Shinkansen trains as of March 15, 2014. They cited the fact few people use them, mostly because they're buying the drinks directly from the sales cart or from drink vending machines at the station train platform and feel train riders don't want to walk to vending machine itself from their seats on the train.


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## quashlo

I tend to just buy on the platform or inside the station and then take it with me on the train... They usually mark up the prices for the food and drink service on the train.


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## quashlo

*New train control system for Tōkaidō–San’yō Shinkansen complete 
ＪＲ東海、東海道・山陽新幹線向け運転管理システム更新－１日の列車３０００本に*
http://www.nikkan.co.jp/news/nkx1120131224caan.html

Work by Central Japan Railway Company (JR東海) to upgrade the COMTRAC train control system for the Tōkaidō–San’yō Shinkansen will be complete in January 2014. The new system can handle 3,000 trains a day (both revenue and deadheading), 1.7 times the 1,800 train per day capacity of the current system.

The new system shaves about 4 seconds off the total time that each train arrival or departure at stations is under the system’s control, allowing the railway to recover faster in the event of service disruptions that result in delays. 

The upgrade work to the 9th version of the train control system began in FY2008 at the cost of approx. ¥22.6 billion, taking about six years to completion.

COMTRAC allows trains to be controlled with the assistance of computers, and includes three distinct function systems: programmed route control (PRC) (進路制御系システム), man-machine advanced processor (MAP) (運行表示系システム), and electronic data processing (EDP) (情報処理系システム). The system was first developed in 1972 with the opening of the extension to Okayama and has been gradually upgraded over the years with improved functionality. This 9th generation of the system takes over from the 8th, which began operating in 2003.

Old unit (top right) and new unit (bottom left)









===

Press release:
http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/nws001353.html

The 4-second reduction in computer processing time is interesting news, as it basically means that when you have two trains with conflicting paths, the following train can now leave 4 seconds earlier.


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## quashlo

*National government OKs more funding for FGT testing
長崎新幹線で新車両実験　14年度政府予算案*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNZO64528610U3A221C1LX0000/

The national government’s proposed FY2014 budget approved by cabinet decision includes an additional earmark for test running of new rolling stock capable running on both exclusive Shinkansen track as well as narrow-gauge _zairaisen_ track, planned for implementation on the Kyūshū Shinkansen’s Nagasaki route (Hakata – Nagasaki).

Specifically, the budget includes ¥156 billion (¥71.9 billion at the national level) towards expansions to the Shinkansen network (整備新幹線). The amount earmarked for the Kyūshū Shinkansen’s Nagasaki route has yet to be determined, but is expected to exceed the FY2013 level of ¥27 billion as a result of increasing material costs.

The Nagasaki – Takeo Onsen (武雄温泉) section of the route is being built to full Shinkansen standard with standard-gauge rails, while the part between Takeo Onsen and Shin-Tosu (新鳥栖) will be shared with narrow-gauge _zairaisen_ trains. As a result, a variable-gauge train (軌間可変電車)—the “Free Gauge Train”, or “FGT”—will be introduced, allowing Shinkansen trains to quickly change their gauge to run on both standard- and narrow-gauge tracks.

As part of the introduction of FGT technology onto the Nagasaki Shinkansen, tests of the durability of the new train will be conducted between FY2014 and FY2016. The FY2014 budget earmarks ¥2.146 billion for tests and other basic research for the FGT. Kyūshū Railway Company (九州旅客鉄道), otherwise known as JR Kyūshū, will develop a mass-production implementation of the FGT as early as FY2017, in time for the opening of the line in FY2022.

===

The MLIT has since released the breakdown of the ¥156 billion in funding:
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASGC2501A_V21C13A2EA1000/










¥46.6 billion for the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Nagano – Kanazawa / Hakusan General Rolling Stock Center)
¥52.4 billion for the Hokkaidō Shinkansen (Shin-Aomori – Shin-Hakodate)
¥31.0 billion for the Kyūshū Shinkansen (Takeo Onsen – Nagasaki)
¥14.0 billion for the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Kanazawa – Tsuruga)
¥12.0 billion for the Hokkaidō Shinkansen (Shin-Hakodate – Sapporo)


----------



## quashlo

Some video construction updates for the Hokuriku Shinkansen, at Toyama Station…

November 2013:






December 2013.
A lot changed in one month.


----------



## M-NL

quashlo said:


> The system was first developed in 1972 with the opening of the extension to Okayama and has been gradually upgraded over the years with improved functionality. This 9th generation of the system takes over from the 8th, which began operating in 2003.
> 
> The 4-second reduction in computer processing time is interesting news, as it basically means that when you have two trains with conflicting paths, the following train can now leave 4 seconds earlier.


Now this is what I like about the Japanese: They keep improving their systems (new generation on average every 5 years), even if the improvement is a mere 4 seconds per train. I bet no railway company or infrastructure manager in Europe would even consider assigning funds for anything similar.


----------



## Coccodrillo

What is that thing at Tokyo Station?

It looks like a transfer table leading also to a short stub track south of the the transfer table. Is it that?


----------



## quashlo

Yes, it’s a traverser serving a small storage area for construction vehicles working on the Tōhoku Through Line (東北縦貫線), now the “Ueno‒Tōkyō Line” (上野東京ライン). View looking south from Tōhoku Shinkansen Track 23, past the stop buffer:









http://oomatipalk2.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-393.html

This is basically a double-track extension to be shared between three suburban / regional lines that terminate at Ueno Station—the Utsunomiya Line (宇都宮線), Takasaki Line (高崎線), and Jōban Rapid Line (常磐快速線)—allowing them to reach Tōkyō Station directly and continue to Shinagawa, Kawasaki, Yokohama, or beyond on a fourth suburban line, the Tōkaidō Line (東海道線). These trains originally terminated at Tōkyō, but the original alignment was converted for use by the Tōhoku Shinkansen, forcing these trains to terminate at Ueno and forcing passengers to transfer at Ueno to the Yamanote Line (山手線) or Keihin‒Tōhoku Line (京浜東北線) to continue further south.

Now, they are in the process of rebuilding the connection, but it needs to be built above the Tōhoku Shinkansen in a stacked viaduct for a significant length. A bit unusual, since the extension is narrow gauge, while the construction vehicles are standard gauge so they can use the Shinkansen tracks, but it works out nicely given the new tracks are being built above the Shinkansen and there isn’t much room elsewhere to store construction vehicles.









http://pub.ne.jp/pyara0303/?entry_id=4540268


----------



## quashlo

*JIC consortium wins Indonesia HSR study
ＪＲ東系など、ジャワ島で高速鉄道調査を受注*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD260GO_W3A221C1TJ1000/

A consortium of Japanese firms led by Japan International Consultants for Transportation (JIC) (日本コンサルタンツ), a joint venture funded by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and 9 other railway operators in Japan, announced on 2013.12.26 that it had won a study for a proposed high-speed rail line on the Indonesian island of Java. The 140 km line would connect the capital Jakarta with Bandung in western Java. Other participating parties in the successful bid include the Mitsubishi Research Institute (三菱総合研究所). The contract to produce the study is worth ¥260 million, with work taking place up through March 2015, including ridership projections and preparation of a master plan.


----------



## quashlo

*Shizuoka governor proposes two alternatives for Shizuoka Airport station
知事、新幹線新駅で２案　国交省に提示*
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/e-japan/shizuoka/news/20131212-OYT8T01219.htm

On 2013.12.12, the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture revealed that he had submitted two alternatives for a Shizuoka Airport station in Makinohara City on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen to officials at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). While JR Central president Yamada Yoshiomi has expressed his opposition to a new station, the governor says that the station could be beneficial in the event of a large-scale disaster and hopes to gain support from both the national government and JR Central, saying the project is of “national importance”.

After passing inspections following an earthquake or other disaster, the station could help transport a high-volume of passengers and goods safely, said the governor. In response to JR Central’s opposition, the governor said that he was not asking JR Central to dramatically revise its regular train schedules to operate the station, instead emphasizing that the station would be a special station only used when needed.

According to the Prefectural Government officials, the governor submitted two options for the station in a face-to-face meeting with the MLIT Minister Ōta in October. One option would construct platforms on both sides of the two-track Shinkansen alignment, while the other would construct a four-track station by building pull-outs and platforms on both sides. Both stations would be built at ground level near the portal for the tunnel underneath the airport.


----------



## quashlo

The rush begins… Some news reports:

FNN report up in Morioka (Iwate) (2013.12.28).
_Hayabusa_ and _Hayate_ are basically all full, and same for the reserved seats on the slower _Yamabiko_.






ANN news report at Tōkyō Station, Tōkaidō Shinkansen (2013.12.28). Reserved seats are basically all full for morning departures up through 2013.12.31, and up through to evening departures on some days. Crowding on the non-reserved cars (自由席) on early morning (0600 hour) _Nozomi_ departures was 150%.






Same location one day later, (2013.12.29). Tōhoku, Yamagata, Akita, and Jōetsu Shinkansen are basically all full, all day. Nagano Shinkansen is full in the morning, but some seats available on evening trains. As these are some of the busiest days for Shinkansen services, they have platform staff out with big fat “END OF LINE” signs to help maintain order and queues. Wouldn’t mind that where I live… Some people just don’t know how to wait in line. :lol:


----------



## quashlo

New Year’s rush at Shin-Yokohama Station. New Year’s is one of the busiest times of the year, when the railways fill up the schedule with special trains, so you can see some unusual scenes like departure boards with four _Nozomi_ in a row (xx:29, xx:32, xx:39, and xx:42) @ 0:17. The headways get as low as three minutes in this video—13:16 _Kodama_ for Shin-Ōsaka, 13:19 _Nozomi_ for Shin-Ōsaka, and 13:22 _Hikari_ for Okayama.


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## quashlo

Yesterday (2013.12.30) was the peak day for outbound traffic on the Tōhoku Shinkansen…

ANN news report.
Reserved seats were basically full all day, and crowding in non-reserved cars exceeded seated capacity. Morning departures on the Jōetsu and Nagano Shinkansen also saw some crowding due to skiers heading up into the snow country.






Sendai-area FNN report.
Even some of the slower services like the _Yamabiko_ saw 150% loading in the non-reserved cars, while some of the _Tsubasa_ services on the Yamagata Shinkansen saw 170% loading.






This should end up being one of the busiest years on record, I imagine, especially given the speed-up efforts for the line over the past couple of years that have probably made it a bit more attractive to take the Shinkansen.


----------



## quashlo

http://denshawotorou.blog73.fc2.com/blog-entry-1071.html


----------



## k.k.jetcar

^^
Note the "mini Fuji" constructed by the local agricultural co-op youth group...


----------



## Sr.Horn

*1 killed, 1 hurt in collision between Shinkansen, car*



> YAMAGATA—A Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train collided with a passenger car at a railway crossing Sunday morning, killing the driver of the car and slightly injuring one passenger on the train, according to the police.
> 
> The Tsubasa 123 train bound for Shinjo Station from Tokyo Station struck the car on JR East’s Ou Line in Takahata in the prefecture at about 9:35 a.m., police said. The Shinkansen train dragged the car for 500 meters.
> 
> The car is believed to have been driven by a woman in her 30s of Yonezawa in the prefecture. Police are trying to identify her.
> 
> The train was traveling at 130 kph when the accident occurred. “I braked hard, but it was too late [to stop],” the Shinkansen driver was quoted by police as saying.
> 
> There are crossing bars at the site of the accident, but a snowstorm caused low visibility at the time. Police believe the car entered the crossing in spite of the bars.
> 
> According to East Japan Railway Co.’s Yamagata branch, the accident suspended services of inbound and outbound trains for about 3½ hours between the Yamagata Shinkansen Line’s Fukushima and Shinjo stations, and between the Ou Line’s Yonezawa and Yamagata stations. It affected about 7,000 passengers, including some heading home for the New Year’s holidays.


The Yomiuri Shimbun


----------



## Sunfuns

There are level crossings on HS lines in Japan? Surprising...


----------



## Galactic

Sunfuns said:


> There are level crossings on HS lines in Japan? Surprising...


That's a "mini-Shinkansen" train, meaning that it runs on a railway that is also used by slower trains. The top speed is 130 km/h, so it's not really a high-speed line. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamagata_Shinkansen.


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## Coccodrillo

To be precise, Mini-Shinkansen lines are conventional lines converted from 1067 mm gauge to standard gauge (or to dual gauge) while retaining the original loading gauge (meaning that conventional Shinkansen trains cannot run on them).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-shinkansen

I always thought that standard gauge tracks of Mini-Shinkansen lines* were only used by Shinkansen services, but I just discovered that they are also used by local trains. The EMUs used on these standard gauge lines looks like identical to their narrow gauge versions, except for the track gauge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/701_series (5000 and 5500 subseries)

*some sections have dual gauge tracks, or two tracks of two different gauges


----------



## Sopomon

Sad news, is there a program to remove level crossings on lines like these?


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## k.k.jetcar

Sopomon said:


> Sad news, is there a program to remove level crossings on lines like these?


No, there is not- the expense is too great for rural lines like this- anyway, the line is restricted to 130km/h running, like all lines with level grade crossings. The only reason this has received extra coverage is the rolling stock in question was mini-Shinkansen. Otherwise no different than any other grade crossing accident.


----------



## quashlo

Japan as a whole is relatively proactive about grade separation... There's dozens of grade-separation projects going on at any one moment, but the problem is that there are simply too many crossings (about 35,000 across the country), and the priority, naturally, is to focus on the most problematic ones, usually in the major metropolitan areas where you've basically got "subway" service on lines with grade crossings or super-wide crossings with 6 to 8 tracks. 

But most of these projects require painstaking negotiations with property owners for land acquisition, as the existing alignments are usually all built up. And since railway service cannot be disrupted, this also means construction of temporary tracks to carry trains and only being able to do work in in a 3- to 4-hour window in the early morning when there are no trains running. As a result, it can take 8-10 years to complete a single project.

The other hurdle is the cost... One recent example is the grade-separation of 3.7 km of the Keiō Line and Keiō Sagamihara Line near Chōfu for ¥115 billion, eliminating 18 crossings and undergrounding 3 stations. Grade-separation projects can be deceiving because there is nothing that is really all-new or tangibly different to passengers in terms of service—the stations and tracks were already there, they've just been replaced with newer, grade-separated versions. But when you really think about it, these projects are basically re-building portions of the line from scratch, and then some to account for the temporary tracks and stations. In essence, each project is the equivalent of building a new extension, so naturally, there's only so many projects that can be funded at any one time.

In contrast, a small crossing on a rural mainline with only a handful of trains an hour, even if some of them are mini-Shinkansen trains, will probably never get grade-separated. Realistically, crossing arms with flashing lights and bells are probably all it deserves. Based on the information available concerning the accident, it looks like those existing warning systems were disregarded by the driver of the automobile, resulting in the crash.

Anyways, *k.k.jetcar* hit the nail on the head:



k.k.jetcar said:


> The only reason this has received extra coverage is the rolling stock in question was mini-Shinkansen. Otherwise no different than any other grade crossing accident.


----------



## Sunfuns

Wouldn't the cheapest way to deal with most level crossings be a road underpass? It's probably possible to dig a small tunnel under the rails without disrupting rail service.


----------



## Silver Swordsman

Sunfuns said:


> Wouldn't the cheapest way to deal with most level crossings be a road underpass? It's probably possible to dig a small tunnel under the rails without disrupting rail service.


Not exactly. One doesn't just "dig a small tunnel" under an active line. One has to shore up the foundations first, and make sure that the tracks are still structurally sound as you excavate around it. The fact that the usage of pile driving is limited to the sides of the right of way also makes this extremely complicated. 

I've seen many road-underpass construction projects in Taiwan--they take a ridiculous amount of time, and force trains to slow to a crawl (no more than 20km/h) over that stretch of track.


----------



## sacto7654

Speaking of Shinkansen, any recent news of the E7 trainset testing on the (now) Nagano Shinkansen line and additional testing by the E926 _East-i_ trainset on the Hokuriku line?


----------



## quashlo

Putting the road over or under the tracks only works if two conditions are met:

1. There is enough clearance to the closest intersections on either side to return the road to grade, or, if not, these intersections can be closed.
2. If there are buildings along the road, that the road is wide enough to build frontage roads at-grade to retain access to these buildings.

Naturally, this doesn't work in dense neighborhoods like for most urban grade-separations in Japan, so the only solution is to move the rail line up or down instead of the roads. The simplest solution—closing crossings completely without providing alternative access—is usually a no-no because it will inconvenience local residents and isolate neighborhoods.


----------



## quashlo

sacto7654 said:


> Speaking of Shinkansen, any recent news of the E7 trainset testing on the (now) Nagano Shinkansen line and additional testing by the E926 _East-i_ trainset on the Hokuriku line?


I think the _East-i_ is back in Tōhoku Shinkansen territory.

As for the E7, I imagine it's been doing some testing... I believe it's currently being stored at Nagano yard:


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## sacto7654

Maybe JR East has temporarily stored E7 trainset F1 until the weather gets better before resuming testing? I also think the E926 _East-i_ set will likely be back on the Hokuriku line by early spring to start high-speed line testing all the way up to the 260 km/h maximum speed from Nagano to Kurobe-Unazukionsen, then starting in the summer from Kurobe-Unazukionsen all the way to Kanazawa.


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## quashlo

Looks like E7 unit F1 resumed testing again... This is the first shot side-by-side with an N700 set.


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## quashlo

E6 clips from 2013.
In a little over 2 months, the Akita Shinkansen will be nothing but E6 series.


----------



## quashlo

*EIS work underway for JR Central’s proposed Texas HSR*
http://www.ketknbc.com/news/federal-studies-announced-for-texas-high-speed-rai



> SAN ANTONIO, TX — The federal government, Texas and a private company are collectively working on two studies to assess the impact of a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx confirmed Tuesday.
> 
> Foxx, speaking at the Texas Transportation Forum, an annual conference put on by the Texas Department of Transportation, said that the Federal Railroad Administration, TxDOT and Texas Central High-Speed Railway will move forward this year on environmental impact studies related to the project. The completion of such a study is typically a key early step in developing a major transportation project.
> 
> “I can’t speak to whether there will be roadblocks or anything down the road, but what I can tell you is I’m delighted to be part of helping get this first step underway,” Foxx said in an interview after his speech. “It’s a big deal for Texas, and we’ll see what happens going forward.”
> 
> In 2012, Texas Central High-Speed Railway announced plans to develop a high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas entirely with private funding. Company officials said the project, which could reduce travel time between the two cities to less than 90 minutes, would use bullet train technology from a Japanese firm that already operates a profitable bullet train line in Japan. The firm is expected to release details of the proposed route for a Dallas-to-Houston line later this year. Company officials have expressed hope that the line could be up and running as soon as 2021.
> 
> TxDOT Executive Director Phil Wilson said that two separate environmental impact studies are in development. The Federal Railroad Administration and Texas Central High-Speed Railway will conduct a study of a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston. TxDOT, in partnership with the FRA, will sponsor a study of a slower rail line connecting Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas.
> 
> “We, TxDOT, will sponsor the environmental impact study on the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington side,” Wilson said. “The private sector will sponsor the EIS for that Houston/Dallas corridor.”
> 
> TxDOT officials could not provide a timeline for when either study would be completed.
> 
> While a private firm is developing the Houston-Dallas line, Wilson said that no state money is planned to build the shorter Fort Worth-Arlington-Dallas line. North Texas leaders have advocated for the latter project to ensure that the entire Dallas/Fort Worth region will be able to access a high-speed rail station in Dallas, if one is built. If the project moves forward, the affected communities would need to identify funding for that local line, Wilson said.


----------



## sacto7654

A couple of comments:

1) Yes, the E3's will soon be gone from the _Komachi_ train running on the Akita Shinkansen service. I believe they are among the oldest E3's built and these trainsets are reaching the end of their service lives, especially since they travel at full speed (275 km/h) a lot longer distance than the Yamagata Shinkansen trainsets. Those E3's will be scrapped and likely any salvageable parts will be used as spare parts for the remaining E3's. I also expect the remaining E3's to be heavily refurbished with totally new interiors and given long-life extension programs to run at least until 2023. I wouldn't be surprised that the E3's on the Yamagata Shinkansen will no longer run coupled with other trains in a few years.

2) I wonder what trainset is being proposed for the Texas HSR system. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a modified E7 trainset with a slightly pointier nose to allow a top speed of around 275 km/h.


----------



## SamuraiBlue

sacto7654 said:


> I wonder what trainset is being proposed for the Texas HSR system. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a modified E7 trainset with a slightly pointier nose to allow a top speed of around 275 km/h.


I doubt it since JRC is taking the lead for the Texas HSR system. It would probably be N700i.


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## M-NL

Will the Texas HSR be mixed or HST only? 
A standard Shinkansen train is 0.4m wider then a standard US passenger car and in the Southern US low platforms are more common, making it very difficult to blend Shinkansen with anything else.
As the passenger numbers will likely never reach the Japanese levels a HST only system will probably never be profitable.


----------



## quashlo

HST only. I would expect JR Central has already done their homework on whether or not they can make money off of it.

Not sure if I posted this already, but here is their promo video for the project:


----------



## Sunfuns

M-NL said:


> Will the Texas HSR be mixed or HST only?
> A standard Shinkansen train is 0.4m wider then a standard US passenger car and in the Southern US low platforms are more common, making it very difficult to blend Shinkansen with anything else.
> *As the passenger numbers will likely never reach the Japanese levels* a HST only system will probably never be profitable.


That is indeed very unlikely, however traffic doesn't have to be THAT high for HSR to pay for itself. In Texas pretty much everybody who can afford to travel anywhere owns a car so it is very important that the newly built rail is a lot faster than driving and at the same time not massively more expensive.


----------



## sacto7654

quashlo said:


> HST only. I would expect JR Central has already done their homework on whether or not they can make money off of it.


With the FRA likely to make some changes in their regulations for passenger trainsets to allow more foreign-designed trainsets to run in the USA, we could see N700-i trainsets zooming between Dallas and Houston at 300 km/h (186 mph), which means downtown Dallas to down Houston in circa 1.75 hours. And because the Texas terrain between Dallas and Houston is relatively flat, that means construction costs on a per kilometer basis won't be ridiculous, either.


----------



## Silver Swordsman

quashlo said:


> E6 clips from 2013.
> In a little over 2 months, the Akita Shinkansen will be nothing but E6 series.


What about the E5?


----------



## SamuraiBlue

Silver Swordsman said:


> What about the E5?


Akita Shinkansen is a mini shinkansen route in which requires a smaller loading gauge thus the E6.


----------



## Nexis




----------



## diablo234

Sunfuns said:


> That is indeed very unlikely, however traffic doesn't have to be THAT high for HSR to pay for itself. In Texas pretty much everybody who can afford to travel anywhere owns a car so it is very important that the newly built rail is a lot faster than driving and at the same time not massively more expensive.


People should also keep in mind that Houston, Dallas, and other cities in Texas tend to be more sprawling and more spread out compared with European, Japanese, or even cities in the Northeast US and/or California. Many travelers heading in either direction are probably not heading to the cities themselves but the suburbs which tend to be car orientated. So the advantage that High Speed Rail has in other parts of the world might not necessarily apply here.


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## Rodalvesdepaula

Nexis said:


>


Tokaido Shinkansen?


----------



## Sunfuns

diablo234 said:


> People should also keep in mind that Houston, Dallas, and other cities in Texas tend to be more sprawling and more spread out compared with European, Japanese, or even cities in the Northeast US and/or California. Many travelers heading in either direction are probably not heading to the cities themselves but the suburbs which tend to be car orientated. So the advantage that High Speed Rail has in other parts of the world might not necessarily apply here.


That is true, but there are plenty of people who's starting or ending point is in the central district of one of the cities. Suburb to suburb travel is probably not going to be attractive with this service particularly considering that the driving time from Houston to Dallas is not that large (= we are not in a fly + rent a car situation).


----------



## loefet

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Tokaido Shinkansen?


Yes, in this case. Could just as well have been the Sanyo Shinkansen line, since several trains do through service onto it.
The video was shot at this location: http://goo.gl/maps/nrDHc


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

^^

Huh, It's near Kyoto! I thought It was Hamamatsu or Nagoya area...


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## 00Zy99

Does anyone happen to know if the Chuo Shinkansen will be running at ground-level anywhere in the Tokyo area? Or what the approaches to Nagoya will look like (route, elevation, etc.)?

Also, is there a map of the Ou-Uetsu Shinkansen available in any detail?

Why do some stretches (Kyushu, Tohoku near Utsunomiya, essentially mimic the zairaisen tracks, but elevated? Doesn't that cause problems for the eventual grade separation of the local lines? Not to mention reducing top speeds on the Shinkansen.

Finally, why is it that so many Shinkansen stops are elevated? I think that Maibara and Karuizawa are ground-level, and Ueno and Annaka-Haruna are underground. One would think that there would be massive savings on real estate if they ran more of the line underground in places like Osaka, Nagoya, and Kyoto.


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## loefet

^^ Let's see. 
Most of the Chuo Shinkansen Line will be deep underground (40m+) in the Tokyo/Nagoya areas since that will save them the cost of land acquisition in these areas. But by going deep underground the cost for the tunnelling will rise accordingly so it will still be very expensive, it will still save time not having to do very little land acquisitions. 

I can't say that I have seen one, maybe someone else can help?

As said before, the cost to actually build a straight line right through a city will be astronomical if they decide to do that. More cost efficient to run it along rail corridors already in use. Sure tighter bends in the lines will reduce the top speed at those sections, but they don't really matter since most trains will stop at the station in the city (hence they will be reducing speed anyway) and that there are stringent noise limits enforced in Japan, meaning that the trains can't go speeding through a city at full speed as well.

Easy answer, grade separation. But as you said, there are several different types of stations, it all depends on the surroundings where they are located (also on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line there might have been a way to save cost, by not elevating some stations when they were built in the 1960's).
By having it up in the air makes it simple to grade separate them with all other lines, and will make it easier for roads, passages and other things that have to be near a station to fit easily and cost efficient. 
Sure they could free up land by undergrounding the stations and lines in the big cities, but there are almost always other lines running in parallel so you have to underground them as well for it to be a viable option. 
And I also don't think that the money that you can earn from the relatively small area the lines use will cover all the cost to make the tunnels and underground station buildings so it's not really a viable option. 

There is a commonly known fact that as soon as you decide to go underground all your assumptions on how much something will cost will go out the window. It will always cost more..
A very "infamous" project is the Swedish Hallandsås tunnel, which were supposed to be built within a couple of years and cost no more than 1 billion SEK, they have now been at it for 22 years and it will hopefully finally open next year, at a total cost of 12 billion SEK.


----------



## 00Zy99

Interesting.

Is there a detailed map of the Chuo alignment through Tokyo-especially Shinagawa-anywhere?

Is there a map of the Joetsu extension to Shinjuku anywhere?

Lastly, does anyone have a favorite Shinkansen interior design?


----------



## Sr.Horn

*E7 series in service from March 15*

According to a report today in the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, E7 trains will begin revenue operations on the Nagano Shinkansen route between Tokyo and Nagano from March 15. Three 12-car E7 trainsets will initially be introduced, providing 7 roundtrip services/day. The services will continue to use the Asama monicker used by the current E2 trains. With this introduction, 1/4 of all Asama services will be run with E7 trainsets (the regular schedule on this route sees 28 r/t a day). As the E7 trainsets are 12 cars, with a passenger capacity of 934, they provide 1.5 times the passenger capacity of the current E2 Asama trainsets, which have 630 seats.

http://www.shinmai.co.jp/news/20131220/KT131220ATI090006000.php



Additional information:
1. After next April, approximately one E7 trainset per month will be introduced to Asama services, replacing E2 formations.

2. Digital ATC will be introduced to the Nagano Shinkansen Line (currently the line uses analog ATC-1D adapted for 50/60hz current). This will shorten travel time on up direction services (Nagano-Tokyo), in one instance three minutes, to 1hr 20 min for the fastest service.

http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2013/12/20/350/


Thanks to bikkuri bahn @ JNSForum


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## sacto7654

Unforunately, once the E7's start to enter service in larger numbers, we could see the E2's now in _Asama_ service--the oldest E2's built--all head for the scrapyard, unless JR East decides to rebuild a small number of them and assign them to only the Tokyo-Nagano _Asama_ service in the future like what they did with a number of 200 Series trainsets that got life extensions in the late 1990's.


----------



## quashlo

Toyama Prefecture has produced a new commercial in preparation for the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension to Kanazawa and will begin airing the CM for a two-week period in March at the Shinjuku Piccadilly (新宿ピカデリー) movie theater and 66 TV screens at the Tōkyō Sky Tree.

News report.
The CM was filmed and directed by Motoki Katsuhide (本木克英), a native son of Toyama, and features _rakugo_ (落語) performer from Imizu City, Tatekawa Shinosuke (立川志の輔), speaking in his native Toyama dialect. There are four different versions, each 15 s spots.


----------



## quashlo

E7 began daytime testing on the Nagano Shinkansen on 2014.01.08. First day was two roundtrips (Tōkyō – Nagoya), reaching top speed (260 km/h) in order to get enough training in for the operators. Revenue service with E7 trainsets will begin on 2014.03.15.

News report:






Departing Nagano Station (2014.01.09):






A KNB video report on the changes at Toyama Station, focusing on some of the areas where local firms in Toyama are making contributions to the construction and design of the new line. Includes some details on the concrete slab segments and track switches, as well as a bit on the Free Gauge Train.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Is there any project for a possible Shikoku Shinkansen?


----------



## Xoser_barcelona

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Is there any project for a possible Shikoku Shinkansen?


I also always wondered, but I guess they will use the Gauge changing train and cross the bridge to Shikoku etc.. I would have personally loved drawing a straight line from Nagoya to Fukuoka and imagine the great works that could be done there. Still, planes, shrinking populations etc..too bad


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

I think that a "mini-Shinkansen" system could be the best option to Shikoku. This possible "Shikoku Shinkansen" would start in Okayama Station (Sanyo Shinkansen) with the trains running on Seto-Ohashi Line to Takamatsu. Thus, the line would follow Yosan Line to Matsuyama, the teminus station. 

Inside Shikoku island, Shikoku Shinkansen would have a extension of 195 Km. Between Okayama and Yosan Line, plus 46 Km. In all, the line would have 241 Km.

Stations of Shikoku Shinkansen would be as follow: Okayama, Utazu, Takamatsu, Tadotsu, Kanonji, Iyomishima and Matsuyama. 

For this, Yosan and Seto-Ohashi Lines they would have the gauge changed to 1435 mm, allowing a maximum safe speed of 140-150 km/h. However, I suggested the use of tilting trains with same technology of Alstom Pendolino (with Japanese-build trains, of course), with top speed of 175 Km/h. So, a service between Okayama and Matsuyama would have a duration of 100 minutes.

Shikoku Shinkansen trains would have two services:

- _Seto:_ Shin-Osaka/Takamatsu

- _Ishizuchi:_ Okayama/Matsuyama

With Shikoku Shinkansen, the night train _Sunrise Seto_ wolud be canceled.


----------



## Zero Gravity

quashlo said:


> A KNB video report on the changes at Toyama Station, focusing on some of the areas where local firms in Toyama are making contributions to the construction and design of the new line. Includes some details on the concrete slab segments and track switches, as well as a bit on the Free Gauge Train.


In the last video at around 2:30 they show some of the ballastless which actually rests on cushions. Is this new? I assume the purpose is to reduce noise and vibration which are a much bigger issue with ballastless track than with its counterpart. Can someone elaborate on the pros and cons of this? 
For example do they have to keep pumping air into them all the time or regularly or do they use it everywhere on the track or just special sections?


----------



## 00Zy99

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> I think that a "mini-Shinkansen" system could be the best option to Shikoku. This possible "Shikoku Shinkansen" would start in Okayama Station (Sanyo Shinkansen) with the trains running on Seto-Ohashi Line to Takamatsu. Thus, the line would follow Yosan Line to Matsuyama, the teminus station.
> 
> Inside Shikoku island, Shikoku Shinkansen would have a extension of 195 Km. Between Okayama and Yosan Line, plus 46 Km. In all, the line would have 241 Km.
> 
> Stations of Shikoku Shinkansen would be as follow: Okayama, Utazu, Takamatsu, Tadotsu, Kanonji, Iyomishima and Matsuyama.
> 
> For this, Yosan and Seto-Ohashi Lines they would have the gauge changed to 1435 mm, allowing a maximum safe speed of 140-150 km/h. However, I suggested the use of tilting trains with same technology of Alstom Pendolino (with Japanese-build trains, of course), with top speed of 175 Km/h. So, a service between Okayama and Matsuyama would have a duration of 100 minutes.
> 
> Shikoku Shinkansen trains would have two services:
> 
> - _Seto:_ Shin-Osaka/Takamatsu
> 
> - _Ishizuchi:_ Okayama/Matsuyama
> 
> With Shikoku Shinkansen, the night train _Sunrise Seto_ wolud be canceled.


I would think that the GCT would be far more feasible. Furthermore, I doubt that there could be such an increase in speed derived from changing the gauge, not to mention the high costs and attendant drop in local capacity. Introducing a tilting variant of the GCT would probably be the most cost-effective option. 

Furthermore, this would allow the _Sunrise Seto_ to continue to run. As it's apparently rather popular, I imagine that people would continue to ride it.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

^^Yes, a possible tilting GCT between Okayama (or Shin-Osaka), Takamatsu and Matsuyama could be a good option.

But I think that Japan is taking too long to develop GCT. Spain has Talgo gauge change system since 1960's and It works in _Alta Velocidad Española_ (Spanish high-speed train), with excellent results. Meanwhile, RTRI tests the new concept since 1998 and two prototipes have been built.


----------



## 00Zy99

Japan is working within the constraints of a narrower gauge. It also has to cope with greater performance tolerances on the Shinkansen, which was not originally intended for backwards compatability, and therefore likely has higher standards to meet. Furthermore, there is less incentive for Japan to work quickly due to the smaller market (Spain bordering France and having a massive potential cross-border issue with all of Europe).


----------



## Coccodrillo

^^ In addition to that Spain (and Portugal) plan to change gauge of the whole system, so there are and will be dozen of points where trains will have to change gauge, while in Japan narrow gauge lines will retain their gauge (with a few exceptions). Then I suppose that with narrow gauge there are also space constraints unkonwn in Spain (where the "old" gauge is wider).


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## Rodalvesdepaula

Yesterday, I saw in a Brazilian site about railways that, in 1980's, Japan had a project to introduce high-speed trains in narrow gauge at the top speed in 250 Km/h! This was true?


----------



## quashlo

*Japan plans JV firm to finance bullet train projects in India*
http://www.financialexpress.com/new...inance-bullet-train-projects-in-india/1220893



> Japan has offered to set up a joint venture company like the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to finance bullet train projects in India.
> 
> The project that also figured in the talks between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already been approved by the Planning Commission.
> 
> A Commission source said the proposed corporation will announce bullet trains for seven pair of destinations, all of them to be leveraged by a mix of yen debt and equity.
> 
> Japanese experts from a consulting firm and Indian officials have conducted surveys last week in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor (about 500 km) for a pre-feasibility study for the first of these projects. Prior to that, Government of India officials from the Commission and rail ministry have been over to Tokyo to complete the details of the project.
> 
> In the joint statement made by the two Prime Ministers it was agreed that after the issuance of the inception report of the High Speed Railway system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, the joint feasibility study should be completed by July 2015.
> 
> India has opted for the Japanese Shinkansen technology over competing models including the Chinese offer on two considerations. These include the safety of the Japanese technology and the niggling concerns about a tie-up with China on such a high technology project.
> 
> “The other is the cheaper funding that Tokyo has promised to make available for the project”, said the official. There were also offers from France and a couple of other countries too for the project, but just as in the case of the DMRC the government has plumped for Japan.
> 
> Each of these projects at over Rs 30,000 crore is beyond the capacity of the rail ministry to finance. Consequently it is a joint venture corporation that can finance and eventually run the high speed train corridors. A company can raise debt or equity from the markets that a government department will find impossible to do. In the Indian railway sector this will be the biggest single investment project rivalling the freight corridor plans. The project is expected to provide massive backward linkages for the rail based manufacturing sector which sits well with the government’s expectation for them too.
> 
> The joint statement is, however, guarded at this stage. Singh told Abe “that India will plan such projects based on its infrastructure priorities, commercial viability and financial resources in India”.
> 
> Among other things the Mumbai- Ahmedabad project will first need to identify the land corridor through which it will run since the existing rail tracks will not be good enough for them. But the Japanese consultants have not even reached the stage of identifying the land and have instead discussed issues like power availability, instead. There are varying estimates about the time period it will take for the first bullet train to move, but none of them put it at before 2020.
> 
> The other six corridors identified by the government include Amritsar-New Delhi-Patna, New Delhi-Jodhpur, Howrah-Haldia, Mumbai-Pune and Hyderabad-Thiruvananthapuram.
> 
> Experts said it was too early to even put a time line to any of them at this stage but work on some of them could begin concurrently.


----------



## quashlo

Looks like Kawasaki has expressed some interest in the joint order for high-speed trainsets for the NEC and California. Thanks to *k.k.jetcar* for the find.
http://journalstar.com/business/loc...cle_5295f674-8583-5814-853f-ed39ce2f618e.html



k.k.jetcar said:


> Kawasaki's train-car manufacturing division in Lincoln has an eye on new opportunities: combined requests for cars from Amtrak and California's High-Speed Rail Authority.
> 
> Amtrak issued a request Friday for proposals to supply it with 28 high-speed train sets, each with the capacity to carry between 400 and 450 passengers and the ability to match or exceed Acela speeds — to about 160 mph — on Amtrak’s existing Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C.
> 
> Amtrak and the California authority combining their requests will “generate economies of scale and make it more attractive for high-speed rail manufacturers to build factories here in the USA, bringing new high-quality jobs and creating ripple effects throughout our domestic supply chain,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph C. Szabo in a statement.
> 
> Kawasaki is already "here" and very interested.
> 
> "This is a high visibility project and Kawasaki has many years of experience manufacturing high speed rail," Mike Boyle, Lincoln plant manager, said in an email. "We are interested and currently studying the specifications to see whether or not this project fits in our wheelhouse."


----------



## quashlo

Snow action at Kitakami:


----------



## mkill

A Shikoku Shinkansen would be great, but it's unlikely that we'll see one in the next 20-30 years. There are still quite a few other routes in the pipeline that will see realization before that. After the current batch (Hokkaido all the way to Sapporo, Hokuriku full loop to Maibara or Osaka, Linear Shinkansen, Nagasaki) a Kyushu East side line may be more likely, as there is some push for it from Oita Prefecture.

I've travelled in Shikoku quite a lot, and what Shikoku needs much more are basic improvements to the existing lines. Most of them aren't even electrified yet! 
Start with that, then do some basic improvements to bring up the main trunks of the existing narrow gauge lines to 160kph, the current implemented maximum. 
Third, close the gaps between Uwajima and Sukumo in the west and Nahari and Kannoura in the east.

Together, these measures should still be massively cheaper than a full-on Shinkansen. Matsuyama - Okayama, the most likely Shinkansen route, is about 180 km. At 160 kph, that's about 1:15. At 250 kph, that's around 0:45. A noticeable difference, but not one worth spending billions of yen on.


----------



## quashlo

Some videos of the first public test rides on the E7 that started on 2014.02.07.
In addition to a test ride with members of the press, there were public test rides with passengers selected by lottery (a total of 210,000 people entered, although only about 3,000 were selected).

KNB:






Kyōdō News:


----------



## Equario

^^
Nice reports! 

By the way, who is that guy wearing yellow suit in the first video?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

Saw this Hitachi CM on TV this evening. Fitting out interiors to shinkansen trainsets.






extended version:


----------



## quashlo

Nice. Not the typical promo video, but it does raise the very salient point that technology is only a tool... At the end of the day, there are still people, and worksmanship, involved.



Equario said:


> ^^
> By the way, who is that guy wearing yellow suit in the first video?


He is a comedian (お笑い芸人) who goes by the name "Dandy Sakano" (ダンディ坂野)... He's from the Nagano area. The yellow suit is his usual outfit. He was hired to do a special TV report on the test rides:
http://www.mro.co.jp/tv/programs/z-kocho/blog/2014/02/004338.php


----------



## quashlo

Tōhoku Shinkansen trains at Shin-Shirakawa during the first blizzard this month (2014.02.08)


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

Are there many problems (delays, cancelations...) with Shinkansen in Tokyo area because blizzard that hits Kanto region?


----------



## hmmwv

quashlo said:


> Tōhoku Shinkansen trains at Shin-Shirakawa during the first blizzard this month (2014.02.08)


That's interesting, I do not know that Japan routinely couple two different models of EMUs together. I guess there is no reason not to, but just interesting to see.


----------



## quashlo

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Are there many problems (delays, cancelations...) with Shinkansen in Tokyo area because blizzard that hits Kanto region?


Normally, mild snow is not much of a problem, as most of the lines that have to deal with snow on a regular basis were designed with special features to deal with snow accumulation, etc. The only exception might be the Sekigahara (関ヶ原) section of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, an old section which has been a relatively persistent problem area when snow falls, forcing a temporary slow zone.

These last two storms were some of the worst in decades, with many areas receiving record-breaking snowfall, so yes, there was definitely more noticeable service disruptions than usual.


----------



## sacto7654

quashlo said:


> These last two storms were some of the worst in decades, with many areas receiving record-breaking snowfall, so yes, there was definitely more noticeable service disruptions than usual.


I believe the Tōhoku, Jōetsu and Nagano lines beyond Omiya did okay, considering all three were designed with heavy snow operations in mind....


----------



## quashlo

No, there were some major disruptions on Saturday due to the snow that fell overnight... Basically, there was just too much snowfall in a short time span, much of it in the Tōkyō / Kantō area where most of JR East's services are concentrated. 
http://www.sankeibiz.jp/compliance/news/140216/cpd1402160035000-n1.htm

Specifically:

Tōhoku and Akita Shinkansen only began service at 08:30
Nagano Shinkansen service was cancelled for the entire day
Service on Jōetsu Shinkansen between Takasaki and Echigo Yuzawa was suspended until evening
Snow removal on Yamagata Shinkansen between Fukushima and Yonezawa ran into difficulties, with service between Fukushima and Shinjō suspended virtually the entire day

A total of 95 trains on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen were also delayed, affecting 65,000 passengers. JR Central instituted slow zones between Tōkyō and Mishima, resulting in 15- to 25-minute delays.


----------



## M-NL

hmmwv said:


> That's interesting, I do not know that Japan routinely couple two different models of EMUs together. I guess there is no reason not to, but just interesting to see.


In fact, as far as Shinkansens go, it is actually uncommon for 2 equal models to be coupled. The only case they coupled equal models I know of was the coupling of 2 E4's. In all other cases is was the coupling of different models, usually a Shinkansen with a mini Shinkansen. 

Also note that only JR East couples trainsets, the other 3 JR's running Shinkansens have to my knowledge never done so.


----------



## Coccodrillo

^^ Shinkansen trains are usually made by long fixed trainsets (up to 16 cars) never split in normal service, while most European HSTs are 200 m long, and designed to be used in multiple when needed.

The exceptions are Eurostar trainsets (TGV and Velaro, because of Eurotunnel's rules) and ETR 500 trains (between 250 to 350 m, 2 locos+8 to 12 coaches).


----------



## M-NL

The Tokaido Shinkansen is currently strictly limited to 16 car units only. On the other lines 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 16 car units were/are operated, but the variations have been greatly reduced, because of the ongoing installation of platform doors and because it's easier for rolling stock planning.
As far as I know in Europe those lengths were standardised. 200m (ususally 8 cars) make up a half set, 400m (usually 16 cars) a full set. Even in Italy they follow this convention now as both the ETR1000 and the NTV Italos are 200m.


----------



## Equario

Test run at Takasaki Station


----------



## Numarine

:cheers:


----------



## Sunfuns

M-NL said:


> *The Tokaido Shinkansen is currently strictly limited to 16 car units only.* On the other lines 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 16 car units were/are operated, but the variations have been greatly reduced, because of the ongoing installation of platform doors and because it's easier for rolling stock planning.
> As far as I know in Europe those lengths were standardised. 200m (ususally 8 cars) make up a half set, 400m (usually 16 cars) a full set. Even in Italy they follow this convention now as both the ETR1000 and the NTV Italos are 200m.


Is to fully use existing capacity on this very busy line?


----------



## hmmwv

M-NL said:


> In fact, as far as Shinkansens go, it is actually uncommon for 2 equal models to be coupled. The only case they coupled equal models I know of was the coupling of 2 E4's. In all other cases is was the coupling of different models, usually a Shinkansen with a mini Shinkansen.
> 
> Also note that only JR East couples trainsets, the other 3 JR's running Shinkansens have to my knowledge never done so.


Good to know, I was curious because in China they have only coupled equal model trainsets together, at least to my knowledge. But that's getting rarer now as they are replaced with 16 car long trainsets.


----------



## M-NL

Sunfuns said:


> Is to fully use existing capacity on this very busy line?


For the most part yes, but it also allows them to standardise the stopping position, the door locations and to control dwelling times better and therfore maintain a tighter schedule. On the Tokyo end of the highly congested Tokaido Shinkansen it's easier to run an overcapacity train througout the day as it's nearly impossible to switch trainsets. The average delays prove the system works.


----------



## quashlo

A new CM produced by Kanazawa City to promote tourism in preparation for the Hokuriku Shinkansen opening next year:


----------



## hmmwv

Speaking of capacity, does JR sell standing tickets on Shinkansen?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

hmmwv said:


> Speaking of capacity, does JR sell standing tickets on Shinkansen?


Yes, though that term is not used. Unreserved seating tickets (jiyuseki tokkyu ken) entitle passengers to ride/stand in the unreserved seating cars in a train. This is why you see trains loaded to beyond 100% capacity during holiday seasons. If standing, and someone seated by you happens to detrain before your final destination, of course you can sit in that vacated seat.


----------



## quashlo

New official logo of the E7 series.
This is the JR East version, but the JR West version is basically identical.


----------



## quashlo

*Timeline for Shinkansen’s Sapporo extension could feasibly be accelerated by 5+ years
新幹線札幌延伸、５年以上工期短縮可能　荒川副知事が提示*
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFC0700Y_X00C14A2L41000/

In regards to accelerating the construction timeline for the second phase of the Hokkaidō Shinkansen from Shin-Hakodate to Sapporo, the vice governor of Hokkaidō Prefecture indicated at a bi-partisan LDP (自民党) and New Kōmeitō (公明党) project team meeting in Tōkyō on 2014.02.07 that optimization of tunnel construction methods and other measures could accelerate the timeline by over 5 years.

In particular, the vice-governor stated that increased efficiencies in tunnel construction and a fast-tracked start to design work could allow the open five years before the current schedule of FY2035 close. He indicated, however, that any large-scale acceleration of the project timeline would require taking steps on the funding side, requiring cooperation from the national government.

Many members of the Hokkaidō financial sphere are particularly eager to see the construction timeline for the Sapporo extension accelerated. With 76% of the alignment in tunnels, however, securing the necessary funding is one of the major obstacles to achieving the desired timeline.


----------



## Svartmetall

Just a few pictures from my brief ride on the Shinkansen back in December 2013. Sorry they are not very good.

Heading up to the Tokaido Shinkansen platforms at Tokyo Station



Looking down the train



Platform Information



On board



At Shin-Yokohama saying bye bye to the train



Shin-Yokohama Station


----------



## quashlo

Video report on Toyama’s efforts to market itself as a tourism destination for Tōkyōites in preparation for next year’s Hokuriku Shinkansen opening:


----------



## sacto7654

The biggest beneficiary in terms of tourism would be Kanazawa, since that city has many historical buildings that predate World War II (Kanazawa was one of the few larger cities that was not flattened by USAAF bombers during the war). There are almost no buildings in Toyama that predate the war, since a raid on the night of August 1-2, 1945 effectively flattened the entire town.

It will be very interesting to see what the town of Itoigawa will do with the opening of the Shinkansen station there--the JR Station there is best known as the terminus of the Ōito Line that leads back to Matsumoto (and has spectacular scenery between Itoigawa and Minami-Otari Stations).


----------



## sacto7654

By the way, JR East has unveiled the new liveries for the Yamagata Shinkansen E3 trainsets

New Yamagata Shinkansen colors, from _Japan Railfan Magazine_ online:

http://railf.jp/news/2014/03/04/171500.html

New _Toreiyu_ excursion trainset rebuilt from former E3 trainset used on Akita Shinkansen line, also from _Japan Railfan Magazine_ online: 

http://railf.jp/news/2014/03/04/173000.html

I'm not sure if the new Yamagata Shinkansen colors complement the scenery between Fukushima and Yamagata/Shinjo, though.


----------



## quashlo

Here is the full set of renders from the press release. The renovation was designed by Ken Okuyama. I guess he is becoming to JR East what Mitooka Eiji is for JR Kyūshū... Makes me wonder who JR Wes has in mind for their luxury sleeper service.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2013/20140303.pdf

New exterior livery of _Tsubasa_ will feature a four-color palette of “Mandarin duck purple” (おしどりパープル), “safflower yellow” (紅花イエロー), “safflower red” (紅花レッド), and “Zaō bianco” white (蔵王ビアンコ), the latter a reference to the snow-covered Mt. Zaō.










New logos on the sides for the four seasons:



















New logo for the _Toreil_, which will be a specially redesigned E3 set for leisure travelers.










Cars 12-14 will be reserved seating in traditional Japanese style (お座敷) with _tatami_ bamboo seating. The ceiling and seat backings will feature reliefs of Yamagata’s harvest of fruits.










Car 15 will be a lounge car featuring more _tatami_ seating, cherry wood tables, lacquer-like walls, and faux stone-cobbling.



















Car 16 will be the foot spa (足湯), with two safflower red basins. The interior will be traditional “black wall” (黒塀) and feature vertical louvers as accents. The design concept is that you have a foot bath then go to the 湯上がり lounge car to relax (basically like après-ski, but the main event is the foot spa instead of skiing).










Exterior design of the _Toreil_, which features “Mogami blue” (もがみブルー), “Tsubasa green” (つばさグリーン), “Gassan green” (月山グリーン), and “Zaō bright” (蔵王ブライト) white.


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## sacto7654

The _Toreiyu_ trainset--as noted--only runs between Fukushima and Shinjo stations--essentially, limited to a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). Think of it as a pretty expensive _Joyful Train_ excursion trainset. 

If that excursion train is successful, expect maybe another one to be built for the Akita Shinkansen line between Morioka and Akita, probably in livery almost akin to the _Toreiyu_ trainset but in the color palette identical to that of the E7 trainsets.


----------



## ab_ltf

absolutely beautiful concept 

thumbs up


----------



## quashlo

sacto7654 said:


> The _Toreiyu_ trainset--as noted--only runs between Fukushima and Shinjo stations--essentially, limited to a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). Think of it as a pretty expensive _Joyful Train_ excursion trainset.


This is actually a very good point... I glossed over this when reading the press release, but it appears that this train will not be operated on the Tōhoku Shinkansen. This may be the first time Shinkansen-class rolling stock has been "downgraded" to _zairaisen_-only operations... I'm not aware of any similar precedence off the top of my head.


----------



## sacto7654

quashlo said:


> This is actually a very good point... I glossed over this when reading the press release, but it appears that this train will not be operated on the Tōhoku Shinkansen. This may be the first time Shinkansen-class rolling stock has been "downgraded" to _zairaisen_-only operations... I'm not aware of any similar precedence off the top of my head.


I wouldn't call it _zairaisen_ operations--after all, they are running the E3 trainset on the 1435 mm (standard) gauge trackage between Fukushima and Shinjo. I always think of _zairaisen_ trains as rolling stock on 1067 mm (Cape) gauge.


----------



## quashlo

I understand what you are trying to get at, but the track sections defined as the "Akita Shinkansen" and "Yamagata Shinkansen" are officially _zairaisen_:
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/在来線

It's mostly a semantic thing, but _zairaisen_ (在来線) ("pre-existing line") doesn't have anything to do with gauge... Officially, it's anything that's not Shinkansen (新幹線) ("new mainline"), where the latter is defined as track designed for 200 km/h or faster.



> 新幹線鉄道とは、全国新幹線鉄道整備法第2条に規定される「その主たる区間を列車が二百キロメートル毎時以上の高速度で走行できる幹線鉄道」であり、在来線はこの規定に当てはまらない鉄道路線となる。秋田新幹線や山形新幹線といった、いわゆるミニ新幹線は、旅客案内上「新幹線」と称してはいるが、現状では主たる区間を200km/h以上で走行できないため、これらの路線は法規上は「新幹線」にあたらず「在来線」に分類される。また、新幹線規格の設備や車両を使用していても、博多南線や上越線支線（上越新幹線）の越後湯沢駅 - ガーラ湯沢駅間は、旅客営業上「在来線」である。


It just so happens that most of the JNR / JR network outside of Shinkansen is 1,067 mm, but the gauge, by itself, is not the determining factor. Technically, all of the private railways (私鉄) and subways in Japan, in all their various gauges, are also _zairaisen_, although you typically don't use that term when talking about them because there is no Shinkansen on those networks, hence no need to draw the distinction in the first place.


----------



## chornedsnorkack

quashlo said:


> I understand what you are trying to get at, but the track sections defined as the "Akita Shinkansen" and "Yamagata Shinkansen" are officially _zairaisen_:
> http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/在来線
> 
> It's mostly a semantic thing, but _zairaisen_ (在来線) ("pre-existing line") doesn't have anything to do with gauge... Officially, it's anything that's not Shinkansen (新幹線) ("new mainline"), where the latter is defined as track designed for 200 km/h or faster.


Um, that´s a contradictory definition.
Tracks that are new built and designed are by definition not "zairaisen". But they also are not "mainline" and therefore also not "Shinkansen" if they are designed for less than 200 km/h.
So what is the name for new built lines under 200 km/h, whatever their gauge?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> So what is the name for new built lines under 200 km/h, whatever their gauge?


Simply a new line, or new railway. Definitely not "shinkansen". If JR, they fall under the umbrella of zairaisen.


----------



## Wee.tanuki

Zairaisen is best translated as "conventional rail". It's not a gauge issue or an issue of when the line was built. Shinkansen means "new trunk line" but it only remains because the name stuck with the public. "Kousoku tetsudou" is used for foreign high-speed rail lines, like TGV and ICE.


----------



## embassyofaudrey

no one can beat japan in term of railways.  awesome concept. kay:


----------



## quashlo

chornedsnorkack said:


> Um, that´s a contradictory definition.
> Tracks that are new built and designed are by definition not "zairaisen".


If they are not Shinkansen, then yes, they are _zairaisen_. For example, lines or track sections built after the Tōkaidō Shinkansen are all"zairaisen", as long as they are not Shinkansen (e.g., Keiyō Line), although as stated previously, these distinctions are usually only made when talking about JR.

"Pre-existing line" is simply the direct translation of the characters (在来線)... I only put it there for reference as a contrast to "new mainline" for Shinkansen. When translating, probably best to just leave it as is ("_zairaisen_") or use "conventional line" or "non-Shinkansen line".


----------



## quashlo

Here's a better look at the nose of the third-generation FGT at Kawasaki's plant:


----------



## riles28

What is the actual time table to test the free gauge train from conventional line to shinkansen track? and the 3rd generation fgt are the actual train to use in this test?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

Another pic of the 3rd gen. FGT, speculation it's Kyushu-bound, eventually.
https://twitter.com/kokutetu65/status/442327347488768000/photo/1


----------



## k.k.jetcar

riles28 said:


> What is the actual time table to test the free gauge train from conventional line to shinkansen track? and the 3rd generation fgt are the actual train to use in this test?


Testing will begin sometime in fiscal 2014 (from April), between Kumamoto and Kagoshima Chuo. The train will run on 1067mm track between Kumamoto and Shin-Yatsushiro, and then on shinkansen tracks between the latter and Kagoshima Chuo. Testing will last 3 years, running 600,000 km.

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/society/news/2013/01/07/kiji/K20130107004931260.html

Info about the former installation of the gauge changing device at Shin-Yatsushiro and track diagrams:
http://deadsection.image.coocan.jp/dead_sec/shinyatsushiro/shinyatsushiro.htm

Video from 4 yrs. back, unfortunately at night and from a distance, of the device in operation:


----------



## riles28

I'm just wondering what component are new in the 3rd generation fgt train,compare in the first and second model, and i observe the 3rd generation are based from the E7 shinkansen


----------



## riles28

Are the Hokuriko shinkansen line would also use FGT in the near future? Because their are prohibition for putting change the gauge from standard to narrow.


----------



## riles28

The FGT is very closely to E7 when it comes to shape of the front.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

riles28 said:


> Are the Hokuriko shinkansen line would also use FGT in the near future? Because their are prohibition for putting change the gauge from standard to narrow.


Yes, there is a proposal to run FGT once the Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Tsuruga (est. 2025). This will allow one-seat through services to Osaka (via the Kosei Line) and to Maibara/Nagoya (via the Tokaido Line).


----------



## riles28

k.k.jetcar said:


> Yes, there is a proposal to run FGT once the Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Tsuruga (est. 2025). This will allow one-seat through services to Osaka (via the Kosei Line) and to Maibara/Nagoya (via the Tokaido Line).


Great idea whether you are from north, south, east and west connecting by one train using FGT.


----------



## Sr.Horn

New livery for Shinkansen E4 series like former E1 units. Now, E4 series do the MAX Toki and MAX Tanigawa services on the Joetsu Shinkansen.











Former E1 regular on services MAX Tanigawa and MAX Toki:










E2 series have a similar livery:


----------



## Hegemonic

Sr.Horn said:


> New livery for Shinkansen E4 series like former E1 units. Now, E4 series do the MAX Toki and MAX Tanigawa services on the Joetsu Shinkansen.


Is this Takasaki Station in the Gunma Prefecture?


----------



## Sr.Horn

^^ Yea


----------



## DelightfulDelight

i like the new E4 Series

:cheers:


----------



## dimlys1994

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...nagano-–-kanazawa-shinkansen.html?channel=542
> 
> *Tracklaying completed on Nagano – Kanazawa Shinkansen*
> Wednesday, May 28, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A CEREMONY was held at Toyama station on May 24 to mark the completion of tracklaying on the 228km Nagano – Kanazawa section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, with around 60 dignitaries tightening bolts on the final section of rail.
> 
> The Nagano - Kanazawa section has five tunnels the longest being the 2.2km Iiyama tunnel, and a number of major bridges spanning rivers. There are six intermediate stations including Joetsu, Itoigawa and Toyama. Tracklaying began in December 2010 in the Iiyama Tunnel and test operation began on the section between Nagano and Kurobe in Toyama prefecture in December 2013. Testing is due to be extended to the Kurobe – Kanazawa section in August and commercial services will begin operating on the Yen 1.78 trillion ($US 17.5bn) line next March.
> 
> The line will be jointly operated by JR East and JR West, and the two railways have jointly procured a fleet of 27 trains for Tokyo – Kanazawa services, which will be known as series E7 by JR East and series W7 by JR West.
> 
> The journey time between Tokyo and Kanazawa will be cut to 2h 30min from 3h 47min via the present route which involves taking a Joetsu Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Echigo-Yuzawa and connecting with a 1067mm-gauge train on the Hokuetsu Kyuko line which has a maximum speed of 160km/h.


----------



## Coccodrillo

The Iiyama tunnel is 22.2 km long, not 2.2. Long, but quite shallow: 325 m at the deepest point.


----------



## 00Zy99

Does anyone happen to know what was displaced by the Tohoku extension from Omiya to Ueno?

Particularly at Nippori where the tracks emerge from below ground. And at Akabane and Omiya, did they remove additional platforms at those stations?


----------



## Momo1435

^^

*Nippori*

At Nippori 2 island platforms were removed, you can tell from the platform numbers which jump from 4 to 9. Platforms 5-6 & 7-8 were removed and were replaced with 4 tracks without a platform and the entrance to the tunnel. But not much more has been done to the JR station, it's mostly the Keisei station which has seen a complete transformation in recent years.


*Akabane *

Akabane Station was completely transformed with the Tohoku line extension, but everything was pretty much done in the same space as the old station. At the same time as the construction of the Shinkansen tracks the regular tracks in the station were also elevated. This was actually only fully completed in 1998. The construction of the Saikyo Line also meant the addition of an extra Island platform, this line was constructed together with the Tohoku line extension and follows the same route between Akabane and Omiya. 

Akabane Station 1974









http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/大宮駅_(埼玉県)


*Omiya*

The Shinkansen Station in Omiya was constructed on the west side of the station, right next to the regular station. It was constructed on the side of the freight tracks and the old west station building. The whole area on this side of the station has been redeveloped at the same time, there was a lot of space available. 


Omiya Station 1975









http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/大宮駅_(埼玉県)


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## Sr.Horn

From now, test rides. :cheers:



> *Hokuriku Shinkansen line between Nagano, Kanazawa completed*
> 
> 
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> TOYAMA--With the tightening of final ceremonial bolts here at JR Toyama Station on May 24, the Nagano-Kanazawa section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line was completed about a year ahead of the first official run.
> 
> The railway connects Tokyo and Kanazawa, capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, and runs through the cities of Nagano and Toyama. Bullet trains are already operating between Tokyo and Nagano.
> 
> Eventually, it will connect Tokyo and Osaka, a second bullet train line between the two major cities, along with the Tokaido Shinkansen.
> 
> In the ceremony on May 24, about 60 people including local government leaders of four prefectures along the line--Nagano, Niigata, Toyama and Ishikawa--tightened the last bolts. Then, a rail car for construction work made a ceremonial run along the connected rail.
> 
> After the Hokuriku Shinkansen line starts operations in spring 2015, bullet trains will run the 454-kilometer railway between Tokyo and Kanazawa in about two and a half hours. Travel time between Tokyo and Toyama will be about two hours.
> 
> Meanwhile, the section between Kanazawa and Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, is scheduled to be operating around 2025. The route between Tsuruga and Osaka has yet to be decided.
> 
> The total construction costs of the Nagano-Kanazawa section stand at about 1.78 trillion yen ($17.5 billion). Workers began to lay tracks in December 2010 in the Iiyama Tunnel in Iiyama, northern Nagano Prefecture.
> 
> Test runs started in December 2013 in the stretch between Nagano and Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture. In the section between Kurobe and Kanazawa, test runs are scheduled to start in August this year.
> 
> In the testing, West Japan Railway Co.’s latest W7 series trains will travel at a speed of up to 260 kilometers per hour. Staff members will also check the gaps in heights between the trains and platforms of each station.


ASAHI SHIMBUN

FNN News report:


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## sacto7654

It's official. The E4 will soon be leaving service on JR East:

*In the Need for Speed, JR East Retiring all Double-Decker Shinkansen*
_Asahi Shimbun_ English web site
June 6, 2014

*Read the full article here*



> With speed taking priority over capacity, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will retire all double-decker Shinkansen trains that have carried commuters to and from Tokyo for 30 years.
> 
> The Joetsu Shinkansen Line, which connects the nation’s capital with cities in Niigata Prefecture, is currently the only JR East bullet train service with the bilevel cars.
> 
> “Speed will become more important as the Hokuriku Shinkansen will start operating in 2015, followed by the Hokkaido Shinkansen in 2016,” a JR East official said. “I should say that double-decker trains, which prioritized mass transport over speed, have completed their role.”


The article does not state when will the E4's retire, but my guess is it could be as early as March 2015, probably two weeks before the start of the 2015 fiscal year in Japan. 

I personally think this may lead to a speedup of Jōetsu Shinkansen services, since we no longer have E4's limited to 240 km/h on this line. My guess is that with later-production E2's now moved to the Jōetsu line to effectively turn Jōetsu Shinkansen service into all E2 trainsets, the top speed will be raised from the current 240 km/h to 260 km/h between Omiya and Takasaki (to maintain compatibility with the newly-arriving E7/W7 trainsets) and 275 km/h between Takasaki and Niigata.


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## M-NL

They also do not seem to need the double deckers anymore. Also they aren't very popular, probably because of the 3+3 seating in unreserved standard class. It would be no problem at all to build faster ones though, considering that the fastest train in the world (Alstom V150) was also double deck, because of better aerodynamics.
All JR's know they could always have double deck Shinkansen again should the need arise.


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## Erick Satoh

For almost a year they already scapping some Sets 





https://www.youtube.com/user/akihito327

March or September of 2016 will retire all Sets


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## Equario

Quite interesting article:

*Why Japan's high-speed trains are so good *



> MANY countries seem obsessed with high-speed rail. On June 4th in the Queen's speech, the opening of the British parliament for 2014-15, the government confirmed its commitment to a controversial high-speed link known as HS2. France is slowly expanding its high-speed lines (known as the TGV) while other countries, such as Spain and China, are rapidly enlarging their networks of whizzy trains. Japan's high-speed "bullet" train is often held up as an exemplar by rail boosters and governments keen to acquire their own shiny new train-sets. How did Japan come to be the world leader in high-speed trains?
> 
> Trains are symbolic of modernity in Japan. During the Meiji restoration in the late 19th century, when Japan modernised at break-neck speed, the high technology of the day was the locomotive. By the 1930s the first railway trunk route, linking Tokyo with cities such as Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, had become heavily congested, according to Christian Wolmar, a railway expert. The first high-speed railway, known as the Shinkansen ("new mainline"), cut journeys between Tokyo and Osaka by two hours (from six to four) when it opened in 1964. This made it competitive with air travel, an industry which Japan had eschewed after the second world war, to avoid inadvertently stoking fears of rearmament. Geography influenced the rail network's development: most of Japan's 128m inhabitants live in a few densely-populated parts of the country. By linking those dense populations together—nearly 40m people in greater Tokyo with 20m residents of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto—the railway helped to shift business patterns, making day-trips between Tokyo and Osaka possible. Many of its customers were rich and willing to pay for more expensive high-speed tickets. The service had carried 100m passengers within three years and 1 billion by 1976. Now around 143m use the railway annually.
> 
> In 1987 Japan's national railways were divided and privatised into seven for-profit companies. JR East, the largest by passenger numbers, does not require any direct public subsidy from the Japanese government, unlike the heavily-subsidised TGV in France. One reason for its efficiency is that JR East owns all the infrastructure on the route—the stations, the rolling stock and the tracks—meaning there are fewer management teams duplicating each other's work. (By contrast in Britain, for instance, ownership of the tracks and trains is split up.) But the railway also thrives because of a planning system that encourages the building of commercial developments and housing alongside the railway route. JR East owns the land around the railways and lets it out; nearly a third of its revenue comes from shopping malls, blocks of offices, flats and the like. This money is reinvested in the network. In Britain, where planning and transport are rarely aligned, it is hard to create similarly successful commercial developments. Indeed, most of the plans for the areas around the stations of HS2 are vague, and some of the stops along an earlier line, HS1, are still underdeveloped, years after the line was built.
> 
> The ability to build large developments alongside the high-speed railways is a boon to the Japanese bullet line, as is the ability to charge high ticket prices. (When Koichi Tanaka, a scientist, won the Nobel Prize in 2002 he was reported as saying he would use the money to buy a ticket on the Shinkansen, to loud cheers.) But even so, 71% of the revenue from passenger tickets at JR East comes from the conventional, slower railway. Countries looking to lay down speedy new tracks might want to consider investing in their existing railway lines as well.


http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/06/economist-explains-7?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ee/tr/japanshighspeedtrainaresogood


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## sacto7654

That _Economist_ article points out the reason why JR Kyushu has built massive shopping complexes around Hakata, Kokura and Kagoshima-Chūō Stations and why JR West does the same with their major stations.


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## 00Zy99

What's the total mileage in the basic plan again?


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## 2co2co

If you talk about commercial developments along the railway route, you should look at Tokyu Corporation. They are exporting their urban development model to Vietnam nowadays. http://www.amchamvietnam.com/5653/j...y-and-transport-infrastructure-in-binh-duong/


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## k.k.jetcar

^^
That's a good point. Most of the big commercial development by railway companies in Japan (the so-called TOD in N. America), is done along legacy and urban/commuter rail lines. Which makes sense, because people use commuter trains and urban transit _everyday_, unlike high speed rail, which is used only occasionally by most. Something to consider when people tout, perhaps over-enthusiastically, TOD around high speed rail stations.


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## chornedsnorkack

k.k.jetcar said:


> That's a good point. Most of the big commercial development by railway companies in Japan (the so-called TOD in N. America), is done along legacy and urban/commuter rail lines. Which makes sense, because people use commuter trains and urban transit _everyday_, unlike high speed rail, which is used only occasionally by most. Something to consider when people tout, perhaps over-enthusiastically, TOD around high speed rail stations.


Um, are you saying development around *lines* or around *stations*? Because people cannot use lines, only stations.

How many Shinkansen stations exist in Japan? 
On the whole Tokaido Shinkansen, 17 stations, there is exactly 1 station that is not a zairaisen station (Shin-Fuji). Is there any development there? And how about the rest of Shinkansen network?


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## k.k.jetcar

^^
Of course, the primary development occurs at stations, which are located along (or at the ends) of railway lines- were you being deliberately obtuse? In the case of Tokyu, which is one of the pioneers of TOD in Japan, whole neighborhoods popped up around their lines/stations, such as a good portion of territory along the Den-en Toshi Line.

As for shinkansen stations, most of the development is _due to the presence of legacy lines with sufficient traffic sharing the same station_. Greenfield HSR stations w/o legacy rail links lack attractiveness for tenants ("there is no there, there")- Shin Yokohama Station was located in a very rural area of patchwork farms and open fields, and remained underdeveloped until the 1980's, despite having a legacy rail connection- only within the last 10 years has a shopping center w/ a major tenant been constructed next to the station. More recently, the site of the Shin-Hakodate/Hokuto station is having trouble attracting tenants- even JR is not interested in building a hotel next to their station.


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## chornedsnorkack

k.k.jetcar said:


> ^^
> Of course, the primary development occurs at stations, which are located along (or at the ends) of railway lines- were you being deliberately obtuse? In the case of Tokyu, which is one of the pioneers of TOD in Japan, whole neighborhoods popped up around their lines/stations, such as a good portion of territory along the Den-en Toshi Line.


What land grants do Japanese railways get? Is it a fixed width strip along the line regardless of where the railway chooses to make stations, or something else?

If it is a fixed width strip then it is hard to develop the vicinity of stations because that´s where the railway needs to use the full width of its land grant for the station itself. It is in the stationless stretches of railway that the railway ends up with strips of land in excess of their needs, and available for commercial development....


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## timo9




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## sacto7654

k.k.jetcar said:


> Shin Yokohama Station was located in a very rural area of patchwork farms and open fields, and remained underdeveloped until the 1980's, despite having a legacy rail connection- only within the last 10 years has a shopping center w/ a major tenant been constructed next to the station.


If the information from Wikipedia is correct, the area around Shin-Yokohama Station--despite being the intersection with the (then) JNR Yokohama Line--stayed undeveloped until the Yokohama Subway Blue Line was extended to Shin-Yokohama in 1985. (Before then, only the _Kodama_ all-stops train stopped at Shin-Yokohama.) Real development took off during th 1990's, when the arrival of the _Nozomi_ trains using the faster 300, 500 and finally 700 Series Shinkansen trainsets made it possible for all _Nozomi_ trains to stop at Shin-Yokohama without disturbing the time scheduling.


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## SamuraiBlue

sacto7654 said:


> If the information from Wikipedia is correct, the area around Shin-Yokohama Station--despite being the intersection with the (then) JNR Yokohama Line--stayed undeveloped until the Yokohama Subway Blue Line was extended to Shin-Yokohama in 1985. (Before then, only the _Kodama_ all-stops train stopped at Shin-Yokohama.) Real development took off during th 1990's, when the arrival of the _Nozomi_ trains using the faster 300, 500 and finally 700 Series Shinkansen trainsets made it possible for all _Nozomi_ trains to stop at Shin-Yokohama without disturbing the time scheduling.


The area was basically a swamp and was difficult to develop right away. I live quite near the place and remember the area before development really took off.


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## doc7austin

Some Shinkansen trains passing Maibara Station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen line:


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## wwc234




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## Sr.Horn

> *Foot baths to debut on Yamagata bullet train*
> 
> YAMAGATA – JR East unveiled on Monday a new “resort train” that will allow passengers on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line to soothe their feet.
> 
> The carriage, which was shown to the media in the city of Yamagata, will make its debut July 19, allowing tourists to enjoy the landscape along the train line while soaking their feet in an “ashiyu,” or warm-water foot bath.
> 
> The service will be offered in one car of the six-car train on the route connecting Fukushima Station in Fukushima Prefecture with Shinjo Station in Yamagata Prefecture. The train can hold 143 passengers.
> 
> The special car will contain two red foot baths that are supposed to resemble fields of red safflowers — the symbol of Yamagata Prefecture. Another car will be fitted with tatami to relax on after the soak, as well as a bar that will serve locally brewed sake.


THE JAPAN TIMES


^^ Some photos from www.tetsudo-shimbun.com


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## sacto7654

Alas, this special train will *NOT* be travelling on the main Tōhoku Shinkansen line--it's only on the Yamagata Shinkansen line between Fukushima and Shinjo, so the top speed is limited to 130 km/h (81 mph).


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## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...ies-w7-shinkansen-ready-to-start-testing.html
> 
> *Series W7 Shinkansen ready to start testing*
> 03 Jul 2014
> 
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> 
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> _JR West Series W7 high speed trainset, photos by Akihiro Nakamura_
> 
> JAPAN: JR West is preparing to start testing the Series W7 trainsets it is acquiring for use on the Hokuriku Shinkansen which opens for revenue service in March 2015. Two trainsets are being commissioned at Hakusan depot, around 10 km west of Kanazawa, ready for the start of test running on the new line from August 1.
> 
> The 10 Series W7 sets are identical to the 17 Series E7 units being purchased by JR East, creating a combined fleet of 27 units. A development of the Series E2 design built in 1995-2002, the trains are being supplied by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Hitachi, J-TEC, and Kinki Sharyo. Like the Series E2s, they are equipped to operate at both 25 kV 50 Hz and 25 kV 60 Hz, changing frequency three times in the course of a journey between Tokyo and Kanazawa.
> 
> Each 12-car trainset is formed of two driving trailers and 10 intermediate motor cars powered by AC motors using VVVF inverter controls. A total power rating of 12 MW will enable the trains to run at up to 275 km/h on the line’s 3% gradients, although the maximum speed in service is expected to remain at 260 km/h. The trains are fitted with low-noise pantographs and snow ploughs to cope with heavy snowfall in the region. The braking performance has been boosted by 10% to cope with the steep gradients and to ensure a safe emergency stop in the event of an earthquake.
> 
> The vehicles have aluminium alloy bodyshells to an aerodynamic profile. The single GranClass car in each set has full active suspension, with a semi-active suspension provided for the remaining 11. Each train will accommodate 18 GranClass passengers, 63 in Green Car and 835 in standard class. The exterior livery of ivory and sky blue, with a copper lining, represents a theme of Wa no Mirai (the future of harmony), combining traditional Japanese craftsmanship with the latest technology.
> 
> The two railways plan to operate three types of service on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Kagayaki expresses will connect Tokyo and Kanazawa in 2 h 30 min, while intermediate stations will be served by the slower Hakutaka trains. JR West will also operate a Turuga shuttle service along the coastal section between Toyama and Kanazawa


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## wwc234




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## 00Zy99

What is the steepest grade on the Shinkansen? Where is it/what line is it? Does anyone know? Pictures, please?

Also, which stations are underground? Could someone post pictures of the platforms?


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## k.k.jetcar

The steepest grade is between Annanka Haruna and Karuizawa, at 3% or 30 permils, on the Nagano Shinkansen. This is mainly in tunnel, but this section just outside Annaka Haruna appears to have a grade (down direction i.e. away from Tokyo trains are left to right, going up the grade):


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## k.k.jetcar

Ueno Station, underground shinkansen station, last month:


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## sacto7654

By the way, in the original plan for the alignment for the Nagano Shinkansen line through the Ueda Valley, they planned to bypass Karuizawa with the alignment much further south, which allowed for at most 1% grades. The decision to accommodate the location of the original JNR Karuizawa Station is the reason why east of Karuizawa, the grade is quite steep so the line can reach Takasaki in the shortest fashion possible.


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## TWK90

I boarded E7 in Omiya earlier this month


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## bluemeansgo

Does anyone know of any articles talking about the impact of all the LCCs opening up in Japan recently? Peach, Jetstar... is there talk of reducing prices on the Shinkansen to compete or are they comfortable with the declining pax count?

Do they see the LCC industry as unsustainable, even as they built new expensive lines like the Chuo Maglev line?


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## sacto7654

Test runs have begun on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line west of Jōetsumyōkō Station using the JR East E926 _East-i_ inspection trainset. These YouTube videos are courtesy of YouTube member whitewing681:

Leaving Toyama Station:






Passing through Tsubata Town in Ishikawa Prefecture:






Arrivinng the Hakusan General Rolling Stock Depot at Hakusan City in Ishikawa Prefecture:


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## k.k.jetcar

> What year is this photo?


Sometime prior to March, 2010.


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## M-NL

How can you tell, because of the 16-car 500-series, the location or something else?


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## loefet

M-NL said:


> How can you tell, because of the 16-car 500-series, the location or something else?


Because the last run with a 500 Series train with 16 cars in Tokyo were on the 28:th of February 2010. So if you want a more accurate date then it will be much harder to find since you really need to go into the details to get one.


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## Gusiluz

^^ Thank you! 
Wondered why the date, because I could not be present. 
............... 
I just added to the wikipedia entry on Spanish, shinkansen travelers for years and companies (passengers and passengers/km), but I'm missing part of 2012 and 2013, any help would be appreciated.

EDIT: 
Ups... I forgot to put the link:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen


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## Sr.Horn

Few minutes before 6 AM, railway staff from JR Central conmemorate at the track 19 in Tokyo Station. The firs train of the day was an N700-Advance, Nozomi 1 service. The situation was the same as half century ago.

Tsuge Yasuhide, President of JR Central speaks.








Let's take a look to other cities along the Tokaido Shinkansen.

Shizuoka. First Kodama 700 bound for Tokyo.








Nagoya. First Hikari 500 bound for Tokyo.








Shin-Osaka. Simultaneous exit of the first Nozomi 200 bound for Tokyo at 6 AM.






______________________________________


Scenes at Tokyo Station of tetsudo-fans waiting and receiving gifts from railway company.












Bank of Japan will launch commemorative coins for all types of Bullet Train.






______________________________________

In the spanish section I posted some photos with comments of an extended report from Asahi Shimbun.

Spanish: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=117825821&postcount=2722

Japanese: http://www.asahi.com/special/train/2014shinkansen50/


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## coth

Iiyama station by karibajct @youtube


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## coth

Iiyama station by karibajct @youtube


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## Donegal

Happy Anniversary!


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## Minato ku

Half a century of great service ! :cheers:


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## I(L)WTC

Japan's emblem!


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## Dooie_Amsterdammert

Congrats on one of the best trainservices worldwide celebrating 50 years of HST :banana:


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## Sr.Horn

H5 Series at KHI Plant in Kobe.



















https://twitter.com/Rh500_55 and http://8720496.blog.fc2.com/


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## riles28

Any update about the FGT train base in Kyushu, and the train will run in different part of Japan or only in kyusu?


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## k.k.jetcar

riles28 said:


> Any update about the FGT train base in Kyushu, and the train will run in different part of Japan or only in kyusu?


It is undergoing a thorough battery of running tests, last month it was at the Shin-Yatsushiro gauge changing facility:










This particular type (or rather the revenue version of it) will likely run only in Kyushu, as JR West is going to develop a different trainset for use on the Hokuriku shinkansen.


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## sacto7654

Congratulations on the train that literally changed the world.









Before the Shinkansen, everyone--even in Japan--thought that passenger trains were on their way out, replaced by automobile and airplanes as the primary means of transportation. But the enormous success of the Tokaidō Shinkansen proved everyone wrong, and as a result, other HSR systems started to appear around the world, such as the French TGV/LGV and today's China Rail High-speed (CRH) system. Indeed, the TGV/LGV was one major reason why they finally decided to build the Channel Tunnel, especially when _Eurostar_ trains can now go from central London to central Paris in only 2 hours 15 minutes.


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## riles28

k.k.jetcar said:


> It is undergoing a thorough battery of running tests, last month it was at the Shin-Yatsushiro gauge changing facility:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This particular type (or rather the revenue version of it) will likely run only in Kyushu, as JR West is going to develop a different trainset for use on the Hokuriku shinkansen.


I Thing the design will be use on Hokuriko Sinkansen will base on the E7, if we look the FGT 3rd generation it's base on the nose of E7


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## SamuraiBlue

Blast from the past.



> *Working out the bugs in first shinkansens*
> 
> TOKYO — “The rails on the line weren’t completely connected until just three months before the startup of services, so in some sectors we had to hold down speed to 70 kmh,” Kameo Seki, age 81, recalls in Shukan Shincho (Oct 16).
> 
> Seki drove the first shinkansen departure, Hikari No. 1, from Tokyo Station on Oct 1, 1964
> 
> “But the conductor kept popping into the driver’s compartment to ask me, ‘At what point will we be surpassing 200 kmh?’ Passengers had jammed into the buffet car, where they could watch the speedometer mounted on the wall.”
> 
> “Since the train wasn’t due in Osaka until four hours later, I could get there without hitting 200 kmh, so I held the speed around 160 as far as Kyoto,” says Seki.
> 
> However, Kazutaro Oishi, 81, the motorman in Hikari No. 2 that departed from Osaka, was reluctant to disappoint his passengers. After departing from Kyoto station and traveling past Lake Biwa the train reached a long straightaway and Oishi turned up the speed to 200 kmh. The length of the train erupted with passengers’ shouts of jubilation............... to read further click here


After that it's history.:banana:


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## Sr.Horn

First H5 arriving at Hakodate Port. October 12th:






October 13th:







Leaving Kobe on October 8th:


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## wwc234

cr Toshihiko Satou‎
shinkansen shin-hakodate open 2015 and sapporo open 2035


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## Honolulu

00Zy99 said:


> Apparently, JR East sends 400 trains a day in and out of Tokyo on the Shinkansen.


2) How many trains run on the Tokaido Shinkansen?

0? Tokaido Shinkansen = JR Central, not JR East

4) Will we ever see a train through from Kagoshima to Tokyo?
Apart from technical and logistics problems, there really wouldn't be much of a point to that. The distance from Kagoshima to Tokyo is long enough that most people traveling that route will prefer to take an airplane. There is a very clear sweetspot distance at which HSR becomes viable due to the time it takes compared to the time wasted at an airport and flight time and with the prices especially of the Shinkansen being relatively high it makes no sense to have a Shinkansen all the way from southern Kyushu to Tokyo.


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## Sunfuns

Japanese are building those new lines very slowly. To save money (avoid loans), I assume. Otherwise the extension to Sapporo could easily be started and finished in 7-8 years.


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## bluemeansgo

Honolulu said:


> 4) *Will we ever see a train through from Kagoshima to Tokyo?*
> Apart from technical and logistics problems, there really wouldn't be much of a point to that. The distance from Kagoshima to Tokyo is long enough that most people traveling that route will prefer to take an airplane. There is a very clear sweetspot distance at which HSR becomes viable due to the time it takes compared to the time wasted at an airport and flight time and with the prices especially of the Shinkansen being relatively high it makes no sense to have a Shinkansen all the way from southern Kyushu to Tokyo.


Also, you would only be saving something like 10 minutes. 

Currently getting off a Nozomi train at Osaka, Kobe or Okayama and waiting for the Mizuho to Kagoshima is 10–15 minutes. 

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/s...h_target=route&facility=reserved&sum_target=7

The fastest trip I could find was 394 minutes. Even if a through train could cut this down to 380 minutes it would only be one or two trains per day. Mizuho (I think) runs 6 trains daily. 

A flight would take (conservatively) 290 minutes (1 hour window at the airport). 

The Chuo Shinkansen will change this dynamic dramatically but since you would still incur a transfer at Osaka to regular Shinkansen Mizuho it still wouldn't be a one seat ride. It could reduce the trip within spitting distance of a flight though!!


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## chornedsnorkack

bluemeansgo said:


> Also, you would only be saving something like 10 minutes.
> 
> Currently getting off a Nozomi train at Osaka, Kobe or Okayama and waiting for the Mizuho to Kagoshima is 10–15 minutes.
> 
> http://www.hyperdia.com/en/cgi/en/s...h_target=route&facility=reserved&sum_target=7
> 
> The fastest trip I could find was 394 minutes. Even if a through train could cut this down to 380 minutes it would only be one or two trains per day. Mizuho (I think) runs 6 trains daily.


Yes, but it is a connection. You cannot settle your body and luggage into the seat and not bother moving till Kagoshima. A connection, even a quick one, is a significant loss of convenience.

For comparison, there are currently 5 CRH trains daily Beijing-Guangzhou. The fastest is 7:59 for 2104 km distance. The other 4 take from 9:14 to 10:01. As well as 5 direct slow speed trains, trip time for 4 of them between 21:00 and 21:47, the fifth is 29:31.
Beijing-Nanning has 2 CRH trains, trip times 13:32 and 13:38, and 3 slow speed trains, trip time 23:46 to 31:04.

How many direct zairaisen trains daily now travel Kagoshima-Tokyo, and what is the trip time?


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## bluemeansgo

chornedsnorkack said:


> Yes, but it is a connection. You cannot settle your body and luggage into the seat and not bother moving till Kagoshima. A connection, even a quick one, is a significant loss of convenience.
> 
> For comparison, there are currently 5 CRH trains daily Beijing-Guangzhou. The fastest is 7:59 for 2104 km distance. The other 4 take from 9:14 to 10:01. As well as 5 direct slow speed trains, trip time for 4 of them between 21:00 and 21:47, the fifth is 29:31.
> Beijing-Nanning has 2 CRH trains, trip times 13:32 and 13:38, and 3 slow speed trains, trip time 23:46 to 31:04.
> 
> How many direct zairaisen trains daily now travel Kagoshima-Tokyo, and what is the trip time?


Chinese travel is a different beast. If I'm not mistaken, train travel is considerably cheaper than air travel, meaning people are willing to travel much longer distances for longer periods to save money. 

The same thing is found in Japan for their overnight buses. They're usually considerably cheaper than Shinkansen and so, as a result, students and discount travellers tend to use them more frequently. In fact, your AVERAGE Japanese person doesn't really ride the Shinkansen that often at all.

Although a connection is an inconvenience, it's an inconvenience for a relatively few number of people. Don't get me wrong, I think there should be one train that goes from Shin-Aomori to Kagoshima... just because it's kind of cool to take a super long distance train at ~300km/h.

However, JR West / JR Kyushu / JR Central actually have a pretty good pattern. As it is, for MOST travellers, there is a direct train with overlap. So... Nozomi will go from Tokyo to Hakata without a forced stop in Osaka. 

Mizuho is also an overlapping one-seat ride originating in Osaka to Kagoshima. 

MOST Southern Kyushu travellers won't be travelling further than Osaka by train. Most Kanagawa travellers won't be travelling further than Hakata by train.

JR East, on the other hand forces ALL routes to Stop at Tokyo Station. You can't even travel from Yokohama to Ueno (which is far as the trains go before splitting into the various lines. 

To me, this is FAR more inconvenient for far more people. If you're north of Tokyo, you can't get to Shinagawa or Yokohama without a transfer. Then again, for short trips, most people probably aren't taking Shinkansen anyhow.

To further fragment things, I believe the Chuo Shinkansen won't even make it as far as Tokyo station. It will stop at Shinagawa. Apparently extending to Tokyo station would be cost-prohibitive. 

Apart from being run as separate companies, I wonder if part of the reason for the separation is so that different technologies can be used for different lines. I mean, do you really want to use the E5 on the Tokaido line if you can't take advantage of the line? The e5 was built for the Tohoku line especially, just like the tilting N700 was built for the Tokaido line and the 500 series was originally built for the San-yo line. I believe the trains up to Nagano are purpose built for their weather up there and the Nagasaki line will use FGT trains.


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## bluemeansgo

chornedsnorkack said:


> Yes, but it is a connection. You cannot settle your body and luggage into the seat and not bother moving till Kagoshima. A connection, even a quick one, is a significant loss of convenience.
> 
> For comparison, there are currently 5 CRH trains daily Beijing-Guangzhou. The fastest is 7:59 for 2104 km distance. The other 4 take from 9:14 to 10:01. As well as 5 direct slow speed trains, trip time for 4 of them between 21:00 and 21:47, the fifth is 29:31.
> Beijing-Nanning has 2 CRH trains, trip times 13:32 and 13:38, and 3 slow speed trains, trip time 23:46 to 31:04.
> 
> How many direct zairaisen trains daily now travel Kagoshima-Tokyo, and what is the trip time?


As a side note. That's an impressive number sustained over a long time. It practically equals the average speeds seen parts of the Tohoku line in Japan. How many stops are on that route?

Average speed of *263km/h* between Beijing and Guangzhou (2104 km)
Hayabusa avg is *264 km/h* between Omiya and Shin Aomori ( 683 km )
Mizuho averages *257 km/h* between Osaka and Hakata (622 km)
Mizuho averages *250 km/h* between Osaka and Kagoshima (939 km)
Hayabusa avg is *240 km/h* between Tokyo and Aomori (713 km)*

*Tokyo - Omiya is limited to 110km/h

I can see future speed increases to the Tohoku line between Omiya and Aomori as JR East is working towards a max speed of 360 km/h by 2020.


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## M-NL

Higher speeds only work on long stretches of track, where they can be maintained for longer periods. Otherwise a train with a lower top speed but better acceleration would be better. A N700A would not work on the Tohoku Shinkansen, an E5 not on the Tokaido, simply because both were optimised for their territory.


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## bluemeansgo

Yes. That's what I was getting at. To be fair, though,it's not that different train sets would not work, it's that they're not optimized.


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## ddes

Sure, a Aomori to Kagoshima service would be nice, but if the demand between these two city pairs isn't high enough, it will only see segmented passengers not too different from the status quo. Just about the only thing that would change is the chance for cross territory operations by the operator.


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## M-NL

Exactly. I keep forgetting to use exact formulations to make sure the text exactly expresses what I mean with as less a possible room for interpretation.

With these two specific models it's not just optimisation: The N700A runs on 60Hz power only, the E5 on 50Hz only, so they could run on each others sections even if they wanted to.


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## chornedsnorkack

bluemeansgo said:


> Chinese travel is a different beast. If I'm not mistaken, train travel is considerably cheaper than air travel, meaning people are willing to travel much longer distances for longer periods to save money.


That´s... arguable, at least for G trains.

Tokyo-Hakata: 1069 km

Wuhan-Shenzhen North: 1072 km
17 G trains daily
1 express train, G77, at 4:13, 2 stops
the remaining 16 trains from 4:39 to 5:14, 5 to 10 intermediate stops
Ticket price, second class (5 abreast) - all trains 538 yuan/88 US$
Also 5 slow speed trains, trip time 12:06 to 19:42 (all 5 overnight)
price for hard seat, about 154 yuan/25 US$.

So, how do the prices of Tokaido/Sanyo shinkansen compare with the alternatives - Tokyo-Fukuoka flights, zairaisen direct trains, and buses? What is the zairaisen direct train time?



bluemeansgo said:


> The same thing is found in Japan for their overnight buses. They're usually considerably cheaper than Shinkansen and so, as a result, students and discount travellers tend to use them more frequently. In fact, your AVERAGE Japanese person doesn't really ride the Shinkansen that often at all.


How do the prices of overnight zairaisen trains compare with overnight buses?


bluemeansgo said:


> JR East, on the other hand forces ALL routes to Stop at Tokyo Station. You can't even travel from Yokohama to Ueno (which is far as the trains go before splitting into the various lines.


The problem is forced termination, not forced stop.


bluemeansgo said:


> To me, this is FAR more inconvenient for far more people. If you're north of Tokyo, you can't get to Shinagawa or Yokohama without a transfer. Then again, for short trips, most people probably aren't taking Shinkansen anyhow.


Yes, but long enough trips? Like Sendai-Osaka et cetera?


bluemeansgo said:


> To further fragment things, I believe the Chuo Shinkansen won't even make it as far as Tokyo station. It will stop at Shinagawa. Apparently extending to Tokyo station would be cost-prohibitive.


And Chuo Shinkansen is completely incompatible tracks anyway.
What is current opening date of Tohoku Jukan line?


bluemeansgo said:


> I believe the trains up to Nagano are purpose built for their weather up there and the Nagasaki line will use FGT trains.


More importantly, the break of frequency is at Tokyo Station. The trains built for Tokaido Shinkansen physically cannot travel to Ueno, because their engines will not work at 50 Hz, and the trains for Tohoku or Niigata Shinkansen physically cannot travel to Shinagawa because their engines will not work at 60 Hz.

However, Nagano Shinkansen is the first Shinkansen to cross frequency break. Does it mean that the trains of Nagano Shinkansen, that are built to cross the frequency break at Karuizawa Station to 50 Hz, can continue to cross the frequency break again at Tokyo Station to 60 Hz and proceed to Kagoshima?


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## M-NL

chornedsnorkack said:


> However, Nagano Shinkansen is the first Shinkansen to cross frequency break. Does it mean that the trains of Nagano Shinkansen, that are built to cross the frequency break at Karuizawa Station to 50 Hz, can continue to cross the frequency break again at Tokyo Station to 60 Hz and proceed to Kagoshima?


There are a few things that make this impossible at the current moment:

As far as I know there aren't any tracks leading through Tokyo station
There is a strict 16-car with a specific door placement train only policy on the Tokaido
The Tokaido and Nagano Shinkansens use different ATC systems

Note that subseries of both the 200-series and the E2 are 50/60Hz trains, because part of the Nagano Shinkansen already used 60Hz. The novelty of the new Hokuriku Shinkansen is the fact that train switch between 50Hz and 60Hz multiple times during the journey and that some sections of track can be fed with both frequencies (of course not simultaneous).


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## k.k.jetcar

> What is the zairaisen direct train time?


There is no such train between Tokyo and Kagoshima. The last train to ply that route, the overnight _Hayabusa_, was cut back to Kumamoto in 1997 due to declining ridership. The whole train was later axed in 2009. Of course, the name lives on with the Tohoku Shinkansen service. People who want to travel that route now fly, which is still pleasant in Japan, unlike the USA. Real cheapskates with plenty of time can take a combination of buses, ferries or the like.


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## chornedsnorkack

What is the distance Tokyo-Sapporo by zairaisen?

What I get is 1182,5 km, but the data are confusing, so who can check?


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## Sr.Horn

^^ Ueno - Sapporo is 1214.9 km, basically the Hokutosei train route: Tohoku Main Line, Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, Aoimori Railway Line, Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line, Hakodate Main Line until Oshamambe, Muroran Main Line until Tomakomai, and Chitose Line.

Maybe by full Hakodate Main Line is few kilometers less


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## bluemeansgo

chornedsnorkack said:


> That´s... arguable, at least for G trains.
> 
> Tokyo-Hakata: 1069 km
> 
> Wuhan-Shenzhen North: 1072 km
> 17 G trains daily
> 1 express train, G77, at 4:13, 2 stops
> the remaining 16 trains from 4:39 to 5:14, 5 to 10 intermediate stops
> Ticket price, second class (5 abreast) - all trains 538 yuan/*88 US$*
> Also 5 slow speed trains, trip time 12:06 to 19:42 (all 5 overnight)
> price for hard seat, about 154 yuan/*25 US$*.
> 
> So, how do the prices of Tokaido/Sanyo shinkansen compare with the alternatives - Tokyo-Fukuoka flights, zairaisen direct trains, and buses? What is the zairaisen direct train time?



Buses are usually cheapest for longer routes.
Flights are usually on par with Shinkansen (LCCs can be cheaper than Shinkansen)
zairaisen (regular trains) aren't really practical at this distance because of the number of transfers

The CHEAPEST that I could find that can get from Tokyo to Fukuoka by train is 11 transfers, 22 hours and ¥13,970.

The faster Limited Express trains (still non-shinkansen) route still is quite a few transfers.

Nozomi Shinkansen is ¥22,950 and 5 hours. 0 transfers.

You can see why people will fly or take Shinkansen for longer trips.

If they could reduce this route down to $88, like the Chinese line does, I'm sure more people would opt to take the train over flying. I don't think you can fly that route in China for $88. It's still a luxury, so more people opt for longer train journeys. 

It's a different market.

Also, that is one continuous line. connecting two major metropolises. It's essentially the Tokyo - Osaka of China. (Yes, I realize that you could probably make the same argument for Beijing - Shanghai). Travel patterns are different.

China, I think, has done a really good job on their routing and rail build-out. They had the advantage of doing it all in one shot, but even still... that is NOT an easy task to pull off.



> And Chuo Shinkansen is completely incompatible tracks anyway.


Yes. That's correct. Since any trip will incur an automatic transfer... if you're going to Kagoshima you might as well take the Chuo line. Nozomi will still force a transfer.



> More importantly, the break of frequency is at Tokyo Station. The trains built for Tokaido Shinkansen physically cannot travel to Ueno, because their engines will not work at 50 Hz, and the trains for Tohoku or Niigata Shinkansen physically cannot travel to Shinagawa because their engines will not work at 60 Hz.
> 
> However, Nagano Shinkansen is the first Shinkansen to cross frequency break. Does it mean that the trains of Nagano Shinkansen, that are built to cross the frequency break at Karuizawa Station to 50 Hz, can continue to cross the frequency break again at Tokyo Station to 60 Hz and proceed to Kagoshima?


Good question. My guess is that they probably technically COULD be engineered to go all the way to Kagoshima.

I guess the other technical challenge would be that someone said that there are NO through tracks at Tokyo station?

If anyone has a track diagram, I'd love to see it.

All this aside, I still think that making Tokyo a through station would reap FAR more benefits than a one seat ride to Kagoshima.


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## chornedsnorkack

bluemeansgo said:


> Buses are usually cheapest for longer routes.
> Flights are usually on par with Shinkansen (LCCs can be cheaper than Shinkansen)
> zairaisen (regular trains) aren't really practical at this distance because of the number of transfers
> 
> The CHEAPEST that I could find that can get from Tokyo to Fukuoka by train is 11 transfers, 22 hours and ¥13,970.
> 
> The faster Limited Express trains (still non-shinkansen) route still is quite a few transfers.
> 
> Nozomi Shinkansen is ¥22,950 and 5 hours. 0 transfers.
> 
> You can see why people will fly or take Shinkansen for longer trips.


Cannot yet see. How do bus trip times and prices compare?


bluemeansgo said:


> Also, that is one continuous line. connecting two major metropolises. It's essentially the Tokyo - Osaka of China. (Yes, I realize that you could probably make the same argument for Beijing - Shanghai). Travel patterns are different.


Example of Beijing-Shanghai.
2 trains daily that are not CRH.
The distance on old lines is 1461 km.
The limited express T109 makes 9 stops, and completes the trip in 15:11
The passengers have a choice of 4 travel classes, and 8 different prices.
The option to sit the night in "hard seat" is there, and costs 177,5 yuan/US$ 29.
There are 3 classes of sleepers offered:
"hard sleeper", actually soft, but 3 levels of berths and no doors between compartment and aisle. Upper bunk is cheapest at 304,5 yuan/US$ 50, middle bunk at 315,5 yuan/US$ 52, lower bunk at 325,5 yuan/US 53.
"soft sleeper", with compartment doors and 4 berths per compartment at 2 levels. Upper bunk 476,5 yuan/US$ 78, lower bunk 497,5 yuan/US$ 82.
"deluxe soft sleeper", 2 berths per compartment, still lower and upper, and seats on the opposite side of compartment. 919,5 yuan/US$ 151.
So that limited express is one choice. The other is train number 1461. 
29 stops. Trip time 20:14.
Slightly cheaper. Hard seat 156,5 yuan/US$ 26, hard sleeper ranges from upper bunk 283,5 yuan/US$ 46 to lower bunk 304,5 yuan/US$ 50.

So... Tokyo-Sapporo is shorter than the 1461 km Beijing-Shanghai. How much does a direct zairaisen train Tokyo-Sapporo take time and money?


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## k.k.jetcar

> How much does a direct zairaisen train Tokyo-Sapporo take time and money?


The overnight limited express Hokutosei takes 16 hours and 12 minutes Tokyo(Ueno) to Sapporo. Cost is 27,980 yen, including the cheapest open berth charge (B shindai). More deluxe accomodations are extra money. This is a cruise train plain and simple, no business travelers or those who value their time take this. 99% fly.


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## Asakaze

There is no direct train between Tokyo and Sapporo, the two remaining overnight trains Cassiopeia and Hokutosei start from Ueno. The cheapest option is a B sleeper berth for 26,900 Yen. Using the Shinkansen and limited express trains is cheaper (24,480 for unreserved seats from Shin-Aomori on, the Hayabusa does not have official unreserved seats).
Of you use the ferry from Oarai in Ibaraki prefecture to Tomakomai on Hokkaido, the fare would be 8.500 for the ferry and 4.350 for trains from Ueno to Oarai and from Tomakomai to Sapporo.　Time is about 26 hours, the ferry company offers a combined ticket for 9.990 Yen for their bus service to and from the ports.

There is of course the Seishun 18 Ticket on which one can travel for 2.100 Yen per day on all JR lines, but that's for people with a lot of time and a love for changing trains. During high season, when the Moonlight Nagara between Tokyo and Ogaki is running, you can make it from Odawara (first stop after midnight) to Hakata in one day. 
Fares for the direct bus offered by Nishitetsu from Shinjuku to Hakata (14.5 hours) start at 8.300 Yen.



> If anyone has a track diagram, I'd love to see it.


There is one at an article about the Shinkansen on the Nikkei site:
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFK2903Y_Z20C14A1000000/
The next page has an old diagram before the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Tokyo station. I don't have time for elaborations now, sorry. 5 minutes past midnight and time for bed ;-).


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## Svartmetall

To be perfectly honest, the fare to Fukuoka from Tokyo is cheap for that kind of distance and speed. 

Travelling from Malmö to Umeå in Sweden by train takes 11 and a half hours and costs 1315 SEK (18,435 JPY) for a distance of 1,247.0km. This is slow but it is the cheapest one can get for regular trains. 

You'll also never be able to compare Chinese and Japanese prices. I mean, look at the average earning power between the two countries. It's a flawed comparison. Of course they'll have to price the CRH lower otherwise they'll not be able to get people to ride it. You should look at the fares as a percentage of median monthly income. Then you'll get a fair comparison.


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## k.k.jetcar

As a side note, the Cassiopeia is _not_ running at all from this month through the middle of December due to work of preparing shinkansen operations through the Seikan Tunnel.

http://www.jreast.co.jp/cassiopeia/schedule/


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## chornedsnorkack

Asakaze said:


> Fares for the direct bus offered by Nishitetsu from Shinjuku to Hakata (14.5 hours) start at 8.300 Yen.


In other words, a direct bus exists, but a direct zairaisen does not, and the cost of zairaisen is always at least 170 % of bus price. Obviously zairaisen has no advantage for long distance travel.

What is the longest distance from Tokyo where there actually are direct, daytime zairaisen services?


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## bluemeansgo

chornedsnorkack said:


> In other words, a direct bus exists, but a direct zairaisen does not, and the cost of zairaisen is always at least 170 % of bus price. Obviously zairaisen has no advantage for long distance travel.
> 
> What is the longest distance from Tokyo where there actually are direct, daytime zairaisen services?


The Super Twilight Express, which is an overnight sleeper from Osaka to Sapporo is probably one of the longer trains with sleeper services and it is also, sadly, being discontinued once the Shinkansen opens to Hakodate in Hokkaido next spring. Ironically, this has made this train almost impossible to get tickets for. The tickets sell out within seconds of going on sale (1 month ahead of time).

Sleeper services just aren't popular with Japanese people (except when they announce that they're discontinuing them, apparently!). Keep in mind that Japanese people usually have very short vacations. This makes time more valuable than money... which makes flying more economical than trains.

It's a similar pattern to Europe. Although Londoners will take the train to Paris and maybe Spain, they will usually opt for an LCC when flying further.

Long distance trains are also more expensive than ferries and buses, so the price-conscious consumer opts for boats and buses (and recently, LCCs) instead.


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## bluemeansgo

Svartmetall said:


> You'll also never be able to compare Chinese and Japanese prices. I mean, look at the average earning power between the two countries. It's a flawed comparison. Of course they'll have to price the CRH lower otherwise they'll not be able to get people to ride it. You should look at the fares as a percentage of median monthly income. Then you'll get a fair comparison.


Too true. Very Different market Two countries separated by a common character set . CHR rail is heavily subsidized and was designed to make the nation more mobile. 

It was also built in a very short period of time. The Shinkansen network has grown over 50 years, establishing travel patterns over time. I'm sure we'll see changes in the Chinese network as the median income increases and people settle in different areas.


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## chornedsnorkack

bluemeansgo said:


> Too true. Very Different market Two countries separated by a common character set . CHR rail is heavily subsidized and was designed to make the nation more mobile.


Um. Look at the examples I brought.
Japan Tokyo-Hakata: cheapest zairaisen trip (11 trains!) is over 60 % of Shinkansen price.
China Shenzhen-Wuhan: hard seat on slow train is under 30 % of CRH price.

Which would you suspect of being "heavily subsidized": CRH, or Chinese slow speed rail?


bluemeansgo said:


> It was also built in a very short period of time. The Shinkansen network has grown over 50 years, establishing travel patterns over time. I'm sure we'll see changes in the Chinese network as the median income increases and people settle in different areas.


Maybe.
First high speed railway in China was opened in 2007 (speeding up the Qinhuangdao-Shenyang railway).

Second high speed railway in Japan, Sanyo Shinkansen Osaka to Okayama, was opened in 1972 - 8 years after Tokaido Shinkansen.

How does the Tokaido Main Line compare? Back in 1964, Tokaido Main Line zairaisen on the double track electrified line took 6:30. In the same 1964, the first Kodama trains on Shinkansen had the maximum speed of 210 km/h, and took something like 4:10. How did the ticket prices compare in 1964?
And what is the best zairaisen direct train time for Tokyo-Osaka now?


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## bluemeansgo

chornedsnorkack said:


> Which would you suspect of being "heavily subsidized": CRH, or Chinese slow speed rail?


CRH. I'm not familiar with the older Chinese rail network. 

If you're interested, information on the overall profitability of the Chinese HSR network can be easily found. e.g. http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20130203000075&cid=1202

If a rail network is running at an operational loss, it means prices are subsidized (by either debt, government funding, etc.). 

I don't think this is a bad thing. This rail network is an important long-term play to improve national mobility. Look at how it has transformed Japan.



> And what is the best zairaisen direct train time for Tokyo-Osaka now?


http://www.hyperdia.com/en/

Hope that helps.


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## wwc234

cr Shunya Ikeda‎


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## Svartmetall

^^ *Sigh* For the final time before I start deleting everything you post, please give the photos CONTEXT - tell us where they are from! Coupled with that, please give a HYPERLINK back to the original site where the photos are hosted, not just a "credit" mark at the bottom. 

I have told, and told you about this and it is imperative for us to get this information or it is just needless posting of someone else's photos.


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## 00Zy99

At least this time, they are somewhat useful, new, and relatively exotic.

I really appreciate the chance to see the E3 in its new color scheme.


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## Svartmetall

That's true, but it has to be informative for us all - including those of us on the site who don't know there is a new livery. All that was needed was "New livery on E3 Shinkansen on xxxxx line at xxxx station" followed by "source: http://www*****xxxxxxxx*****". That's really the gold standard for contributions to the site that are not your own. 

Context is always good for us all as it stimulates discussion.


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## Sr.Horn

Too many warnings. Give way to the *banned* status, please.


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## Svartmetall

^^ He's been infracted again and so next step is brig followed by ban. Worry not, I'm keeping an eye on him.


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## Gusiluz

*Evolution of the maximum speeds on the Shinkansen*

Mentioned in another thread, I think your site is this:

*210* km/h. 01/10/1964 (day/month/year). First 0 series Tokaido Shinkansen, JNR. Join Tokyo and Osaka, an average of 129 km/h. However, the fastest train between stations was the French Mistral, with an average of 132 km/h. 01/11/1965: first Hikari services (only 8 of the 17 stops) join Tokyo-Osaka in 3 h 10 m, an average of 163 km/h. This line increased its top speed to 220 in 01/11/1986: 22 years to climb 10 km/h !!. 
*240 *km/h. 14/03/1985. 200 F series. Tohoku Shinkansen, JNR. Join Tokyo and Morioka. 
*275 *km/h. 10/03/1990. 200 F90 series. Joetsu Shinkansen, JR East. Join Tokyo and Niigata, 186 km/h on average. 
*300 *km/h. 22/03/1997. 500 series. Sanyo Shinkansen, JR West. Join Osaka and Hakata, 242 km/h on average. Faster than now. 
320 km/h. 18/03/2013. E5 series. Tohoku Shinkansen, JR East. Join Tokyo with Aomori, 226 km/h on average. 
*360 *km/h, scheduled for 2020 with E5/H5 series in the Utsunomiya-Morioka section of the Tohoku Shinkansen.


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## Rodalvesdepaula

Are there conditions to use Pendolino-style high-speed trains in Tokaido Shinkansen?

N700 trainsets has an tilt suspension system, but the train inclines only up to 3 degrees at 270 Km/h. Pendolino trains incline up to 8 degrees. I think JR Tokai should consider to buy new 7-degrees tilt trainsets for Nozomi service.


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## sacto7654

While parts of the Tokaidō Shinkansen line could be bumped up to 300 km/h (especially between Maibara and Kyoto and portions of the line between Mishima and Toyohashi Stations), there are still considerable speed restrictions between Shinagawa and Mishima Stations due to the considerable curves on that part of the Tokaidō line. Between Shin-Osaka and Hakata Stations, the _Nozomi_, _Mizuho_ and _Sakura_ trains can reach 300 km/h on N700 trainsets.


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## bluemeansgo

Pendelino trains would have to meet the noise pollution guidelines. That is usually the major sticking point whenever foreign trains are under consideration. That and profitability and acceleration.

Mind you... If we were to be honest... Neither French nor Japanese train companies would realistically buy foreign trains. Both countries have robust train economies and local contracts will generally be chosen and likely be cheaper anyhow.


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## loefet

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> Are there conditions to use Pendolino-style high-speed trains in Tokaido Shinkansen?
> 
> N700 trainsets has an tilt suspension system, but the train inclines only up to 3 degrees at 270 Km/h. Pendolino trains incline up to 8 degrees. I think JR Tokai should consider to buy new 7-degrees tilt trainsets for Nozomi service.


There are more technical problems than the ones stated above, like there is no Pendolino train that is approved for 300 km/h service today. The N700 and E5/E6 trains are the highest speed ones that have any degree of controlled tilt. 

Also introducing a higher tilt train on the line will force the manufacturer to make a train with a smaller loading gauge so that it will be able to tilt without interfering with the surroundings. This is due to the the tight space you run these lines, the space between the trains and the sizes of the tunnels are "much" smaller than on other high speed lines in the world. And in the end a smaller loading gauge will either reduce the number of passengers or make the trains more cramped, something that I doubt will be welcomed by either JR Central or the public. 

The thing is though, the days of Nozomi trains are numbered, especially now when they have got the approval for the Chuo line, which when built will remove the Nozomi service on part (once it reaches Nagoya) and the whole Tokaido line (when it reaches Osaka), making your whole point redundant. 

There are speed-up plans for for the Tokaido line, but in reality then the travel times won't plummet more than a few minutes due to the big number of stations on that line and the amount of trains that travel the line today. The plan as I understand is that the section between Kyoto and Maibara could get an speed increase to 330 km/h, the "tight" turns at Mishima could get a raised to 280 km/h and the rest of the line 300 km/h. 
But as early as next year (hard to say if it's the fiscal year or not) then we might actually see that some Nozomi trains that will run at up to 285 km/h.
But it will still take some time to get more of them, since only trains fo the N700A standard will run at that speed. So until all trains are of that standard, meaning that the N700 ones need the upgrades and the 700 are all but retired then I doubt that we will see anything faster in the coming years.


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## Gusiluz

^^ There is a tilt system for 9 years running at 300 km / h, but not a Pendolino system, is the natural tilting by Talgo, used in 102/112 series. 
No need sensors, accelerometers, inclinometers, gyroscopes and GPS, gauge has no problems. Natural tilt, or passive suspension, used by Talgo, is to raise the level of suspended high above the center of gravity, with balls of air suspension pressure on the roof ; thus, the cars are suspended from the dampers: like a pendulum. Boxes lean in corners by centrifugal force, unambiguously and without energy. The maximum slope is 4.5 °. The system is Type B by the locomotive, since the cars are Type C.


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## loefet

^^ Ah, missed that one. 
But I doubt that even that type of passive solution would work any better on any full Shinkansen line. The way that the Talgo system works then there is too much movement at the bottom of the car so that it will leave the Shinkansen loading gauge, unless they made the train body about 40 cm narrower. Meaning that you were forced to only run 4 abreast seating in the standard car, which would effectively reduce the capacity per train with about 20%, something that wouldn't work too great with the JR central 16-car, 1323 seat train philosophy for the Tokaido Shinkansen Line. It would work on the Mini-Shinkansen cars though, unless it poses any problems for the converted lines off the main Shinkansen lines, since those trains are about 40 cm narrower.

But as I said earlier, the travel time between Tokyo and Nagoya/Osaka is going to plummet massively in 2027 and then even more so once the full Chuo Shinkansen line is complete. And with the planned speed increases with the current trains then you don't really need to invent any new technology to make it all happen.


----------



## Gusiluz

^^ I repeat: no gauge problems, the box "pendula", not tilted. 
And cars only measure 13.14 meters length, improving accessibility to have more doors. What is a problem is that the cars have doors too low (0.76 meters). 

Natural tilting by Talgo

"The tilting trains are aimed at increasing travelling speed around curves without decreasing passenger comfort levels. 

The Talgo trains tilting system is the so-called “natural tilting” system and it consists of raising the suspension’s “instantaneous rotation centre” above the system’s “centre of gravity”. This gives rise to the generating of an “over-banking in the carbody” which provides a decrease in the lateral acceleration felt by the passenger for a similar travelling speed around a curve. In this way, an increase in the lateral comfort level is obtained. 

The system is completely inertial and does not need either internal or external elements that make the carbody tilt; therefore it is completely reliable and has no maintenance expenses."


----------



## loefet

^^ OK, did some research and I understand now. 
Don't get me wrong, I do love the Talgo system, I believe that they could work very well here in Sweden. But in this case it's a bit redundant, since there are plans to make the Tokaido line faster without the need for it. 
Also as you said, they have to do some major redesign of the system to make it work with the higher platform level of Japan, which in terms makes it less ideal. And as: bluemeansgo wrote, the chance of Japan getting trains from another place than Japan is pretty slim, there are just a handful of train designs in Japan that comes from foreign producers. 
Do you know if there is a "high platform" version of the Talgo system, or is it more or less fixed for the low platforms here in Europe?


----------



## riles28

Any update on FGT Train develop by West Japan Railway specially the design?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

riles28 said:


> Are the Limited express service from aomori to hakodate will discontinue if the Hokkaido shinkansen will start the service and also the hamanasu over night express? or it will continue like the hakucho and the super hastukari?


Yes, all passenger services (other than local services on the 1067mm lines) will shift to shinkansen services.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

riles28 said:


> Any update on FGT Train develop by West Japan Railway specially the design?


No, they have only just started testing the bogie design, in winter conditions. The train itself will likely not come to fruition for several more years, given the timeline for the Kanazawa-Tsuruga extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.


----------



## Sr.Horn

*Hokuriku Shinkansen departure melody*






JR West has presented the five departure melody for the new stations on Hokuriku Shinkansen (JR West side): Kanazawa Station, Shin-Takaoka Station, Toyama Station, Kurobe-Unazukionsen Station, and Itoigawa Station.

Asahi Shimbun


----------



## sacto7654

I find it _extremely_ unusual for JR West to use station departure melodies for the Hokuriku Shinkansen--station departure melodies are primarily a JR East thing used primarily in stations around the Tokyo metropolitan area.

(Now, JR West does have station announcement melodies, but the one I'm familiar with is around the Osaka Loop Line.)


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## Sr.Horn

On December 11, end-car of 500 Series W1 set was embarked to Hakata Port, this unit is moved to Kobe Port and then, to the new JR West Museum in Kyoto. Same with the K54 set of 100 series.

500 series





100 series









































Source: http://ats-s.sakura.ne.jp/blog/?p=9770


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## loefet

sacto7654 said:


> I find it _extremely_ unusual for JR West to use station departure melodies for the Hokuriku Shinkansen--station departure melodies are primarily a JR East thing used primarily in stations around the Tokyo metropolitan area.


If JR East use them on their half of the Nagano/Hokuriku Shinkansen then it isn't that hard to grasp why JR West have decided to use them on their part as well, since this is a joint venture. It would be strange if they just were to stop once you reach JR West, but having it continue over the whole line makes more sense to me (that is, if JR East have it on their half, if not then it's just strange..).


----------



## Kintoy

took this Shinkansen from Kyoto to Nagoya


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## Sr.Horn

Last Sunday, December 13, JR West hold a public visit to the new Hokuriku Shinkansen - Kanazawa Station. 


















Hokuriku Shinkansen main entrance.









Big full color LED screen. Allows five lines of information.









Escalator to the second floor.









View of the ground floor (or first floor) from the second floor (1st floor or middle level). :nuts:









On this level, travelers will transfer to the conventional tracks.


















Toilet. The concourse is full of traditional craft motifs.









Platform access.









Two access on each platform: escalator on one side and stairs on the other side, plus the elevator.






















































Good by position stickers?



























Don't know the function of this golden boxes, I think is just decoration.


















Waiting room on the second floor.


















More local craft.



















Source: saitoshika-west.com

And more photos here: http://ihoku.jp/ishikawa/kanazawa-city/56976.html but if you want my comments, please visit the spanish section here.


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## Zero Gravity

Sr.Horn said:


>


Well, she certainly won't win a beauty contest.


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## k.k.jetcar

Kanazawa receives heavy snowfall , hence the industrial strength roofing. That said, it's one of the gloomiest above ground big railway stations in the nation.


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## lkstrknb

riles28 said:


> Any update on FGT Train develop by West Japan Railway specially the design?


Here is a video I took in November at Kumamoto Station.


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## bluemeansgo

lkstrknb said:


> Here is a video I took in November at Kumamoto Station.


That's a pretty train! Thanks!


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## Sr.Horn

*JR-East spring 2015 timetable revision*

This are the changes on Nagano/Hokuriku Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen planned for the next spring.

Source: https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2014/20141222.pdf

Now, the Nagano Shinkansen (Asama) between Tokyo and Nagano has 27 trains per day (each bound).

With the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension:

Kagayaki (Tokyo - Nagano - Toyama - Kanazawa) : 10 trains per day.

Hakutaka (Tokyo - Nagano) : 14 tpd / (Tokyo - Nagano - Toyama - Kanazawa) : 15 tpd.

Asama (Tokyo - Nagano) : 16 tpd.

Tsurugi (Toyama - Kanazawa) : 18 tpd.


Also the travel times will be improved:

Trains bound *for* Tokyo:

From Nagano 1:24 to 1:20 (-4 minutes)
From Toyama 3:14 to 2:08 (-1:06 minutes)
From Kanazawa 3:51 to 2:28 (-1:23 minutes)

Trains bound *from* Tokyo:

To Nagano 1:20 - 1:20 (0 minutes)
To Toyama 3:11 to 2:08 (-1:03 minutes)
To Kanazawa 3:47 to 2:28 (-1:19 minutes)

Due the increase of train services on Nagano/Hokuriku Shinkansen, the Joetsu Shinkansen will cut some services on Toki and Tanigawa trains.

Before:

Toki (Tokyo - Takasaki - Echigo-Yuzawa) 27 tpd / (- Niigata) 28 tpd.

Tanigawa (Tokyo - Takasaki) 19,5 tpd / (- Echigo-Yuzawa) 16 tpd.

After:

Toki (Tokyo - Takasaki - Echigo-Yuzawa) 26 tpd / (- Niigata) 27 tpd.

*-1 train*

Tanigawa (Tokyo - Takasaki) 12 tpd / (- Echigo-Yuzawa) 9 tpd.

*-7 trains*


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## sacto7654

The major cutback in _Tanigawa_ service can be explained by the ending of the original _Hakutaka_ limited express between Echigo-Yuzawa and Kanazawa Stations, since the Hokuriku Shinkansen service eliminates the need for the old limited express service.

I do think, though, that JR East needs to upgrade the local train service from Takasaki Station, especially with so many Shinkansen trains between Takasaki and Tokyo.


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## doc7austin

A ride from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori via Sendai and Fukushima with the Hayabusa train on the Tohuku Shinkansen line


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## Nokia2Sony

Thank for the info!


----------



## Sr.Horn

New 100¥ coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Tokaido Shinkansen.

Kyodo News Report (01/30)


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## Sr.Horn

*Hokkaido Shinkansen reach 260 km/h on test runs*

It happened on December 26.

NHK News (12/26)





Hokkaido Shimbun Press (12/26)






Meanwhile Youtube user *tobirabito* offers the following videos with some titles in english of a test runs around New Year.

Part 1 (12/29)





Part 2 (1/2)





Part 3 (1/8)


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## Svartmetall

^^ Awesome. It's good to see nice progress on this section of line.


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## sacto7654

What I find interesting is that the Hokkaido Shinkansen construction and test operations have not been as widely reported as the work on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which will start on full operations on 14 March 2015.

Speaking of which, the Tokaidō Shinkansen line between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto Stations have long stretches where the rails are not much above ground level--especially when it uses the Hankyu Kyoto Line right of way. Has there been thought about raising the tracks on this part of the line so it is all viaducts, just like most Shinkansen lines in Japan?


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## k.k.jetcar

> What I find interesting is that the Hokkaido Shinkansen construction and test operations have not been as widely reported as the work on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which will start on full operations on 14 March 2015.


Well, the Hokuriku Shinkansen will start operations a year earlier, the closer an event approaches, the news cycle tends to pay attention more to that than something else still in the future. Also, the areas served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen are more populous and closer to Kanto than the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which to many in Honshu is still far away psychologically, if not in travel time.



> Speaking of which, the Tokaidō Shinkansen line between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto Stations have long stretches where the rails are not much above ground level--especially when it uses the Hankyu Kyoto Line right of way. Has there been thought about raising the tracks on this part of the line so it is all viaducts, just like most Shinkansen lines in Japan?


Ground level (or near it)by the river:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.889...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sgXzj3VP2ZKLdQQLQ-0pQhA!2e0

But otherwise it's elevated where there are businesses and residences:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.883...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1ssBnBAfwn1SzM_yb0DPBJIQ!2e0

The Tokaido Shinkansen, being the first, used fills on large sections, but later constructions used viaducts of the rahmen type. Converting to such would likely be of little benefit versus costs and disruption to such a vital and busy line.


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## rocku

awesome!


----------



## bluemeansgo

One of my favorite parts of Tokyo is where the Shinkansen tracks are just a few metres above ground south of hamamatsucho station. I hope they never viaduct those areas near Osaka.


----------



## Honolulu

Sr.Horn said:


> New 100¥ coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Tokaido Shinkansen.
> 
> Kyodo News Report (01/30)


With 2.3 million 100 yen coins of each type (9.2 mill total) I sure hope I'll get my hand on these. I'm assuming these are going to sell for ludicrous prices at first. 9.2 million is not that much in the scheme of total 100 yen coins of which there are at least several hundred millions of if not well over a billion.


----------



## Honolulu

To celebrate the soon to be opened Hokuriku Shinkansen, The JR West Rent a car company just released a couple Nissan versa notes with a custom W7 Shinkansen wrapjob. There will be one car at Kanazawa station and one at Toyoma station.










Edit: While discovering the news of this rental car, I also discovered another pretty cool car. The Honda dealership in Toyama has a Honda fit RS in a W7 theme (unfortunately you can't buy it, it's only a test drive car.) Click the link for pictures.

https://twitter.com/nobuhiro6322/status/526295347681697792/


----------



## Tirebolu

Why Shinkansen Trains have windows like in planes ?


----------



## Busfotodotnl

What is the cheapest way to visit the HST-system and other railway companies around Japan? It looks so interesting, but i always think its too expensive to visit.


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## Svartmetall

^^ It's not that expensive at all in my opinion. The single Shinkansen fare tends to equal about the same as the highway tolls in that direction does, hence why the Shinkansen manages to capture such a large modal split. 

If you want a quick journey, you can take the Shinkansen from Tokyo station to Shin-Yokohama to use the Tokaido line, or from Tokyo station to Omiya station to use the Tohoku Shinkansen. Both stations are still in the Tokyo metro area, so it's easy to get back to central Tokyo using regular railways, which are cheap. 

You can also take a slightly longer trip to Takasaki station on the Nagano or Joetsu Shinkansen lines and then come back to central Tokyo using regular railways (about 2 hours by regular railways, 1 hour by Shinkansen). You can also take the Tokaido Shinkansen further out to Odawara and come back on the Odakyu line or regular JR lines too as that is a good distance. 

I'm sure there are other examples around too like from Osaka to Shin-Kobe, Osaka to Kyoto, Kyoto to Kobe etc etc.


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## Sunfuns

For foreigners coming to Japan for at least a week and wanting to travel around with railways Japan Rail Pass is probably the most economic option. It covers most Shinkansen trains except some expresses.


----------



## loefet

^^ Speaking of the rail pass. It's really great value for money, since one return journey between Tokyo and Osaka cost about the same as a one week standard rail pass, meaning that you can save a lot of money if you do anything more than that. 





Tirebolu said:


> Why Shinkansen Trains have windows like in planes ?


You mean the small size?

The small size I believe is to save overall weight of the train itself. Since large windows are heavy, and the larger the window hole the more bracing you need to keep the trains rigid, meaning more mass, and more weight is something you don't want when designing an efficient high speed train. 
To be honest then these small windows are actually better than what you find in air planes, since all windows line up with each seat row. Meaning that if you book a window seat then you will actually have a window seat, something that isn't guaranteed when getting a window seat on any air plane or on many trains here in Europe. 

Also even though they may look small on pictures of the trains, I have to say that they are really a decent size, several times larger than the windows found on air planes. They really give you a great view out of the trains when riding on them.


----------



## bluemeansgo

Sunfuns said:


> For foreigners coming to Japan for at least a week and wanting to travel around with railways Japan Rail Pass is probably the most economic option. It covers most Shinkansen trains except some expresses.


There are a whole bunch of jr rail passes which one or two areas and are even cheaper than the jr rail 7day pass. For example from Osaka there is the Sanyo area pass for 4 (or 5?) days for 20,000¥. jR has area passes as well for even less expensive and Kyushu has unlimited rides in all Kyushu for cheaper as well. 

Most of these passes can't be purchased by Japanese citizens even if they are residents of another country.


----------



## Sr.Horn

Other option is use regional passes (Kanto Area Pass, Kansai Thru Pass...) and regular Shinkansen ticket with multiple stop over for the same price as direct train.










(Total: ¥ 15,810)


----------



## k.k.jetcar

I never understand the complaints of some foreigners that the shinkansen is expensive. Lets compare unrestricted walk-up fares- in Germany a one way second class ticket on the ICE service between Munich and Frankfurt M. Hbf is 101 Euros, or 13,400 yen, rail distance is 393km. A Nozomi service between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka is 13,620 one way in standard class, a distance of 552 km. Travel time Munich-Frankfurt is 3 hours ten minutes, Tokyo-Shin Osaka 2 hrs. 33 min. I'd say shinkansen fares are not exorbitant at all, and quite equivalent. Anyway, as mentioned above, most visitors can buy a railpass, which makes the whole argument moot.


----------



## M-NL

I can understand why foreigners deem the Shinkansen expensive: Compared to 'normal' Limited Express there is a surcharge that makes up about 40% of the ticket price. What you get is a fast, comfortable and especially amazingly on time service.

DB Fernverkehr on the other hand doesn't have a very good punctuality and reliability record. Delays of up to 30 minutes aren't uncommon according to the statistics.


----------



## Sunfuns

k.k.jetcar said:


> I never understand the complaints of some foreigners that the shinkansen is expensive. Lets compare unrestricted walk-up fares- in Germany a one way second class ticket on the ICE service between Munich and Frankfurt M. Hbf is 101 Euros, or 13,400 yen, rail distance is 393km. A Nozomi service between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka is 13,620 one way in standard class, a distance of 552 km. Travel time Munich-Frankfurt is 3 hours ten minutes, Tokyo-Shin Osaka 2 hrs. 33 min. I'd say shinkansen fares are not exorbitant at all, and quite equivalent. Anyway, as mentioned above, most visitors can buy a railpass, which makes the whole argument moot.


With a visitors rail pass it might well be the most affordable system provided at least 2-3 trips are taken, however if you compare prices for those living there then you also need to compare discounted prices available for everyone. Munich-Frankfurt could easily be obtained for 50 euros one way, sometimes less and there are no discounts for Nozomi, right?


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## sacto7654

It should be noted that modern Shinkansen trainsets have smaller windows due to the issues with window damage from high-speed operation. The earliest 0 Series trainsets built in the 1960's had larger windows, but JNR spent a fortune replacing them because the stresses of 200 km/h operations resulted in a lot of window cracks with the larger windows. As such, when the later series of 0 Series trainsets were built in the late 1960's to 1970's, they switched to smaller windows.


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## Sr.Horn

Great video recorded by *whitewing681* (I recommend to watch in 720 or 1080 60p) of the W7 Test Run at top speed of 260 km/h on Hokuriku Shinkansen. This video was recorded on Ishikawa Prefecture section of the High Speed Line.


----------



## loefet

Sunfuns said:


> With a visitors rail pass it might well be the most affordable system provided at least 2-3 trips are taken, however if you compare prices for those living there then you also need to compare discounted prices available for everyone. Munich-Frankfurt could easily be obtained for 50 euros one way, sometimes less and there are no discounts for Nozomi, right?


There is a big difference between Shinkansen and the ICE services in Germany (and fast trains in Sweden for that matter). 
Rail traffic here in Europe is often heavily subsidized by the governments, heck in many cases then the national railway companies are owned by the government, same thing for railway maintenance. In the case of the Shinkansen then it's private companies that runs and maintain the whole system, without any major subsidies from the government. 
These subsidizations that we have here are sort of necessary, since there are less people here and the lower ticket prices are there to draw people away from using cars to travel between places. That isn't really a problem in Japan, since they have a much higher populations densities and enough people to easily fill the trains, even though they have higher ticket price.

Also I'm pretty sure that the people in Japan pays less taxes then we do here, which is where the government subsidies comes from, meaning that on the whole then the "true cost" of each ticket is about the same.


----------



## billfranklin

loefet said:


> There is a big difference between Shinkansen and the ICE services in Germany (and fast trains in Sweden for that matter).
> Rail traffic here in Europe is often heavily subsidized by the governments, heck in many cases then the national railway companies are owned by the government, same thing for railway maintenance. In the case of the Shinkansen then it's private companies that runs and maintain the whole system, without any major subsidies from the government.
> These subsidizations that we have here are sort of necessary, since there are less people here and the lower ticket prices are there to draw people away from using cars to travel between places. That isn't really a problem in Japan, since they have a much higher populations densities and enough people to easily fill the trains, even though they have higher ticket price.
> 
> Also I'm pretty sure that the people in Japan pays less taxes then we do here, which is where the government subsidies comes from, meaning that on the whole then the "true cost" of each ticket is about the same.


The Japanese have perfected an integrated transportation system that took well over a century to accomplish.

Today, Japan has 9000km of turnpikes whose cost per kilometer per vehicle is close to the cost per kilometer per person using trains. The turnpikes are priced such that train travel is encouraged AND the expressways are maintained to the highest standards. Likewise, Japan's airline industry has evolved to fill the need for trips that take longer than 5 hours by train, which is the informal yardstick many Japanese use to determine whether or not to take the high speed train. Lastly, Japan has a superb private bus system which works extremely well serving trains that almost always arrive on time.

The issue, IMO, in 2015, is not the 'crowding' when comparing Western European passenger transport, but, the differences in synchronicity between the operating modes. In Japan, schedules can be relied upon, which enables different modes to adhere to precise schedules. 

This is not merely a question of government versus private ownership, but, more fundamental: owners and operators of different private rail, bus, and, airlines agree on how each piece of the system works together, first, and then compete ferociously within these agreed upon parameters.

I do grant that the degree of synchronicity between transportation modes is far higher in Western Europe than in the US! (LOL).


----------



## PiotrG

Has been a while since construction start, but finally running.

Omedetou Gozaimasu.


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## sacto7654

PiotrG said:


> Has been a while since construction start, but finally running.
> 
> Omedetou Gozaimasu.


I believe work started on the line in 1999 and finally opens today. Particularly time consuming was the number of _long_ tunnels needed to be built between Nagano and Itoigawa Stations. They're already well on their way with the construction work between Kanazawa and Fukui and there is some talk that could be finished by 2020, since they only need to build one set of tunnels through a set of hills between Kanazawa and Fukui.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

北陸新幹線へようこそ！

Welcome, Hokuriku Shinkansen!




Sr.Horn said:


>


This gold thing on the right is a motorbike helmet?!?


----------



## loefet

Looking good!!
The Hokuriku region is really going to get a massive upswing with the arrival of the Shinkansen. It's a region that I really want to visit, and now it's way easier than before.


----------



## chornedsnorkack

So how long do the fastest Kagayaki trains take between Tokyo and Kanazawa?


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## sacto7654

chornedsnorkack said:


> So how long do the fastest Kagayaki trains take between Tokyo and Kanazawa?


Around 2.5 hours for _Kagayaki_ between Tokyo and Kanazawa.


----------



## M-NL

Momo1435 said:


> The 800 series are still only used on the Kyushu Shinkansen.


You're right. I got a bit confused by a text claiming the 800-series is also used on some Sakura services, which is a service between Shin Osaka and Kagoshima-Chūō. Turns out that the 800-series is being used for some Sakura services, but only on services that terminate at Hakata. Continuing further would have been strange as the 800 officially has a top speed of 260 km/h (but is capable of 285 km/h).


----------



## castermaild55

We've been waiting.　Hokuriku shinkansen Toyama ver.


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## sacto7654

I believe that the 800 Series trainset operates _Tsubame_ all-stops and _Sakura_ limited-stop services on the Kyushu Shinkansen line between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chūō Stations only. That's why the N700-8000 trainsets that run on the Kyushu line are limited to a top speed of 260 km/h (161 mph), unlike their running on the San'yō line, where they can travel as fast as 300 km/h.


----------



## 00Zy99

I thought that the Kyushu Shinkansen itself was limited to 260 kph.

The Hokuriku is certainly slower than the Tohoku (what's the top speed on the E/W7, anyway?), for reasons I'm not sure of.


----------



## M-NL

As far as I know all new Shinkansen sections are built for a design speed of 260 km/h and paid for by the government. If an operator wants to operate at a higher speed he has to come up with the funds for the required changes himself. These changes are usually limited to extra noise prevention measures, but may also include larger tunnels and possibly larger curve radii.

Now the Kyushu and the Hokuriku Shinkansen both include several steep grades, making it nearly impossible on some stretches to even get near the 260 km/h. The 800, E7 and W7 series were optimised for this, hence their lower top speed. The N700-7000/8000 overcome the problem by shear power, having all axles driven.


----------



## Maarten Otto

Not all. The front and rear cars are not motorised.


----------



## M-NL

If you mean the N700, that only applies to the 16 car consists, the 8 car consists have all axles driven. Check out the power ratings: 16 car (2T14M) 14x4x305=17080kW, 8 car (8M) 8x4x305=9760kW.


----------



## loefet

M-NL said:


> As far as I know all new Shinkansen sections are built for a design speed of 260 km/h and paid for by the government. If an operator wants to operate at a higher speed he has to come up with the funds for the required changes himself. These changes are usually limited to extra noise prevention measures, but may also include larger tunnels and possibly larger curve radii.


By keeping the speed pretty low then they could keep the cost down to a minimum, by using steeper grades and tighter turns, which means keeping tunnelling costs down by making it easier to go around or over geographic features than tunnelling straight through if you want more speed.
But then again, the section between Morioka and Shin-Aomori is also "just" 260 km/h, but I bet that they will upgrade that section to 320 km/h once they start running to Hokkaido. 
Apart from the latest section of the Tohoku Shinkansen which is a vital section for the future line between Tokyo and Sapporo, then most of these lines are mostly peripheral in nature, and won't be the main linkage between massive metropolitan areas (such as the Tokadio, Chuo and Sanyo Shinkansen lines). Which makes it not as important to keep the speed to a maximum. 
The Hokuriku Shinkansen is there to ferry people between Tokyo and the Hokuriku region, and later from Osaka to the Hokuriku region once the line is complete, it won't be a main line between Tokyo and Osaka. Which means that if the speed in quick enough to be competitive between these markets compared to private cars and airplanes, then it won't matter how long it will take to travel the whole line. 

Also, I don't think that they will increase the tunnel diameter if someone wants more speed. They are most likely sticking with their standard size on all projects, to be able to reuse TBMs without having to modify them between projects. 



M-NL said:


> Now the Kyushu and the Hokuriku Shinkansen both include several steep grades, making it nearly impossible on some stretches to even get near the 260 km/h. The 800, E7 and W7 series were optimised for this, hence their lower top speed.


All of those trains have a higher design speed than 260 km/h, but since they are all bound to their respective line then they won't reach their designed top speed.
The 800 series is designed to run at a maximum of 285 km/h, my guess is that they did it that way, so that it could keep up with the 700 series (and shortened 500 series) if it were to run them on parts of the Sanyo Line, which haven't happened outside a few test runs.
The E7/W7 trains have a top speed of 275 km/h, which they are allowed to reach on the Tohoku Shinkansen, but I can't see where they will do that, since on the section between Tokyo and Omiya where they share the track, the speed limit is way lower than that. Are there any E7/W7 services on the Tohoku Shinkansen north of Omiya?
Speaking of speed limits, does anyone know what the speed limit between Omiya and Takasaki, is it 240 km/h as the rest of the Joetsu Shinkansen, or are they allowed to run at 260 km/h there?


----------



## M-NL

loefet said:


> All of those trains have a higher design speed than 260 km/h, but since they are all bound to their respective line then they won't reach their designed top speed.


I don't know how they do it in Japan, but in Europe it is the rule that all trains are always tested at 110% of their certified speed. Not only that, but there usually is massive headroom, because the rail industry is pretty conservative: A bog standard ES64U4, certified for 230 km/h thus tested at 253 km/h, reached 357 km/h.

The Japanese seem to have the habit to start 'slow' and once the trains are proven in use, they start finding out where the limits are. Also test trains and prototypes are still common in Japan, unlike Europe where lots of train go into series production almost immediately, with all kinds of problems as a result.


----------



## loefet

M-NL said:


> I don't know how they do it in Japan, but in Europe it is the rule that all trains are always tested at 110% of their certified speed. Not only that, but there usually is massive headroom, because the rail industry is pretty conservative: A bog standard ES64U4, certified for 230 km/h thus tested at 253 km/h, reached 357 km/h.
> 
> The Japanese seem to have the habit to start 'slow' and once the trains are proven in use, they start finding out where the limits are. Also test trains and prototypes are still common in Japan, unlike Europe where lots of train go into series production almost immediately, with all kinds of problems as a result.


That could be one of the reasons, but then again the E7/W7 trains are allowed to run at 275 km/h (the same as their design speed) on the Tohoku Shinkansen. 
It could also be a case of that they design a train for a certain speed (Design speed), meaning that they aim for that speed when they are designing the trains. But once they start testing it then they discover that it's not feasible to run at those speeds due to excessive noise, wear or other reason, and they put a maximum speed for the train to live up to the expectations (or in some cases then it's the line itself that sets the limits).
Some examples of that is:
E2 and E3 are designed for 315 km/h, but only does 275 km/h (too much tunnel boom perhaps, especially if you compare them to the E5/E6 which have a completely different profile to counteract the problem).
500-series was designed for 320 km/h but got capped at 300 km/h on the Sanyo Shinkansen, too much noise. 
N700, they are limited by the lines that they run on, but that may change once all are up to N700A standard and they are the only type of train running on the Tokaido Shinkansen, then they will be more free in terms of speed, as we discussed before. 

While speaking of this then I remembered someone posting something about top speed certification in the Japan Maglev thread some time ago, and a quick search gave me this: 


SamuraiBlue said:


> They need to since JR has an internal safety cap of 25% of top speed. So to enable to run at 500Km/h commercial speed, they need to test the train if it can reach 667Km/h for internal certification.


If this is the case then it's definitely not the test speed, don't know if there is a source for this though, but it seems correct, even if it just were 10% then it's not enough difference between Design and Maximum Speeds in most cases.


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## sacto7654

Remember, the N700/N700A have a variant of that "duckbill" nose to reduce the noise of the train coming out of tunnels. This is why I think once the original 700 Series trains--including the _Hikari Rail Star_ trainsets--are retired by 2017-2018, you will likely see higher speeds on the Tokaidō and San'yō Shinkansen lines. My guess: 320 km/h on the San'yō line, and 300 km/h on the Tokaidō line between Shizuoka and Toyohashi Stations and between Maibara and Kyoto Stations.


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## 00Zy99

sacto7654 said:


> Remember, the N700/N700A have a variant of that "duckbill" nose to reduce the noise of the train coming out of tunnels. This is why I think once the original 700 Series trains--including the _Hikari Rail Star_ trainsets--are retired by 2017-2018, you will likely see higher speeds on the Tokaidō and San'yō Shinkansen lines. My guess: 320 km/h on the San'yō line, and 300 km/h on the Tokaidō line between Shizuoka and Toyohashi Stations and between Maibara and Kyoto Stations.


What about the rest of the Tokaido Shinkansen? Why won't it also be accelerated?


----------



## bluemeansgo

I'd seen the number 25% before as a safety in Japan. Whether that means trains are capable of traveling 25% faster or that they cruise at 25% slower than theoretical max j don't know. I do know that they are very conservative. 

It is not just for safety though. A big part is scheduling. Trains aren't late. They just aren't allowed to be. In order to achieve that a train has to be able to make up lost time. So they run trains intentionally slower.


----------



## bluemeansgo

00Zy99 said:


> What about the rest of the Tokaido Shinkansen? Why won't it also be accelerated?



Part of the reason is the 2500m curve radius preventing further increases without a new train design. The n700 was able to do this by tilting the train 1°. 

However his year the trains will be increased to 285km/h along the Line.


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## sacto7654

bluemeansgo said:


> Part of the reason is the 2500m curve radius preventing further increases without a new train design. The n700 was able to do this by tilting the train 1°.


Correct. However, the shallow track curvature between Shizuoka and Toyohashi Stations and essentially the near-straight line run between Maibara and Kyoto Stations could make it possible for the N700/N700A trainset to reach 300 km/h. The much shallower line curvature and emphasis on higher-speed running on the San'yō line makes it possible to push the speed up to 320 km/h there once the line is run exclusively by N700/N700A/N700-8000 trainsets.


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## M-NL

bluemeansgo said:


> I'd seen the number 25% before as a safety in Japan.
> ...
> It is not just for safety though. A big part is scheduling. Trains aren't late. They just aren't allowed to be. In order to achieve that a train has to be able to make up lost time. So they run trains intentionally slower.


That can't be it either, because that would mean a late train would have to exceed local speed limits to regain lost time. As far as I know the speed limit is really the limit.


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## SamuraiBlue

M-NL said:


> That can't be it either, because that would mean a late train would have to exceed local speed limits to regain lost time. As far as I know the speed limit is really the limit.


The trains can reach that speed on a straight line but usually the tracks wouldn't allow it. Remember top speed of a train is only part of the equation.


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## M-NL

What do you mean exactly?
I meant: The track speed limit is the absolute speed limit a train may never exceed on a given section of track, even if your train is capable of running faster. In order to keep to the schedule, which is customised for the speed profile of the particular train type, even when not running late, trains already have to drive very close to the track speed limit. Thus because it's nearly impossible to drive faster then you're already doing it's also nearly impossible to make up a delay greater then say a minute or so.


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## bluemeansgo

Yes. The safety margins of 25% were, if I remember correctly, not based on track speed limits. Rather, they were based on theoretical speed limits of the train set. So if a train's design speed is 300, all components should be rated at 80% its theoretical safe maximum (375 - or 25% faster). 

Japan's numbers are considered quite conservative and you can evidence of this in its export trainsets. The Chinese imported the e2-1000 250kph and with light modifications (extra traction motors) run them at 300kph and with structural mods at 350kph. They are run at 275kph in Japan. 

Interestingly, the n700i is being promoted for the USA as having an operational top speed of 330km/h. Designed to run at 300km/h it wouldn't surprise me if that train couldn't easily and safely travel at 375km/h given the right tracks. 

330km/h represents the normal safety margins that many countries would operate at. Between Maibara and Kyoto they have run the n700 at 330km/h in late night trials.


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## castermaild55

TV program about shinkansen was aired last week
it is about the comparison of Spain, France and Italian high speed rail

and How shinkansen is operated ..
sorry no subb







it operates the Shinkansen is every 3 minutes comparing to like TGV 15~20 minutes
between Tokyo and hakata, it operates 80 shinkansen on rail
330 trains in an average day, max 430 in a day on tokaido shinkansen


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## M-NL

First of all I would like to stress that I truly think Japan did a real good job and can claim the title for best high speed rail in world. However the metrics you state do not make for a fair comparison between shinkansen and European high speed. There are too many major differences.

In Europe there are Intercity trains at about 200 km/h. In Japan there is no intermediate train class between the fastest conventional trains (limited expresses @ 130 km/h) and shinkansen. You could argue that the slowest shinkansens (e.g. Kodama on the Tokaido) take over that Intercity role.

In Japan every shinkansen line usually has 3 train types (local, semi express and express), whereas in Europe there usually is only one. Yes, for instance north of Paris the TGV, Thalys and Eurostar share the track, but they are three separate operators, whereas in Japan trains are operated by JR Central staff on the Tokaido and JR West staff on the Sanyo, regardless of the train's owner.

Shinkansen is completely separated from the conventional network, whereas in Europe they are integrated: High speed trains operate on conventional lines and vice versa.

Shinkansen shows how efficient a rail network can be operated if you want to. Apart from cultural differences, in Europe the incentive to operate anywhere near as efficient just doesn't seem to be there.


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## SamuraiBlue

M-NL said:


> First of all I would like to stress that I truly think Japan did a real good job and can claim the title for best high speed rail in world. However the metrics you state do not make for a fair comparison between shinkansen and European high speed. There are too many major differences.
> 
> In Europe there are Intercity trains at about 200 km/h. In Japan there is no intermediate train class between the fastest conventional trains (limited expresses @ 130 km/h) and shinkansen. You could argue that the slowest shinkansens (e.g. Kodama on the Tokaido) take over that Intercity role.
> 
> In Japan every shinkansen line usually has 3 train types (local, semi express and express), whereas in Europe there usually is only one. Yes, for instance north of Paris the TGV, Thalys and Eurostar share the track, but they are three separate operators, whereas in Japan trains are operated by JR Central staff on the Tokaido and JR West staff on the Sanyo, regardless of the train's owner.
> 
> Shinkansen is completely separated from the conventional network, whereas in Europe they are integrated: High speed trains operate on conventional lines and vice versa.
> 
> Shinkansen shows how efficient a rail network can be operated if you want to. Apart from cultural differences, in Europe the incentive to operate anywhere near as efficient just doesn't seem to be there.


????

May I be the first to voice my thoughts, what in the world are you trying to say?


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## Sopomon

^^
That it's not exactly easy nor fair to compare the two countries as simply as in that video.

Japanese media loves to run pieces along the lines of "We Japanese do it like X, however, they foreigners do it like Y" while implying that the foreign bodies haven't got it quite right. Usually the solutions each country takes apply well to their own situation.


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## Sr.Horn

castermaild55 said:


> TV program about shinkansen was aired last week
> it is about the comparison of Spain, France and Italian high speed rail
> 
> and How shinkansen is operated ..
> sorry no subb
> 
> it operates the Shinkansen is every 3 minutes comparing to like TGV 15~20 minutes
> between Tokyo and hakata, it operates 80 shinkansen on rail
> 330 trains in an average day, max 430 in a day on tokaido shinkansen


The video is down (thanks Youtube and Asahi TV ¬¬) but it is possible to be watched here:

Part 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B27zzQuTVMyWUjRNRjBmQ19SOGs/view
Part 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B27zzQuTVMyWX3h3NEJmdzVWSWM/view

Thanks to *dabsan* @ JNS forum


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## M-NL

SamuraiBlue said:


> ????
> 
> May I be the first to voice my thoughts, what in the world are you trying to say?


2 things:

Due to many fundamental differences you can't compare European high speed rail to Shinkansen
I think Shinkansen is really great


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## Maarten Otto

Sr.Horn said:


> The video is down (thanks Youtube and Asahi TV ¬¬) but it is possible to be watched here:
> 
> Part 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B27zzQuTVMyWUjRNRjBmQ19SOGs/view
> Part 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B27zzQuTVMyWX3h3NEJmdzVWSWM/view
> 
> Thanks to *dabsan* @ JNS forum


This is just horrible to look at.... Let's make an arcade game of a TV show.


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## oslogospelchoir

I think both learn from each other.

The Akita and Yamagata experience was clearly based on the Japanese realising they couldn't build a new and fast Shinkansen line to every small provincial city, and with the gauge being different there was no simple opportunity to do what they did in Europe with mixed high speed and medium speed running, so instead gauge converted instead so they could.

But the UK has gone the other way, and has realised that if they are really going to make high speed rail work, they will have to build the dedicated lines like HS2, as they did with HS1, because the existing rail network just wasn't able to support it enough.

I see it as a pendulum, with European operators trying to build as much of a new network as they can afford, but then trying to spread the benefits of the new lines to others who will never have them. The Japanese are coming at the same problem from the opposite direction.

The frequency issue is not really important - the French or Italians would run a train every five minutes if the demand was there. Sections of Shinkansen like the new line to Hokkaido will have far fewer trains than the existing Tokaido or Tohoku busy sections.


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## SamuraiBlue

oslogospelchoir said:


> The frequency issue is not really important - the French or Italians would run a train every five minutes if the demand was there. Sections of Shinkansen like the new line to Hokkaido will have far fewer trains than the existing Tokaido or Tohoku busy sections.


I doubt that the French could do it even if they want it with the TGV's slow acceleration speed.


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## bluemeansgo

Maarten Otto said:


> This is just horrible to look at.... Let's make an arcade game of a TV show.



Much better than making a reality show or a talent show out of a TV show, imo.


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## oslogospelchoir

What is horrible about it. Very standard Japanese TV show. Iron chef for trains


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## M-NL

SamuraiBlue said:


> I doubt that the French could do it even if they want it with the TGV's slow acceleration speed.


What leads you to believe that the TGV accelerates slow? On 25 kV AC power the power to weight ratio of the newer models is nearly the same as an N700. It's mainly track layout and different operating procedures causing TGV not to be able to leave stations at full throttle.


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## loefet

M-NL said:


> What leads you to believe that the TGV accelerates slow? On 25 kV AC power the power to weight ratio of the newer models is nearly the same as an N700. It's mainly track layout and different operating procedures causing TGV not to be able to leave stations at full throttle.


That might be true. But the main problem for the TGV is the usage of power cars, where eight axles should deliver all that 9+ MW power, where as an 8-car N700 Shinkansen have the it's power spread out on all 32 axles.
It's a matter of adhesion, and a Shinkansen train just have more of it. 
What I mean is, that you have to accelerate much more gentler with a TGV, or else they will break traction, on a Shinkansen train you can go at it harder since there are more wheels that tries to move the mass of the train compared to the TGV. 
There is no other high speed train that accelerates as a N700 train, up to 270 km/h it can even keep up with a Transrapid Maglev train, which really says something


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## Maarten Otto

SamuraiBlue said:


> I doubt that the French could do it even if they want it with the TGV's slow acceleration speed.


Your laws of physics are flawed and here is why:

If all trains accelerate and decelerate the same way, capacity is not effected.

Site note: They do run in 3 to 4 minute intervals on some parts of the LGV lines in certain situations.


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## M-NL

loefet said:


> There is no other high speed train that accelerates as a N700 train


I would be interested to see a direct comparison between the AGV, ICE3 (403), ICE (407), the E5 and the N700. I have a feeling the differences might be smaller then you would expect.


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## bluemeansgo

chornedsnorkack said:


> Then what feature of Tokaido Shinkansen makes the time cost of a stop so big, if not acceleration of the trains?



It's all about priority. A kodama shalt never impede a Hikari or Nozomi. Kodama are basically shinkansen shuttle trains. As was mentioned they more or less shuttle passengers to the nearest major station.

Kodama frequently wait at stations. 

It's like the autobahn fast lane. Faster trains get priority. This obviously makes it impossible to determine performance of the system based on the kodama timetable.


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## bluemeansgo

chornedsnorkack said:


> But what does a stop take where no trains pass?



I've never times it to the second but from my experience trains stop for only about 60 seconds. If your stop is coming up you're generally up with your luggage at the door waiting for the train to stop. They announce the stop well in advance. For example, for Hakata station they announced the stop before going under the tunnel to get into Kyushu. For Osaka they pretty much announce the stop right after leaving Kobe. 

It is pretty impressive but only works if all the systems users buy into it. I can't remember how long the dwell time was in Calais between London and Paris but I remember having lots of time to alight.


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## loefet

chornedsnorkack said:


> But what does a stop take where no trains pass?


I would bet on about 60 seconds or so, the usual stopping time at small stations. 
But then again, it's not the stopping time that is the part that takes the most time. You have to take into account: deceleration, moving into the station (if there are some points to negotiate), stopping time, (waiting for trains to pass), exiting the station and then finally start to accelerate again, to find out the total time "penalty" of a stop.
Also Kodamas are usually run by 700 series trains, which aren't as fast acceleration trains as the N700 (about 20% slower acceleration). 
But in about 4 years, then the last 700 series train will be removed from the Tokaido Shinkansen, so then it will get a bit better.


----------



## chornedsnorkack

loefet said:


> I would bet on about 60 seconds or so, the usual stopping time at small stations.
> But then again, it's not the stopping time that is the part that takes the most time. You have to take into account: deceleration, moving into the station (if there are some points to negotiate), stopping time, (waiting for trains to pass), exiting the station and then finally start to accelerate again, to find out the total time "penalty" of a stop.


Precisely. Dwell time plus the deceleration/acceleration time. Making the total time difference between a train that skips the stop and a train that makes the stop.

Taiwan Shinkansen (and they use 700 series Shinkansen trains, too) manages to make 4 extra stops with total time difference between express and all-stop train at 24 minutes. So 6 minute time penalty of a stop. Whereas the Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama for some reason suffers a penalty of over 8 minutes per stop.


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## M-NL

bluemeansgo said:


> It's the disadvantage of having the same gauge.
> 
> However does this apply at intermediate stations? I can totally understand that in Europe they chose to use existing infrastructure and rail rows but are dwell times and acceleration similarly affected at stops along the way?


Gauge has nothing to do with it, just better system separation. Contrary to France what you see in Germany is that on many intermediate station they tried to optimise the track layout by limiting the number of switches and using those switches only in the straight position. So instead of 40 km/h they can enter and exit at much higher speeds. Example: a light engine passed Kassel Wilhelmhöhe at 100 km/h (this video at 15:27), so an ICE train could enter the station as fast as the braking profile allows.

There are a few station in Europe that are along high speed lines (like Montabaur, Noorderkempen and Champagne-Ardenne TGV), where the difference between a Japanese and a European HST would probably not be very big either, but still in favour of Japan with it's tighter procedures.


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## loefet

chornedsnorkack said:


> Precisely. Dwell time plus the deceleration/acceleration time. Making the total time difference between a train that skips the stop and a train that makes the stop.
> 
> Taiwan Shinkansen (and they use 700 series Shinkansen trains, too) manages to make 4 extra stops with total time difference between express and all-stop train at 24 minutes. So 6 minute time penalty of a stop. Whereas the Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama for some reason suffers a penalty of over 8 minutes per stop.


You are still missing the point, a THSR all stop train is on average passed by one skip stop train, where as a Kodama is passed by 9 trains on average between Tokyo and Osaka. And in the case of the Kodama, then during some of the stops it will let pass up to two trains, making the dwell time even more.


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## Silver Swordsman

chornedsnorkack said:


> Precisely. Dwell time plus the deceleration/acceleration time. Making the total time difference between a train that skips the stop and a train that makes the stop.
> 
> Taiwan Shinkansen (and they use 700 series Shinkansen trains, too) manages to make 4 extra stops with total time difference between express and all-stop train at 24 minutes. So 6 minute time penalty of a stop. Whereas the Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama for some reason suffers a penalty of over 8 minutes per stop.


The model used by Taiwan, "700T" is only partially related to the 700 series from which it originated. Aside from tweaks to air conditioning and nose aerodynamics, the 700T also utilizes the bogie specifications from the 500 series, which allows higher operating speeds (but also seems to have reduced acceleration). Indeed, the 700T reached a top speed of 315km/h during test runs.


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## bluemeansgo

loefet said:


> You are still missing the point, a THSR all stop train is on average passed by one skip stop train, where as a Kodama is passed by 9 trains on average between Tokyo and Osaka. And in the case of the Kodama, then during some of the stops it will let pass up to two trains, making the dwell time even more.



I'm pretty sure he's intentionally missing the points. Lol. 

This image really gets to the crux of how much priority the Kodama gets on the schedule.


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## sacto7654

I think in the end, both JR Central and JR West wants to eventually get all the 500 and 700 Series trainsets off the Tokaidō and San'yō lines by 2017 at latest. That way, all the trains will be N700, N700-8000 and N700A trainsets, which will have similar reasonably fast acceleration from stop and top speeds of 300 km/h or higher. And it will allow the Tokaidō line to run 300 km/h operation on parts of the line (e.g., Kyoto east to Maibara and Toyohashi east to Shizuoka). And it may allow a slight bump up in top speed on the San'yō line from 300 to 310 km/h.


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## loefet

sacto7654 said:


> I think in the end, both JR Central and JR West wants to eventually get all the 500 and 700 Series trainsets off the Tokaidō and San'yō lines by 2017 at latest. That way, all the trains will be N700, N700-8000 and N700A trainsets, which will have similar reasonably fast acceleration from stop and top speeds of 300 km/h or higher. And it will allow the Tokaidō line to run 300 km/h operation on parts of the line (e.g., Kyoto east to Maibara and Toyohashi east to Shizuoka). And it may allow a slight bump up in top speed on the San'yō line from 300 to 310 km/h.


The 500 Series is have been "banned" from the Tokaido Shinkansen since 2010 (they are now only running Kodama services on the Sanyo Shinkansen). And according to the Tokaido Shinkansen wiki page then it seems like the 700 series will be gone by 2019, so we have to wait until then until we will see the next improvements in service on the Tokaido Shinkansen. 
The Sanyo line isn't as heavily trafficked, the Tokaido Shinkansen have a maximum theoretical capacity of 14 trains per hour, where as the Sanyo Shinkansen "only" have 9.5 trains per hour, which makes it easier to increase the speed even if they still have some older slow accelerating train sets, since there is much more space to fit them in.


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## chornedsnorkack

bluemeansgo said:


> This image really gets to the crux of how much priority the Kodama gets on the schedule.


Now, let´s analyze it.
Travel time Kyoto-Nagoya for expresses (all Nozomis save one Hikari):

200 6:14 6:49 0:35
202 6:17 6:52 0:35
204 6:27 7:04 0:37
290 6:35 7:12 0:37
100 6:38 7:15 0:37
102 6:48 7:24 0:36
292 7:02 7:40 0:38
104 7:06 7:42 0:36
208 7:18 7:54 0:36
106 7:26 8:03 0:37
108 7:45 8:22 0:37
212 7:53 8:32 0:39
110 8:05 8:42 0:37
214 8:18 8:54 0:36
112 8:26 9:03 0:37
114 8:45 9:22 0:37
2 8:53 9:32 0:39
Hikari 460 8:56 9:34 0:38
Note: the expresses travel different travel time with the same stops! 0:35 to 0:38.

Now compare the non-expresses (all Hikaris save one Kodama). For some reason, all have the same stops, both Maibara and Gifu-Hashima - none of the 7 has just one of these two. Excluding the last, because this section of schedule does not show what expresses pass it.
Some are passed by 1 train, some by 2 and one even by 3.

504 6:23 7:18 0:55 204 290 100
506 6:42 7:34 0:52 102
508 7:32 8:27 0:55 108
510 7:42 8:34 0:52 108 212
Kodama 638 7:59 8:56 0:57 110 214
512 8:33 9:27 0:54 114
Note: no clear correlation between number of passing trains and travel time. Conspicuous contrast between 508 and 510 - 510 is passed by 1 more Nozomi, yet travels 3 minutes faster!


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## sacto7654

loefet said:


> The 500 Series is have been "banned" from the Tokaido Shinkansen since 2010 (they are now only running Kodama services on the Sanyo Shinkansen). And according to the Tokaido Shinkansen wiki page then it seems like the 700 series will be gone by 2019, so we have to wait until then until we will see the next improvements in service on the Tokaido Shinkansen.
> The Sanyo line isn't as heavily trafficked, the Tokaido Shinkansen have a maximum theoretical capacity of 14 trains per hour, where as the Sanyo Shinkansen "only" have 9.5 trains per hour, which makes it easier to increase the speed even if they still have some older slow accelerating train sets, since there is much more space to fit them in.


There are two issues with the 500 and 700 Series Shinkansen: relatively slow acceleration (compared to the N700, N700-8000 and N700A) and the lack of a "tilting" feature to tilt the trainset around 2 degrees to take the tighter curvature of the Tokaidō line from Tokyo to Mishima Stations. (It should be noted that the N700-8000 trainsets--which lack the tilt feature--run on the Kyushu line at a maximum speed of 260 km/h but can achieve 300 km/h on the San'yō line, mostly because of the low track curvature between Hakata and Shin-Osaka Stations). JR Central still runs the 700 Series on _Hikari_ and _Kodama_ services, and JR West runs the 500 and 700 Series on _Kodama_ services; I do think the goal from Tokyo to Hakata is N700 (all trainsets upgraded to near N700A standard), N700-8000 and N700A trainsets only so all trains have the same acceleration and (more or less) the same top speed, which will allow faster operations on both the Tokaidō and San'yō lines.


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## M-NL

In order to optimise capacity the Tokaido shinkansen is limited to 16 car train sets only, hence the 500, the 700 'Hikari Rail Star' and the N700-8000 sets can't run there.
The reason Kodamas and Hikari only run 285 km/h on the Sanyo is probably station density. What's the use of a 300 km/h train when there is not sufficient distance to run at that speed for more then a few minutes? Reducing the maximum speed also reduces wear, which is probably a good thing considering the 500 and 700 are the oldest trains in the fleet.


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## loefet

chornedsnorkack said:


> ...
> Note: no clear correlation between number of passing trains and travel time. Conspicuous contrast between 508 and 510 - 510 is passed by 1 more Nozomi, yet travels 3 minutes faster!


Well you have to go deeper than that really, really have to watch the spacing between the trains in more detail, since there isn't a strict 3 minutes between each train when they start, in some cases it may be up to 14 minutes between them. And I'm pretty sure that if there is a chance that any Hikari or Kodama could disrupt the speed of a Nozomi, then it will be forced to wait until the Nozomi have passed, which could mean that you don't have that strict 6 minutes of waiting time to fit them in, some times it's more. All because Nozomi trains are the ones that have the highest priority. 

But as I said before, the price difference between them is so low that no-one would use a Hikari or Kodama to go between Tokyo and Osaka, they are only there to give some service to the "smaller" towns (compared to the big metropolises that is) along the route, and as a trade off then they will be forced to wait for the gap in the planning so that they don't disrupt the more "important" services between the big metropolises. 

I mean, if they would really focus on giving the best possible services between Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, then all the smaller stations in between would all be cut, since doing so would dramatically increase the number of trains possible between Tokyo and Osaka. 
The travel times on the Hikari and Kodama, is just a trade off between all this.


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## chornedsnorkack

For comparison:
Taiwan Shinkansen:
339,3 km Taibei Station to Zuoying Station
For expresses, 2 intermediate stations: Banqiao, 7,2 km from Taibei, and Taichung, 159,8 km from Taibei
Tokaido Shinkansen:
342,0 km Tokyo Station to Nagoya Station
For expresses, 2 intermediate stations: Shinagawa, 6,8 km from Tokyo, and Shin-Yokohama, 25,5 km from Tokyo
Shizuoka is a prefectural capital, and conveniently 167,4 km from Tokyo - but for some reason Nozomis do not stop at Shizuoka.

Scheduled travel time for expresses:
Taiwan Shinkansen Taibei-Zuoying - 1:36 without exceptions.
Tokaido Shinkansen Tokyo-Nagoya:

1 6:00 7:35 1:35
3 6:16 7:54 1:38
5 6:30 8:12 1:42
201 6:43 8:25 1:42
7 6:50 8:35 1:45
203 7:00 8:42 1:42
9 7:10 8:51 1:41
205 7:20 9:03 1:43
11 7:30 9:14 1:44
101 7:40 9:23 1:43
13 7:50 9:33 1:43
207 8:00 9:42 1:42
Time is similar... but unlike Taiwan Shinkansen, the travel times are for some reason widely scattered.


----------



## loefet

^^ If the times have been taken from a recent timetable, then you also have to take into account that some Nozomi runs have a higher top speed than the rest of them. Since the 14th some trains are allowed to run at 285 km/h instead of 270 km/h. 
But then again, I don't think that 4 minutes difference over 342 km is that much to discuss really. 
Also none of these figures shows that the THSR trains accelerate faster than the N700 as was the start of this discussion.


----------



## bluemeansgo

loefet said:


> And I'm pretty sure that if there is a chance that any Hikari or Kodama could disrupt the speed of a Nozomi, then it will be forced to wait until the Nozomi have passed


Yes. 100% true. 



> But as I said before, the price difference between them is so low that no-one would use a Hikari or Kodama to go between Tokyo and Osaka, they are only there to give some service to the "smaller" towns


I am surprised there is any difference I price. That's the first I had heard of that. I always thought all services are the same price.



> I mean, if they would really focus on giving the best possible services between Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka, then all the smaller stations in between would all be cut, since doing so would dramatically increase the number of trains possible between Tokyo and Osaka.


 if the Tokaido were built today it WOULD dispense with many of the intermediate stations, perhaps keeping only Shizuoka (maybe Odawara and Hamamatsu) between Yokohama and Nagoya. Shinkansen stations are essentially like airports competing with short haul flights. 

However when the train started operation in 1964 it was aiming for 200km/h and competed with long haul and overnight trains. It also was replacing an existing Tokaido main line. 




> The travel times on the Hikari and Kodama, is just a trade off between all this.


Exactly. Part of the evidence of this is that there are almost kodama or Hikari that go past the osaka area east or west. They are simply not a long haul service. Of course part of this is JR West vs JR Central but if there was demand, for example, for a kodama jaunt between Maibara and Okayama, they'd broker an arrangement. There are Nozomi and Mizuho (Osaka – Kagoshima) long haul services though.


----------



## bluemeansgo

chornedsnorkack said:


> For comparison:
> 
> Taiwan Shinkansen:
> 
> 339,3 km Taibei Station to Zuoying Station
> 
> For expresses, 2 intermediate stations: Banqiao, 7,2 km from Taibei, and Taichung, 159,8 km from Taibei
> 
> Tokaido Shinkansen:
> 
> 342,0 km Tokyo Station to Nagoya Station
> 
> For expresses, 2 intermediate stations: Shinagawa, 6,8 km from Tokyo, and Shin-Yokohama, 25,5 km from Tokyo
> 
> Shizuoka is a prefectural capital, and conveniently 167,4 km from Tokyo - but for some reason Nozomis do not stop at Shizuoka.
> 
> 
> 
> Scheduled travel time for expresses:
> 
> Taiwan Shinkansen Taibei-Zuoying - 1:36 without exceptions.
> 
> Tokaido Shinkansen Tokyo-Nagoya:
> 
> 
> 1 6:00 7:35 1:35
> 
> 3 6:16 7:54 1:38
> 
> 5 6:30 8:12 1:42
> 
> 201 6:43 8:25 1:42
> 
> 7 6:50 8:35 1:45
> 
> 203 7:00 8:42 1:42
> 
> 9 7:10 8:51 1:41
> 
> 205 7:20 9:03 1:43
> 
> 11 7:30 9:14 1:44
> 
> 101 7:40 9:23 1:43
> 
> 13 7:50 9:33 1:43
> 
> 207 8:00 9:42 1:42
> 
> 
> Time is similar... but unlike Taiwan Shinkansen, the travel times are for some reason widely scattered.



That is cool to have a comparison with a similar trainset. I'm not sure how often express trains are run in Taiwan.

It is interesting to analyze the timetable but given the congestion it is hard to pin down where slow downs happen. 

A better indicator is jr west which has a full but not as full schedule. Check out the Sakura service between himeji and Hakata. The Sakura is an 8-car train that is roughly equivalent to Nozomi with an additional stop. It's pretty consistently 130 minutes.

As for why Nozomi doesn't stop at Shizuoka... That's why it is Nozomi. That service is meant to connect Tokyo , Nagoya, and Osaka. Or put another way... Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai.


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## sacto7654

bluemeansgo said:


> As for why Nozomi doesn't stop at Shizuoka... That's why it is Nozomi. That service is meant to connect Tokyo , Nagoya, and Osaka. Or put another way... Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai.


Back in the days before the 300 Series trainset arrived to start the faster _Nozomi_ service, even the older _Hikari_ service stopped only at Nagoya and Kyoto before arriving at Osaka. Today, _Hikari_ service between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka usually stop (after Shin-Yokohama) at Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Maibara and Kyoto.


----------



## bluemeansgo

sacto7654 said:


> Back in the days before the 300 Series trainset arrived to start the faster _Nozomi_ service, even the older _Hikari_ service stopped only at Nagoya and Kyoto before arriving at Osaka. Today, _Hikari_ service between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka usually stop (after Shin-Yokohama) at Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Maibara and Kyoto.



Yes, thank you for clarifying that it wasn't introduced for Nozomi. What I think is interesting is that for the Chuo line, jr central has already said they're going to discontinue the Nozomi service along the Tokaido. 

Now what that actually means is anyone's guess but with the added capacity and the vast difference in speeds between Tokaido and Chuo, it certainly will shake up that corridor. Of note, it will be 80% non-stop service on that line as well between Nagoya and Shinagawa. I think I read that there will be one all-stops service hourly. Really goes to show you where the demand is and that Shinkansen really is a city connector at those speeds.

The trip between Nagoya and Shinagawa will be 25 minutes FASTER than between Narita and Shinagawa! 

I believe there was talk of adding a stop as well to the Tokaido.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

A interesting fact is that Seikan Tunnel was projected and built for future use for Shinkansen high-speed trains. But this project wasn't realized because of privatization of JNR and low demand on trains between Sapporo and Tokyo.

By the way, JNR almost abandoned the works of Seikan Tunnel in the 1980's. High costs of construction were making the project unfeasible. At that time, thousand of persons preferred to travel from Tokyo to Hakodate and Sapporo by air and freight was loaded by coastal ships. JNR intended to use the tunnel for oil depot.


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## Sr.Horn

*Shinkansen 500 Series × Evangelion* 










From autumn 2015 until March 2017 an Evangelion themed JR West 500 Series trainset will run on Kodama service from Hakata to Shin-Osaka and back. This is an special train due the 20 anniversary of popular anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and the 40 anniversary of the Sanyo Shinkansen.










Schedule of the "Evangelion train":

Hakata 6:36 (Kodama 730) → 11:14 Shin-Osaka 
Shin-Osaka 11:32 (Kodama 741) → 16:07 Hakata 

Also the special website has released some wallpapers:




















www.500type-eva.jp
http://trafficnews.jp/post/41809/


----------



## flierfy

Moved over from the TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA (KANTO) | Public Transport thread:



Sr.Horn said:


> I think the eventual Kanazawa - Tsuruga - Osaka HSL will never be served by direct trains Tokyo - Osaka via Kanazawa. It could be more realistic this scenario: Tokyo - Nagano - Kanazawa services, and Osaka - Kanazawa - Nagano services. :dunno:


What about Nagoya-Kanazawa-Nagano services? It would certainly not go amiss to connect the north coast towns to Japans 3rd largest conurbation directly. That, however, would require the Hokuriku Shinkansen to join the Tōkaidō Shinkansen somewhere near Maibara.

As for Ōsaka-Tokyo through services. I wonder whether JR West and JR East wouldn't have at least an emergency schedule in store just in case the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is temporarily disconnected. But that would mean that the rolling stock is able to bridge the frequency gap.


----------



## Sr.Horn

Nagoya (Maibara) Kanazawa - Nagano trains will be possible with the FGT but I think the Nagoya - Matsumoto - Nagano limited express is faster (only 3 hours actually) and the shortest route 250 vs 480 (Nagoya - Maibara - Kanazawa - Nagano). :dunno:


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## bluemeansgo

flierfy said:


> As for Ōsaka-Tokyo through services. I wonder whether JR West and JR East wouldn't have at least an emergency schedule in store *just in case the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is temporarily disconnected*. But that would mean that the rolling stock is able to bridge the frequency gap.


This is precisely what the Chuo Shinkansen is being built for. I have more trust that the Chuo Shinkansen will be built before Kanazawa is connected to Osaka.

The Hokuriku line to Tsuruga will be complete 2025.
The Chuo Line to Nagoya 2027. 
The Chuo Line to Osaka 2045 ( unless they fast-track it ).


----------



## Sr.Horn

ayokoi




> ‘Dr. Yellow’ lucky Shinkansen shows its belly for 1st time
> 
> HAMAMATSU, Shizuoka Prefecture--Railroad buffs and children were delighted at the rare opportunity to see an inspection Shinkansen, popularly called “Dr. Yellow,” lifted above their heads for periodic servicing on July 25.
> 
> In the sweltering summer heat, a large number of families with children cheered as the 25-meter lead coach was hoisted above their heads.
> 
> “It is the first time I saw the train, and it is actually neater and cooler than I expected,” said Yuki Yokobori, a 9-year-old spectator from Tokyo.
> 
> It marked the first time that Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai), the operator of the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, allowed train fans to observe the lifting of the Dr. Yellow bullet train for inspection at its factory in Hamamatsu.
> 
> The bogies and other interchangeable parts of the inspection train are replaced every 1.2 million kilometers. The train was also repainted a bright yellow before it was unveiled for the public opening event on July 25.
> 
> ...


Asahi Shimbun


----------



## dimlys1994

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...okuriku-shinkansen-extension.html?channel=523
> 
> *Talks begin on Hokuriku Shinkansen extension*
> Friday, August 07, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _JAPAN's ruling Liberal Democratic and Komeito parties began discussions on August 7 on the proposed third phase of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which would extend the line from Tsuruga to Shin-Osaka_
> 
> Funding for studies will be included in the budget for the 2016 financial year with the aim of identifying a preferred route option in 2017.
> 
> The initial 228km section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Nagano to Kanazawa opened in March and the 120.7km Kanazawa - Tsuruga extension is due to be completed in 2022
> 
> ...


----------



## sacto7654

If JR West is smart, they should open the Hokuriku Shinkansen line from Kanazawa to Fukui first before opening it to Tsuruga. Mostly because there is relatively little tunneling needed between Kanazawa and Fukui, unlike the need for a _very_ long tunnel east of Tsuruga (the longest above-sea _zairaisen_ gauge tunnel in Japan, the Hokuriku Tunnel, has the south portal just east of Tsuruga Station).


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## Rodalvesdepaula

Is it possible to have a high-speed freight service in some Shinkansen tracks? 

I believe there's demand to a overnight high-speed freight train between Tokyo and Hokkaido via new Hokkaido Shinkansen. These trains could carry express mail, medicines and other types of low weight products. In Europe, there's a project called Eurocarex, a future overnight high-speed freight service between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Lyon with trains running at 270 Km/h.

In Japan, this service could be operated by JR Kamotsu, using second-hand N700 Shinkansen Series converted for cargo service.


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## 00Zy99

1) There are no second-hand N700 sets lying around.

2) There is no track connection between north and south in Tokyo.

3) The Shinkansen has no tracks near industries, and the different gauge means it can't just use regular tracks.

4) The system is so busy during the daytime that nighttime is reserved for mandatory maintenance and inspection-there aren't any available tracks. 

5) There isn't a market for high-speed freight runs within Japan-the country is compact enough that most of it can be accessed from Tokyo overnight on the regular lines anyway.


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## M-NL

6) The axle load limitation of about 16t per axle (and most likely a very low ton per meter limitation as well) will mean it can only carry very light loads. You would need to shorten carriages to around 20m or even shorter to have any useful loading capacity.

7) A N700 can't handle the 50Hz overhead wires north of Tokyo (Several older JR East trains can)


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## chornedsnorkack

00Zy99 said:


> 4) The system is so busy during the daytime that nighttime is reserved for mandatory maintenance and inspection-there aren't any available tracks.


How many daily non-passenger runs do Shinkansen lines have?
Like, Tokaido Shinkansen has somethiing like 10 passenger trains per hour, 160 passenger trains from morning till evening.
But how many Doctor Yellow trains run the length of Tokaido Shinkansen every day?


----------



## Sr.Horn

Well, the real-high speed freight services are being studied in Hokkaido with the train-in-train system. Maybe not for all the Hokkaido-Tohoku Shinkansen Line but for the easy management of the Seikan tunnel:



Sr.Horn said:


> Recent and interesting Begin Japanology from NHK World.
> 
> - History of its construction.
> 
> - Brief about the train-ferry Aomori-Hakodate.
> 
> - The introduction of the Shinkansen service and new ideas from Hokkaido Railway Company to allow freight trains inside high-speed train or train-in-train.


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## sacto7654

My guess is that in the end, the solution is special train where containers designed for _zairaisen_ container carrying cars are loaded in a wider, covered freight car, with 20-30 of these special freight cars per train (and modified EH800 locomotives on both ends of the train). This will allow the freight train to traverse through the Seikan Tunnel at speeds around 200 km/h.

The containers will be loaded and unloaded on these special cars at an expanded Aomori Freight Yard on the Honshu side and a new freight yard at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station on the Hokkaido side.


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## JuaanAcosta

^^ that's exactly one of the solutions to the problem about Shinkansen running on the Seikan Tunnel, shown on the video that Sr. Horn posted.


----------



## Erick Satoh

chornedsnorkack said:


> How many daily non-passenger runs do Shinkansen lines have?
> But how many Doctor Yellow trains run the length of Tokaido Shinkansen every day?


- Almost close to NONE

- 3 or 4 times a month the Doctor Yellow runs the entire route (1 day he goes DOWN Tokyo - Hakata the next day he goes UP Hakata - Tokyo) ex: 3 times he is using the Nozomi timetable once he's using the Kodama service this is the JR Central set 

- the JR West and the I-East i dunno but i think is the same idea, the JR Kyushu uses a 800 set


----------



## castermaild55




----------



## *Tomodachi Maikeru*

Was in the Gunma Prefecture last month and shot some video during a bike ride of the Joetsu Shinkansen and Hokuriku Shinkansen.
I thought the E7 traveled at 250km/h, but it didn't look like it to me, anyway.


----------



## Sr.Horn

Some news report about the Hokkaido Shinkansen. First, the expected data for the opening and the type of services:



> March 26 eyed for launch of Hokkaido Shinkansen Line
> 
> SAPPORO – Railway operators envision starting service on the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line linking the northern main island with Honshu on March 26, 2016, according to sources familiar with the matter.
> 
> Hokkaido Railway Co. and East Japan Railway Co. are making arrangements for 13 round trips per day, they said. Ten of the 13 round trips will connect Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station in Hokkaido and Tokyo in 4 hours and 10 minutes at the fastest, while the remainder will link Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and stations in the Tohoku area.
> 
> ...


The Japan Times

_____________

The second, about the Shinkansen platform alignment on Sapporo Station. [My translation, can be errors] JR Hokkaido is considering to locate the Shinkansen tracks and platforms on the current platform 1 and 2 (north side of the Station) and widening the viaduct for one kilometer towards east and west. Please, read the comment of k.k.jetcar below. 



> *高架の拡幅、東西1キロ　JR、新幹線の現札幌駅ホーム案で　10棟前後立ち退きも*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JR北海道が、北海道新幹線札幌駅のホームを現在の駅構内に設ける場合、駅を含め東西1キロ超の範囲で北側に線路の敷地を広げ、高架を拡幅する検討をしていることが29日分かった。4案ある新幹線ホームの位置のうち、JRは現駅構内に設置する「現駅」案を基本に進める考えを示しており、この案で駅を改築する場合、高架に近いビルなど10棟前後の建物が立ち退きを余儀なくされる可能性も出ている。
> 
> ...


Yahoo

_____________

Also, on 22th of August, JR Hokkaido started the training operations for the crew staff on the Hokkaido Shinkansen with the trips between Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and Shin-Aomori.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

> The second, about the Shinkansen platform alignment on Sapporo Station. [My translation, can be errors] JR Hokkaido is considering to locate the Shinkansen tracks and platforms on the current platform 1 and 2 (north side of the Station) and widening the viaduct for one kilometer towards east and west.


Platform 1 and 2 are on the south side of the station, and serve as the up platforms for the Hakodate Main Line trains (local trains). The widening of the station and elevated portions is to preserve the capacity of zairaisen services which will lose the platform 1 and 2 space and to minimize the need for multiple crossovers (Sapporo Station has both terminating and through services). The problem is widening will likely encroach on existing properties along the line, mainly hotels, retail, and office buildings. Some eminent domain will occur, delaying construction timelines.


----------



## Sr.Horn

Thanks! So finally, which platforms will be transferred to the Shinkansen?


----------



## k.k.jetcar

Platforms 1/2, closest to JR Tower. There is space on the ground floor for Shinkansen ticket gates, separate from the zairaisen facilities.


----------



## Bbbut

sacto7654 said:


> My guess is that in the end, the solution is special train where containers designed for _zairaisen_ container carrying cars are loaded in a wider, covered freight car, with 20-30 of these special freight cars per train (and modified EH800 locomotives on both ends of the train). This will allow the freight train to traverse through the Seikan Tunnel at speeds around 200 km/h.
> 
> The containers will be loaded and unloaded on these special cars at an expanded Aomori Freight Yard on the Honshu side and a new freight yard at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station on the Hokkaido side.


I have to ask, why is this considered the best solution?

Why is it for example not cheaper / more practical to build a wall inside the tunnel between both directions and just introduce modern locomotives that can easily reach higher speeds for the freight trains than the current 110km/h?

Or, if the fear of freight trains derailing is really so high, why not simply add two guarding rails?
That makes it physically impossible to tip over cars.
Plus, they already upgraded the lines to dual-gauge (three rails), what are two more rails to them?

That has to be less costly than developing a new type of train and building two fright terminals, no?

(low-sophistication example of a guarding rail)












Also, while we are at it, how is this new Shinkansen line, stopping short of Sapporo, economical viable?
Will people really take the 4-hour train to Tokyo, when travel time by plane is half of that including boarding?

Hakodate, Aomori, Hachinohe, Morioka, these are all under-300k-cities and Sendai has a population of 1m, by Japanese standards not particular high.
I see on Wikipedia, that JR Hokkaido ordered only 4 new HSR train sets.
How will they not lose money with this line under these conditions?


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ How are the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansens profitable? The same reason. There are many that will take the train (when opened all the way to Sapporo). In Sweden there are many lines between big cities (Stockholm to Malmö and Stockholm to Göteborg) that are profitable despite these being much, much less populated overall.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

The "special train" was developed already by JR Hokkaido independently. It was called "train on train". The project was shelved indefinitely, likely one of the reasons being JR Hokkaido's managerial and operational woes. You can see the prototype still sitting forlornly in the Naebo Depot storage tracks. 

This kind of train is necessary as the turbulence caused by passing shinkansen trains in a narrow double track tunnel bore is at a level that derailment is a high possibility, no matter how many guardrails and the like are installed.

The shinkansen line is built "short" of Sapporo (i.e. Shin Hakodate Hokuto Station) because that is the first leg of the line that will eventually reach Sapporo- it is figured into the budget. I don't think this first leg is expected to turn a profit, perhaps best case is that it breaks even, and helps the local economy of southern Hokkaido. As far as long term, who knows? The Sapporo-Tokyo air corridor is one of the busiest in the world. If the rail travel time can be reduced to somewhere under 5 hours, perhaps it can grab a share of that custom or that of intermediate routes (i.e. Hakodate-Sendai or Hakodate-Omiya) enough to be operationally profitable.


----------



## SSCreader

Bbbut said:


> Hakodate, Aomori, Hachinohe, Morioka, these are all under-300k-cities and Sendai has a population of 1m, by Japanese standards not particular high.
> I see on Wikipedia, that JR Hokkaido ordered only 4 new HSR train sets.
> How will they not lose money with this line under these conditions?


It's not JR East or JR Hokkaido that builds the line but JRTT, a government agency, using national and regional subventions. There is no requirement to balance the JRTT budget, which also covers the deficit from the non-privatized JR companies (Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu and Fret). From what I could understand, the JR companies pay a fee to run trains on the new lines, which is not related to the construction price, but to allow the train-running company to be reasonably profitable.

It might be a feature of the system that the three privatized JRs completely own the older Shinkansen lines, which are quite lucrative, and only pay a rent for the newer lines, built with great expense to reach less populated areas.


----------



## bluemeansgo

Yeah. It's part government project to keep the train economy going. 

Also that line is planned to increase to 360km/h eventually. 

The Shinkansen is just so much more convenient than flying. Trains run frequently and comfortably. You have more space and you don't have to work out how to get to/from the airport.
Although you're right that many will fly from Sapporo, especially with new LCCs coming online.

The time is comparable to Tokyo – Hakata. Or Osaka – Kagoshima.


----------



## sacto7654

Speaking of which, has JR Hokkaido said anything about the possibility of using Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station as the terminal station for some _Hokuto_ and _Super Hokuto_ services? That way, passengers getting off the Shinkansen at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto can quickly transfer to a train to take them directly to Sapporo.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

sacto7654 said:


> Speaking of which, has JR Hokkaido said anything about the possibility of using Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station as the terminal station for some _Hokuto_ and _Super Hokuto_ services? That way, passengers getting off the Shinkansen at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto can quickly transfer to a train to take them directly to Sapporo.


The zairaisen ltd. expresses will all stop at the Shinkansen station, but they will continue on to the Hakodate terminal, as likely the majority of passenger traffic will still be on the Sapporo-Hakodate routing, not to mention all the cleaning staff, fueling and watering services are at Hakodate. Of course the train schedules will be tweaked for good connections with the shinkansen services with the spring timetable revision of 2016.


----------



## sacto7654

k.k.jetcar said:


> The zairaisen ltd. expresses will all stop at the Shinkansen station, but they will continue on to the Hakodate terminal, as likely the majority of passenger traffic will still be on the Sapporo-Hakodate routing, not to mention all the cleaning staff, fueling and watering services are at Hakodate. Of course the train schedules will be tweaked for good connections with the shinkansen services with the spring timetable revision of 2016.


My guess is that JR Hokkaido may designate a number of runs of the _Super Hokuto_ train coming in from Sapporo to terminate at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station in order to sync with the arrival of the _Hayabusa_ train all the way from Tokyo. That way, passengers get a seamless connection continuing to Sapporo, and the train will have all seats available to arriving Shinkansen passengers. However, the _Hokuto_ (and some _Super Hokuto_) trains will continue on to Hakodate Station.


----------



## k.k.jetcar

^^
But if you do that, then that reduces the convenience for passengers going to/from Hakodate, forcing them to either 1. take the remaining Hakodate-Sapporo ltd. expresses i.e fewer choices, or 2. take the shuttle train to Shin-Hakodate and transfer to the ltd. express (pita!) If seat capacity is a worry for pax getting off the shinkansen, they can either add cars to the ltd. express (depending on platform length and stock availability) or decrease the # of unreserved seats in favor of reserved (I reckon most long distance pax will reserve their seats as they will be leisure rather than business trips). Also, the city of Hakodate would raise a sh*tstorm with JR Hokkaido if the number of ltd. expresses to Hakodate were in any way cut. That said, most passengers getting off the shinkansen will be _going to Hakodate, not to points north_. The zairaisen service they will be using will be the shuttle/relay service.


----------



## bluemeansgo

k.k.jetcar said:


> ^^
> But if you do that, then that reduces the convenience for passengers going to/from Hakodate, forcing them to either 1. take the remaining Hakodate-Sapporo ltd. expresses i.e fewer choices, or 2. take the shuttle train to Shin-Hakodate and transfer to the ltd. express (pita!) If seat capacity is a worry for pax getting off the shinkansen, they can either add cars to the ltd. express (depending on platform length and stock availability) or decrease the # of unreserved seats in favor of reserved (I reckon most long distance pax will reserve their seats as they will be leisure rather than business trips). Also, the city of Hakodate would raise a sh*tstorm with JR Hokkaido if the number of ltd. expresses to Hakodate were in any way cut. That said, most passengers getting off the shinkansen will be _going to Hakodate, not to points north_. The zairaisen service they will be using will be the shuttle/relay service.


After a long train ride from Tokyo, it's also nice to get out and check out the station area before catching a train further north to Sapporo. Not too many will do the whole 8-9 hours to Sapporo from Tokyo and Hakodate is a good half-way point before a 2nd 4-hour journey to Sapporo.


----------



## sacto7654

Speaking of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, has JR Hokkaido decided what will be the speed of the H5 trainset when it traverses the Seikan Tunnel? Will it be limited to 140 km/h to maintain compatibility with the JR Freight trains that frequently use this tunnel? Will JR Freight space out the freight train schedules so the some H5 trainsets can pass the tunnel at speeds up to 200 km/h? Or will even JR Freight seriously consider late-night only operations through the Tunnel so all H5's passing through the Tunnel can travel at 200 km/h?


----------



## Darth Reg

Freight speed will increase. Slowing the Shinkansen trains will leave the trainsets meaningless.


----------



## M-NL

Darth Reg said:


> Slowing the Shinkansen trains will leave the trainsets meaningless.


Why? Remember that for a large part in Tokyo urban area they also run at speeds in the 70 km/h to 110 km/h range. Once it has cleared the tunnel it can speed up again. A Eurostar also slows down from 300 km/h to 160 km/h while traversing the Eurotunnel. Also changing trains takes time, so that's an extra bonus of direct through running.


----------



## loefet

Asahi said:


> 北陸新幹線延伸「小浜・京都ルート」も検討　ＪＲ西日本
> *JR West considering Obama-Kyoto route for Hokuriku Shinkansen Extension*


Apparently there is now a 4:th option for the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line. JR West revealed the new option in August 2015. The idea is to make a full Shinkansen line between Tsugura and Kyoto via Obama, and the share tracks with the Tokaido Shinkansen to Osaka. The reason to include Kyoto is to increase the importance for the tourism in the area.

Image and more information at: http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASH8Y3PHFH8YPLFA002.html
And in English: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokuriku_Shinkansen#Future_plans

In my mind it seems like a combination of the previous three options. It's a full standard line via Obama, but will connect to Osaka via the Tokaido Shinkansen Line from Kyoto, which would most likely mean that it will run pretty close to the Kosei Line when approaching Kyoto. So the question is, is this the best solution of the problem?


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## SamuraiBlue

loefet said:


> Apparently there is now a 4:th option for the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line. JR West revealed the new option in August 2015. The idea is to make a full Shinkansen line between Tsugura and Kyoto via Obama, and the share tracks with the Tokaido Shinkansen to Osaka. The reason to include Kyoto is to increase the importance for the tourism in the area.


Who is going to pay for it?
The Obama Kyoto route basically bores through Hiezan.
Not going to happen unless JR west is going to cough up the cost on their own.


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## sacto7654

I think in the end, the routing of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tsuruga to the Keihanshin region will likely be a line that closely parallels the current JR West Kosei Line, mostly because it is the least expensive option in terms of construction costs. And I would not be surprised that the terminus of the Hokuriku Shinkansen will be Kyoto Station, since it won't add to the already heavy Shinkansen traffic between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka Stations. 

Terminating the Hokuriku Shinkansen at Kyoto Station is less of a problem than people think, since there is already a lot of JR West local trains between Osaka and Kyoto on the Tokaido Main Line anyway, not to mention access to the Kintetsu train network at Kyoto Station and Hankyu could build a short line extension to Kyoto Station to feed passengers to the Hankyu train network.


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## loefet

SamuraiBlue said:


> Who is going to pay for it?
> The Obama Kyoto route basically bores through Hiezan.
> Not going to happen unless JR west is going to cough up the cost on their own.


You don't think that it will have the same kind of funding as the other alternatives? I would guess that this option would have the same kind of cost (or slightly less) than the original Obama route, which in itself would include loads of tunnel work as it is. It's just and idea that they have decided to look at together with the rest of them so we just have to see what they end up choosing at the end. 



sacto7654 said:


> And I would not be surprised that the terminus of the Hokuriku Shinkansen will be Kyoto Station, since it won't add to the already heavy Shinkansen traffic between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka Stations.
> 
> Terminating the Hokuriku Shinkansen at Kyoto Station is less of a problem than people think, since there is already a lot of JR West local trains between Osaka and Kyoto on the Tokaido Main Line anyway, not to mention access to the Kintetsu train network at Kyoto Station and Hankyu could build a short line extension to Kyoto Station to feed passengers to the Hankyu train network.


I agree, terminating most trains at Kyoto won't be much of a problem, I still think that there is space to fit a number of trains doing through service to Osaka on the Tokaido Shinkansen. I mean, there are no intermediate stations between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka and all trains already stops at both of them, meaning that you can space the trains at the shortest possible intervals, which would easily free up space for another 4 or so trains every hour going through to Osaka from the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Since they are able to run trains every three minutes, then it would mean that it's possible run 20 trains per hour, at the moment there are a maximum of 14 scheduled trains per hour on the Tokaido Shinkansen (actually 13 since one Kodama turns around at Nagoya from Tokyo), then it would mean that there is space for another 6 trains on that stretch, which makes me draw that conclusion.


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## SamuraiBlue

loefet said:


> You don't think that it will have the same kind of funding as the other alternatives? I would guess that this option would have the same kind of cost (or slightly less) than the original Obama route, which in itself would include loads of tunnel work as it is. It's just and idea that they have decided to look at together with the rest of them so we just have to see what they end up choosing at the end.
> 
> 
> I agree, terminating most trains at Kyoto won't be much of a problem, I still think that there is space to fit a number of trains doing through service to Osaka on the Tokaido Shinkansen. I mean, there are no intermediate stations between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka and all trains already stops at both of them, meaning that you can space the trains at the shortest possible intervals, which would easily free up space for another 4 or so trains every hour going through to Osaka from the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
> Since they are able to run trains every three minutes, then it would mean that it's possible run 20 trains per hour, at the moment there are a maximum of 14 scheduled trains per hour on the Tokaido Shinkansen (actually 13 since one Kodama turns around at Nagoya from Tokyo), then it would mean that there is space for another 6 trains on that stretch, which makes me draw that conclusion.


It's obvious that the Tsuruga Maibara route would be the most cheapest being the shortest route through flat terrain. I'm surprised people wanting a more expensive route using tax payer's money and will at the end pushing the ticket price.
In 2027 the Chuo Shinkansen will go online and will extend to Osaka in 2045. At that time the Tokaido shinkansen would be relieved from the huge passenger load it sees today and can accommodate some slots to run the Hokuriku line on the Tokaido line. This would be much more cheaper and would be able to utilize present infrastructure that will be less used in the future.


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## luacstjh98

But I do wonder, if they're going to connect the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kyoto, where are they going to build platforms? The area around Kyoto Station is already rather built up.


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## sacto7654

luacstjh98 said:


> But I do wonder, if they're going to connect the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kyoto, where are they going to build platforms? The area around Kyoto Station is already rather built up.


One possibility: a higher level platform. That way, the Tokaido Shinkansen line will keep their current run-through station platforms, and the Hokuriku Shinkansen can terminate on a platforms one level above the current Shinkansen platform, with access to ground level by multiple escalators and elevators.


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## Sr.Horn

*Genbi Shinkansen*










JR East presented this week the "GENBI SHINKANSEN" based in a E3 Series Shinkansen. This train is a sort of art exhibition gallery on rails and is expected to start from next spring 2016 on the Joetsu Shinkansen between Echigo-Yuzawa and Niigata.




























Source: http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2015/10/06/426/

Web in english: http://www.jreast.co.jp/genbi/en/


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## 00Zy99

OK, what?

No, seriously, what?

I mean, that footbath E3 was weird enough. This is just utterly insane and over the top.


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## Silver Swordsman

As one can see on the websites, there are seats, albeit just not at full capacity as one would expect on the Tokaido Shinkansen. I think the idea is for passengers to have an "enriched" experience while riding the train, and I think it's quite interesting. 

Given that this is Japan though, I would probably expect this train to operate only at off-peak hours...


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## sacto7654

It should be noted that the _Genbi Shinkansen_ train--unlike the _Toreiyu_ tourist train that operates between Fukushima and Shinjo on the Yamagata Shinkansen line--will run between Echigo-Yuzawa and Niigata Stations on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line. And that means the train will have to travel at the full rated speed of the Jōetsu line--speeds up to 240 km/h.


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## bluemeansgo

SamuraiBlue said:


> It's obvious that the Tsuruga Maibara route would be the most cheapest being the shortest route through flat terrain. I'm surprised people wanting a more expensive route using tax payer's money and will at the end pushing the ticket price.
> In 2027 the Chuo Shinkansen will go online and will extend to Osaka in 2045. At that time the Tokaido shinkansen would be relieved from the huge passenger load it sees today and can accommodate some slots to run the Hokuriku line on the Tokaido line. This would be much more cheaper and would be able to utilize present infrastructure that will be less used in the future.


2045 is a LONG time away for a lot of people ( though I can see that being accelerated to 2035 as 2020 and the link to Nagoya gets closer and closer.

The big question is, what's the time difference between all the routes. How much slower is the Maibara route. That is usually the bar when it comes to Japanese trains.


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## Sr.Horn

*「500 TYPE EVA」*



> *@inahon485*
> 500系エヴァ先頭車カッコよすぎる(特に先頭よりの塗装と運転室ドア横についてる「500 TYPE EVA」の文字が特に好き)


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## 00Zy99

But is it a train that happens to be an EVA or an EVA that happens to be a train?


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## traveler

cool loco!


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## bima_mtks

Japan, please build the new shinkansen in Indonesia, dont let China beat you, we need your technology


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## SamuraiBlue

bluemeansgo said:


> 2045 is a LONG time away for a lot of people ( though I can see that being accelerated to 2035 as 2020 and the link to Nagoya gets closer and closer.
> 
> The big question is, what's the time difference between all the routes. How much slower is the Maibara route. That is usually the bar when it comes to Japanese trains.


The construction schedule for any of those routes would be about the same with all the tunneling involved as for traveling time I don't think there will be much of a difference for people traveling from Kanazawa to Osaka/Kyoto but the Maibara route would be the preferred choice for people from Nagoya to Kanazawa. This would probable be the deciding factor since there is a lot of business opportunity if traveling time is shaved from that route.


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## M-NL

But Kyoto is already a Nozomi station, whereas Maibara isn't. In fact not even all Hikaris stop at Maibara, thus it wouldn't make sense to terminate a Shinkansen line there. I at least would expect an easy and frequent change to Tokaido Shinkansens at the terminus station.

Adding Maibara as a Nozomi stop wouldn't make sense either, because that increases travel time between Tokyo and the Kansai area, negating all efforts to shave of every second they can.


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## SamuraiBlue

M-NL said:


> But Kyoto is already a Nozomi station, whereas Maibara isn't. In fact not even all Hikaris stop at Maibara, thus it wouldn't make sense to terminate a Shinkansen line there. I at least would expect an easy and frequent change to Tokaido Shinkansens at the terminus station.
> 
> Adding Maibara as a Nozomi stop wouldn't make sense either, because that increases travel time between Tokyo and the Kansai area, negating all efforts to shave of every second they can.


You're talking about the present schedule. JR Tokai already announced that they will realign the time schedule of Tokai Shinkansen after the Chuo Shinkansen had been inaugurated in 2027. 
They will probably discontinue the Nozomi service at that point and shave off some trains launched every hour to relieve congestion. At that point they can also include Maibara as a stop for Hikari service.


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## Sr.Horn

More announces on the Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen, the price!


For the Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto - Shin-Aomori service, both Hayate and Hayabusa (148,9 km):

Standard Car: 7260 yen (53,53 euro)
Green Car: 9490 yen (69,98 euro)
Gran Class: 14630 yen (107,88 euro)

For the Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto - Tokyo service, Hayate and Hayabusa (823,8 km):

Standard Car: 22690 yen (167,32 euro)
Green Car: 30060 yen (221,67 euro)
Gran Class: 38280 yen (282,29 euro)

Change 1 EUR = 135,605 JPY

Full list: http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2015/20151005.pdf

Comparing similar distances, the Nozomi trip from Tokyo to Hiroshima on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen costs 19080 yen in standard car (140,70 euro).


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## Sr.Horn

*「500 TYPE EVA」*

From Tetsudo-shimbun, 500 Series TYPE EVA unveiled today in west Japan.



>


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## M-NL

The 500 series may have been to expensive and not the optimal design for avoiding tunnel shock, but despite the bulky looking pantograph shrouds, it is still one of the best looking trains around. 
I wish they would also do these more extreme one-off designs in Europe more often. In the Netherlands we have to make due with a changed external livery only.


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## Blackraven

EVANGELION FTW!!!

By the way, will this be a permanent fixture? I hope I can get to ride 



M-NL said:


> The 500 series may have been to expensive and not the optimal design for avoiding tunnel shock, but despite the bulky looking pantograph shrouds, it is still one of the best looking trains around.
> I wish they would also do these more extreme one-off designs in Europe more often. In the Netherlands we have to make due with a changed external livery only.


I agree.

The 500 series is imho the sleekest and most stunning Japanese bullet train design ever.


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## sacto7654

While the 500 Series was the best-looking of the Shinkansen trainsets running between Tokyo and Hakata, it was also very expensive to build (they only built ten 16-car trainsets) and the acceleration and ability to travel fast through curved track was nothing to write home about. In contrast, the current N700/N700A trainsets are far less expensive to build, have very good acceleration, a top operational speed of 300 km/h (easily maintained on the San'yō line between Shin-Osaka and Hakata Stations) and the trainset can slightly "tilt" into curved track for faster speeds on certain portions of track, especially the Tokaidō line east of Atami Station.


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## Sr.Horn

^^ And for that reason:








*JR Central orders more N700A Shinkansen trains*



> CENTRAL Japan Railway Company (JR Central) confirmed on October 22 that it will receive a further 20 N700A series Shinkansen trains between fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2019 to replace the last of its remaining 700 series sets, which will be withdrawn by the end of the decade.
> 
> The first of the extra trains will be delivered in the 2016 financial year, with seven sets following in 2017, seven in 2018, and the final five trains during the 2019 financial year, which ends in March 2020.
> 
> The 300km/h trains are outwardly similar to the series N700, but feature a number of technical improvements over their predecessors, including LED lighting (which is around 20% more efficient than the lighting system in the N700), bogie vibration detection, enhanced ATC, and improved brake discs which reduce braking distances by up to 10%. Sound absorption panels, used only in Green Car vehicles on the N700, are used throughout the 16-car N700A, which seats 1323 passengers.
> In 2013 JR Central began incorporating a number of improvements from the N700As into the N700s and the remainder of the N700 fleet -a total of 111 trains - will also be upgraded to this standard.
> 
> The N700A retains the 1o tilting system introduced on the N700, which allows operation at up to 285km/h on the Tokaido Shinkansen and 300km/h on the Sanyo Shinkansen.
> 
> The trains also feature a new cruise control system, known as the fixed speed running device, which receives data on gradient and curvature from trackside transmitters installed along the Tokaido Shinkansen, allowing the train to automatically adjust power output according to the infrastructure characteristics of the route.
> 
> The first N700As entered service in February 2013, replacing series 700s on Tokyo – Osaka services. JR Central says energy consumption is 19% lower on the N700A than on the series 700.
> 
> JR Central received 91 700 series trains between 1997 and 2006, around 70 of which remain in service, although the fleet is steadily being reduced as more N700As are delivered.


Source: http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...more-n700a-shinkansen-trains.html?channel=523


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## luacstjh98

00Zy99 said:


> What I'd like to know is how they plan to extend from Kyoto to Osaka/Shin-Osaka and on to Kansai International. Will they build an extra route? Will the Hokuriku terminate and Osaka main station instead of Shin-Osaka? Will they drop any track connection at all?


Is there even any space at Umeda to build platforms for the Hokuriku Shinkansen?

And I'm not even sure how the Shinkansen can go to Kansai Airport - don't JR and Nankai already share the narrow gauge two-track right-of-way into Kansai?


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## 00Zy99

luacstjh98 said:


> Is there even any space at Umeda to build platforms for the Hokuriku Shinkansen?
> 
> And I'm not even sure how the Shinkansen can go to Kansai Airport - don't JR and Nankai already share the narrow gauge two-track right-of-way into Kansai?


A downtown Osaka station would obviously have to be underground, as would its approaches.

For that matter, it looks as though they are planning a new alignment between Kyoto and Osaka. While I would certainly agree that it might be necessary, where would it be placed?

A Shinkansen line to Kansai would likewise be a completely new right of way. Alternatively they could use GCT, or mini-Shinkansen. Not sure that Nankai would like that, though.


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## stingstingsting

Have they considered stacking a new Shinkansen line over an existing one? I don't think they have done this anywhere else but I don't see how it would be technically unfeasible. They did build a viaduct over the existing Tohoku Shinkansen line as part of the narrow-gauge Jukan Line in Tokyo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ueno–Tokyo_Line

In that sense they can opt for plan 2 to Kyoto Stationand then continue the Hokuriku Shinkansen for 50km down to Shin-Osaka Station by building the new viaduct over the existing one.

You would probably save lots of money on acquisition for a new right of way and for tunneling without impacting on the congested current services on the Tokaido Shinkansen.


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## SamuraiBlue

stingstingsting said:


> Have they considered stacking a new Shinkansen line over an existing one? I don't think they have done this anywhere else but I don't see how it would be technically unfeasible. They did build a viaduct over the existing Tohoku Shinkansen line as part of the narrow-gauge Jukan Line in Tokyo.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ueno–Tokyo_Line
> 
> In that sense they can opt for plan 2 to Kyoto Stationand then continue the Hokuriku Shinkansen for 50km down to Shin-Osaka Station by building the new viaduct over the existing one.
> 
> You would probably save lots of money on acquisition for a new right of way and for tunneling without impacting on the congested current services on the Tokaido Shinkansen.


Interesting idea but it would become redundant after 2045 when Chuo Shinkansen is extended to Osaka from Nagoya.


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## flierfy

00Zy99 said:


> The Tokaido Shinkansen is jam-packed as-is. There simply isn't any room for any Hokuriku trains to be added anywhere.


Actually there is room. The Tokaido Shinkansen is the most heavily trafficked between Tokyo and Nagoya. West of Nagoya, however, service frequency thins out already. There are enough time gaps to squeeze in two or three additional services per hour to each of Shin-Osaka and Nagoya. At least Japanese railways should be able to do it.

The route via Maibara (option 3) looks to me the most preferable one. Not only is it the option with the shortest stretch of new line that needs to be built and maintained later on. It is also the only route which connects the north coast towns on the Hokuriku Shinkansen quickly to Nagoya as well.


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## Sopomon

^^ I wonder if that alignment requires some kind of three-way junction near Maibara or if they expect trains to turn around at Maibara and head towards Nagoya


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## luacstjh98

Something like this? https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Fretin-triangle-diagram.svg


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## Sopomon

Yes, that exactly!


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## SamuraiBlue

luacstjh98 said:


> Something like this? https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Fretin-triangle-diagram.svg


I wonder if they have enough space for that kind of intersection at Maibara?
In any case there is a fairly wide flat corridor between Maibara and Tsuruga in which extensive tunneling would not be necessary to construct this route.


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## sacto7654

I think in the end, unless JR West is willing to fork up a *LOT* of money to upgrade the Tokaidō Shinkansen route between Maibara and Kyoto (e.g., going to possibly a quad-track layout), the Hokuriku Shinkansen route likely chosen from Tsuruga back to the Keihanshin region will be something that parallels the current JR West Kosei Line along the western shore of Lake Biwa, with the train terminating at Kyoto Station (along with a new line extension from the Hankyu Kyoto Line into Kyoto Station) so as passeger disembark from the Hokuriku Shinkansen train at Kyoto Station, they can transfer to JR West, Hankyu, and Kintetsu local/regional passenger service or transfer to Shinkansen trains heading west from Kyoto.


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## Sopomon

^^ It seems like such a waste not to have that Nagoya connectivity, though. Sure the Shinano provides adequate service north of Nagoya, but it still takes 4 hours or so to reach the Japan sea on that route (with a transfer in Nagano, of course).


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## Sr.Horn

Test ride with the mass media between Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and Kikkonai (35.5 km). 



> Snow slows Hokkaido Shinkansen in test-ride
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> An H5-series Shinkansen train was put through its paces Jan. 28, two months before the start of the first high-speed rail service in Japan’s northernmost main island.
> 
> The test-ride was exclusively for media representatives.
> 
> The Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) bullet train left Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station in Hokuto, Hokkaido, at 10 a.m. bound for Kikonai Station in Kikonai, Hokkaido, 35.5 kilometers south.
> 
> The train boasts a maximum speed of 260 kph, but kept to 210 kph during the test-ride because of snow on the tracks. It took 13 minutes to make the journey.
> 
> Although almost half of the route between the two stations passes through tunnels, the vast Tsugaru Strait that separates Hokkaido and the main island of Honshu comes into view as the train glides into Kikonai Station.
> 
> JR Hokkaido plans to open the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line on March 26. The line will link Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to Tokyo Station via the Seikan tunnel underneath the Tsugaru Strait.
> 
> Round-trip test-rides along the same route for the public are scheduled for Feb. 13 and 14. A total of 3,000 passengers have been selected by a lottery from 28,302 applicants.


Asahi Shimbun
















Also, a project from the MLIT about the problem of the traffic on the Seikan Tunnel. 'Train on train' idea detailed.

http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001116788.pdf
http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001116785.pdf


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## sacto7654

If the "train on train" idea does become reality, my guess is that the loading/unloading points will be a new freight yard near the new Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station and the conversion of the Shin-Nakaoguni Signal Station tracks into a freight yard. These new "train on train" trainsets could travel as fast as 200 km/h, which will allow H5 trainsets to traverse the Seikan Tunnel at 200 km/h also.


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## SamuraiBlue

sacto7654 said:


> I think in the end, unless JR West is willing to fork up a *LOT* of money to upgrade the Tokaidō Shinkansen route between Maibara and Kyoto (e.g., going to possibly a quad-track layout), the Hokuriku Shinkansen route likely chosen from Tsuruga back to the Keihanshin region will be something that parallels the current JR West Kosei Line along the western shore of Lake Biwa, with the train terminating at Kyoto Station (along with a new line extension from the Hankyu Kyoto Line into Kyoto Station) so as passeger disembark from the Hokuriku Shinkansen train at Kyoto Station, they can transfer to JR West, Hankyu, and Kintetsu local/regional passenger service or transfer to Shinkansen trains heading west from Kyoto.


At the end which ever route the nation/JR west decides to take JR West is going to shoulder a large amount of money since ROW is going to be registered as JR West property/asset on the balance sheet and JR West will be required to pay back the money to the government in long term loans since JR West is a private institution and the government can't just donate something for free to them.

Same with realigning the Maibara route but the interconnecting junction will become JR Tokai's property/asset in which JR Tokai would need to repay to the government not JR West since Tokaido shinkansen is their ROW not JR West.


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## luacstjh98

How about having JR West take over the tracks between the hypothetical Maibara Junction and Shin-Osaka? They already run the corresponding zairaisen section...


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## SamuraiBlue

luacstjh98 said:


> How about having JR West take over the tracks between the hypothetical Maibara Junction and Shin-Osaka? They already run the corresponding zairaisen section...


The Zairaisen are meter gauge and I don't think goes to Shin Osaka either.


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## luacstjh98

SamuraiBlue said:


> The Zairaisen are meter gauge and I don't think goes to Shin Osaka either.


JR Kyoto Line aka Tokaido Main Line stops at Shin-Osaka. And it's narrow gauge, not meter gauge...

And in case it wasn't clear, what I meant was to transfer ownership of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Maibara and Shin-Osaka to JR West in such a scenario.


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## flierfy

The Nagasaki Shinkansen is suppose to run on conventional cape gauge tracks between Takeo-Onsen and Shin-Tosu. Regardless of the problems to deliver gauge-changing trains for this purpose I wonder how trains are supposed to *change* from the Nagasaki Main Line to the Kyushu Shinkansen *at Shin-Tosu*. This isn't actually quite obvious. And why would they actually want to merge these trains onto the Shinkansen Main Line when Hakata station could be reach on conventional tracks as well?


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## loefet

According to what it written on Wikipedia, then the section between Takeo-Onsen and Shin-Tosu on hold and that they are going to use the conventional line on that stretch. But at the same time it doesn't say anything how it's planned to connect to Hakata, which means that it's more likely to use the conventional rail line all the way to Hakata, since only the full specification Shinkansen Line would connect to Shin-Tosu. 
And if you look on newer images on Google Earts of the area then you can clearly see that they have made good progress on several sections on the Nagasaki Shinkansen that is under construction.


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## Rodalvesdepaula

sacto7654 said:


> If the "train on train" idea does become reality, my guess is that the loading/unloading points will be a new freight yard near the new Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station and the conversion of the Shin-Nakaoguni Signal Station tracks into a freight yard. These new "train on train" trainsets could travel as fast as 200 km/h, which will allow H5 trainsets to traverse the Seikan Tunnel at 200 km/h also.


I think JR Freight could study a freight version of Shinkansen trainset to operate in Seikan Tunnel and Hokkaido Shinkansen. 

This "Freight Shinkansen" would carries containers between Aomori and Sapporo. Tsugaru Line would rebuilt with dual gauge from Aomori to Tsugaru-Futamata. After, trains would operate in Seikan Tunnel at 180 Km/h. New branches could connect Hokkaido Shinkansen with JR Freight facilities in Hakodate (a new yard in Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto) and Sapporo.


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## Rodalvesdepaula

I believe the extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen will adopt the FGT technology. The relief between Kanazawa and Kansai is very rugged and there isn't space for the construction of new railway lines in Kyoto in low costs. In the other hand, Kosei Line has capacity to receive Shinkansen trains without problems because the traffic of local trains and JR Freight trains isn't heavy. 

It can be a opportunity for JR Tokai to build a Shinkansen station in Otsu, in Kosei Line. Otsukyo Station could be upgrade to receive Shinkansen train to Kyoto, Kanazawa, Nagano and Tokyo (via Nagano). This station has good integration with Otsu city buses and Ishiyama Sakamoto Line (a "light rail" in Otsu).

https://www.google.com.br/maps/plac...2!3m1!1s0x600174ece1b10c2d:0x8bccbbd569908646


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## Svartmetall

Why should it use the flexible grade system? It diminishes capacity to share with other trains. Much better to use one of the dedicated plans they have...


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## Rodalvesdepaula

For my opinion, JR Tokai and JR Nishi-Nihon could make the project of extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen on this way:

1. A new Shinkansen track between Kanazawa and Omi-Shiotsu, reusing the Hokuriku Tunnel. A new pararel single-track tunnel between Tsuruga and Omi-Shiotsu would built for use only by JR Kamotsu freight trains;

2. All Limited Express trains on Kosei Line would cease its operations and all JR Kamotsu train would transfer to Tokaido Main Line;

3. A gauge-change equipment would be build in Omi-Shiotsu, for use by FGT Shinkansen trains;

4. Signaling in Kosei Line would be improved. I believe FGT Shinkansen trains could run in Kosei Line at 200 Km/h without problems; 

5. Otsukyo Staton would be rebuilt to be a Shinkansen station.

New services could be created with FGT trains on Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Kyoto:


_Omi (おうみ):_ Kyoto - Otsukyo - Kanazawa - Nagano - Tokyo/Ueno (semi-express)

_Ibuki (いぶき):_ Nagano - Kanazawa - Otsukyo - Kyoto (local)

_Shigarashi (しがらし):_ Toyama - Kanazawa - Maibara (local)


----------



## 00Zy99

The problem with this plan is that 

1) you need to use the current tunnel for local passenger trains to continue (yes, they would still need to run)

2) This doesn't serve Osaka well at all-you don't want to start trying to thread new trains into the current system like that, which makes service into either Kyoto or Osaka difficult.

3) This would disrupt local services on the Kosei Line

4) JR Freight local traffic on the Kosei needs to be preserved

5) Rebuilding Otsukyo station would be a ***. Better to build a new annex.

6) Cost of Gauge-change tech.

7) Fails to serve Mihama, Obama, Maizuru, etc. This especially means Limited Express trains still running on Kosei (not to mention Commuter Rapid)

The most recent favorite plan is dead south from Obama under Mt. Tengu to Kyoto. A full Shinkansen line all the way to Kyoto.


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

A new UIC-gauge Shinkansen line for Kyoto is a nice alternative too. But, I think this new line could pass Nantan and Obama cities, entering Kyoto by west.










With this, _Thunderbird_ Limited Express would operate only between Osaka and Tsuruga, as a "Shinkansen Relay" for Shiga citizens.


----------



## flierfy

Rodalvesdepaula said:


> I believe the extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen will adopt the FGT technology. The relief between Kanazawa and Kansai is very rugged and there isn't space for the construction of new railway lines in Kyoto in low costs. In the other hand, Kosei Line has capacity to receive Shinkansen trains without problems because the traffic of local trains and JR Freight trains isn't heavy.
> 
> It can be a opportunity for JR Tokai to build a Shinkansen station in Otsu, in Kosei Line. Otsukyo Station could be upgrade to receive Shinkansen train to Kyoto, Kanazawa, Nagano and Tokyo (via Nagano). This station has good integration with Otsu city buses and Ishiyama Sakamoto Line (a "light rail" in Otsu).


You seem to underestimate the scale of incompatibilities between classic JR lines and Shinkansen. The different gauge is just one of many aspects in this regard. From the train controlling system and electricity supply to geometric standards such as loading gauge and platform sizes, the two networks have very little in common. Hence the segregation between them.

So even if any gauge changing technology becomes available, and that is a big if right now, there are still plenty of other parameters which don't match and which make it uneconomic to run Shinkansen trains on classic lines.


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## bluemeansgo

In the end I feel maibara will be the route chosen. The Chuo line will free up capacity on the Tokaido after all. I wonder if they fast track the Chuo line after it starts running to Nagoya.


----------



## flierfy

bluemeansgo said:


> In the end I feel maibara will be the route chosen. The Chuo line will free up capacity on the Tokaido after all. I wonder if they fast track the Chuo line after it starts running to Nagoya.


If you mean the Chuo Shinkansen then I have to disappoint you. While going to be phenomenal in terms of speed this new line won't be the big relief for the Tokaido Shinkansen that it could have been. With only 5 train paths per hour and fairly small vehicles (728 seats compared to 1350 of the N700 series) the Chuo Shinkansen will replace the seating capacity of just two and a half Nozomi services.


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## SamuraiBlue

flierfy said:


> If you mean the Chuo Shinkansen then I have to disappoint you. While going to be phenomenal in terms of speed this new line won't be the big relief for the Tokaido Shinkansen that it could have been. With only 5 train paths per hour and fairly small vehicles (728 seats compared to 1350 of the N700 series) the Chuo Shinkansen will replace the seating capacity of just two and a half Nozomi services.


728*5/0.75=4853.333333333333

1350*12/1.5/2=5400

Don't think there would be much difference. if you do the math since although there is only half the capacity the speed is twice as fast and the Nozomi service is used by people heading all the way to Osaka, it equate to about the same as shown within the rough estimation above.


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## bluemeansgo

Well said. The higher speeds require fewer trains. 

5 trains when the line opens to Nagoya. Partly due to the fact that it is terminating at Shinagawa and only going to Nagoya. 

It's not difficult to adjust those numbers based on demand. Given that the line is being privately financed at the moment they're merely being prudent. 

Even a smaller 7-car train will be a huge relief on the Tokaido. Also, there has been talk of essentially getting rid of Nozomi service from Nagoya. Trains will stop at more stations, probably in part to shuffle passengers to the slightly more expensive Chuo line and partly to provide better service to smaller stations along the Tokaido. Whether they follow through with this is another thing... They may just reduce Nozomi and increase Hikari service.


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## Sr.Horn

*First year of the Hokuriku Shinkansen *








> Japan's newest bullet train line, now a year old, has led to a better-than-expected threefold increase in the number of rail passengers traveling between Tokyo and Hokuriku and lifted that region's tourism industry.
> 
> Monday marked the first anniversary of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which is jointly operated by East Japan Railway and West Japan Railway. It connects Tokyo with Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, in just under two and a half hours.
> 
> "It's been a very smooth ride," JR West President Seiji Manabe said on a visit to the region Monday.
> 
> Estimates had passenger traffic doubling in the first year compared with the preceding 12 months, but when the numbers were counted, it had tripled to nearly 9 million. A similar performance is expected in the second year, Manabe predicted.
> 
> Kanazawa's Kenrokuen, one of the the country's most famous gardens, saw a 60% year-on-year rise in visitors from last April to this past February. Visitors to nine major hot spring resort areas in the region increased by roughly a fifth to 3.21 million from April to December of last year. Located on the Sea of Japan coast, the region consists of Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui prefectures.
> 
> So far, the new train line does not seem to be having a "straw effect" -- siphoning economic activity to the capital -- on the region. The office vacancy rate in Kanazawa is expected to fall into the single digits in 2016 for the first time in 18 years, according to CBRE. So far in the second year, tourist reservations have been topping initial-year levels.
> 
> But airlines have gotten the short end of the stick. Travel on routes between Tokyo and Hokuriku fell about 40%. The new bullet train line appears to have nearly achieved JR East's goals of stealing market share from airlines, which include shifting the ratio of rail to air travel between Tokyo gateway Haneda Airport and Toyama Airport from 6:4 to 9:1.
> ...


Nikkei



And first CM and date of the revenue service of the Genbi Shinkansen:


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## Sunfuns

flierfy said:


> If you mean the Chuo Shinkansen then I have to disappoint you. While going to be phenomenal in terms of speed this new line won't be the big relief for the Tokaido Shinkansen that it could have been. With only 5 train paths per hour and fairly small vehicles (728 seats compared to 1350 of the N700 series) the Chuo Shinkansen will replace the seating capacity of just two and a half Nozomi services.





SamuraiBlue said:


> 728*5/0.75=4853.333333333333
> 
> 1350*12/1.5/2=5400
> 
> Don't think there would be much difference. if you do the math since although there is only half the capacity the speed is twice as fast and the Nozomi service is used by people heading all the way to Osaka, it equate to about the same as shown within the rough estimation above.


Maybe I don't understand a concept of "train path", but as I see it if 5 trains leave Tokyo every hour then it doesn't matter how fast they reach the target. It will still be only 5*capacity of individual train.


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## Rodalvesdepaula

Nowadays, a travel on Shinkansen requires two tickets: a basic fare and a Shinkansen supplement ticket. In the station, passengers need to insert the two tickets at same time on the Shinkansen gate.

Is it possible to JR Group to create a unique Shinkansen ticket? This unique ticket could be valid for the entire trip (Shinkansen + local train). This could represent lower costs, respect for the environment and ease for the user.


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## Sr.Horn

^^ Eww, with a single Shinkansen ticket you can travel (and have a reserved seat), ie from Shin-Osaka to whatever station inside the 23 wards of Tokyo. You have a free commuter travel from the Shinkansen station to your final destination, and I think the same from the starting point if it is included in a commuter area.


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## Rodalvesdepaula

^^Really? Wow, I didn't know!


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## SamuraiBlue

Sr.Horn said:


> ^^ Eww, with a single Shinkansen ticket you can travel (and have a reserved seat), ie from Shin-Osaka to whatever station inside the 23 wards of Tokyo. You have a free commuter travel from the Shinkansen station to your final destination, and I think the same from the starting point if it is included in a commuter area.


To be precise you can't cross prefectures in using the free commuter part. I live in SagamiOhno and it's annoying when getting off at Shin-Yokohama not being able to use the free commuter part since Machida the station to make transit is part of Tokyo.:bash:


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## flierfy

SamuraiBlue said:


> 728*5/0.75=4853.333333333333
> 
> 1350*12/1.5/2=5400
> 
> Don't think there would be much difference. if you do the math since although there is only half the capacity the speed is twice as fast and the Nozomi service is used by people heading all the way to Osaka, it equate to about the same as shown within the rough estimation above.


Since when does speed matter in terms of seating capacity? The number of seats provided on a line is the sum of seats of each train running on it. And that add up to *13'500 seats* (= 10 * 1350) per hour for 10 Nozomi services and just *3'640 seats* (= 5 * 728) per hour for the 5 services on the proposed Chuo Shinkansen. There you see that the Chuo Shinkansen will bring only little relief to the Tokaido Shinkansen.


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## bluemeansgo

3640 is still a huge relief for the Shinkansen. And keeping in mind this is being privately funded the goal is to only use as many trains as needed to ensure more or less full load on both lines. 

Maximum profitability is important. Especially he case when the train will mostly be siphoning passengers between the major cities and most stations are far removed from existing Shinkansen services and Japan's population is targeted to shrink by the time the system is built. 

The Tokaido line still gets a Fair amount of traffic from smaller cities along the way. 

After Chuo opens its likely these smaller cities will get more service.


----------



## SamuraiBlue

flierfy said:


> Since when does speed matter in terms of seating capacity? The number of seats provided on a line is the sum of seats of each train running on it. And that add up to *13'500 seats* (= 10 * 1350) per hour for 10 Nozomi services and just *3'640 seats* (= 5 * 728) per hour for the 5 services on the proposed Chuo Shinkansen. There you see that the Chuo Shinkansen will bring only little relief to the Tokaido Shinkansen.


From the transportation industry prospect, seat capacity and unit time rider capacity are mostly the same. That is why the airliner industry are moving away from the Jumbo 747 and A380 and favoring smaller 777,787 and A350s since they don't have to fly a large plane where ridership can be maintained at 80% constantly and and can add more flights when they require it.
With a 1,350 seat capacity train where ridership is only 50% off peak is not profitable to the operate compared to a 728 seat capacity with 80% ridership all the time. When there is more demand they can simply add more frequency.


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## chornedsnorkack

SamuraiBlue said:


> F
> With a 1,350 seat capacity train where ridership is only 50% off peak is not profitable to the operate compared to a 728 seat capacity with 80% ridership all the time. When there is more demand they can simply add more frequency.


Tokaido Shinkansen had 4 trains per hour back in 1964. Chuo Shinkansen would only have 5 trains per hour.
If these 10 trains per hour of 1323 seats were only 50 % full off peak and unprofitable then Shinkansen could cut the frequencies off peak to say 6 trains per hour at 80 % full.

For some reason, they haven't.


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## k.k.jetcar

> How long was this 'slight delay'?


in the article:


> Soon after, a signal indicated it was safe to proceed and the train departed, arriving at Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station only two minutes behind schedule.


The Seikan Tunnel is the only route where shinkansen trains and freight trains share the same track. So this is new territory in terms of operating practice. There are certainly bound to be problems in the future, hopefully nothing resulting in human injury.


----------



## Eco-rat

k.k.jetcar said:


> in the article:
> 
> 
> The Seikan Tunnel is the only route where shinkansen trains and freight trains share the same track. So this is new territory in terms of operating practice. There are certainly bound to be problems in the future, hopefully nothing resulting in human injury.


Pity they can't operate them in 'windows' eg overnight for freight only


----------



## stingstingsting

^^

My apologies. After fully reading the article I realise that, rightly so, there was quite a bit more of alarm (journalistic licence considered) hno::



> Although Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station in Hokkaido is still in a celebratory mood with many residents gathering to see the new bullet trains, *some passengers said they were alarmed* to hear what happened.
> 
> “I am expecting a service that operates exactly on time. It is *very scary *that there are troubles inside the Seikan Tunnel,” said a 62-year-old office worker from Sakura City, Chiba, on a business trip to Shichinohe Towada Station in Aomori Prefecture.
> 
> Forty-nine-year-old Takao Yoshida, an office worker from Hakodate City, said *travelers will avoid the bullet train if* there is a single major accident. He called for efforts to prioritize safety.


Two minutes might not seem much outside Japan where the average delay is calculated in seconds. In Sydney, intercity trains are considered to be on-time if they are under six minutes late :bash:. I wonder if that Hayabusa service no. 22 arrived in Tokyo late.

I am guessing that there would have been significant flow-on effects further down the line. This is considering the tight operations on the Tohoku Shinkansen, interwoven with the mini-Shinkansen operations as well as Joetsu and Hokuriku lines closer to Tokyo. And I presume that the effects of an emergency brake at 140 km/h would not be as bad as an emergency brake at 360km/h (or 260 km/h in the Seikan Tunnel as envisaged). There have thankfully not been any passenger fatalities due to collisions or derailments.

Indeed the Seikan Tunnel operations are new territory. The closest comparison would be with the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France. Yet the Seikan Tunnel, the older of the two, is quite different, the big difference being that both tracks share the same bore. This unfortunately increases the risks exemplified by this recent incident and also complicates future attempts at increasing maximum line speed.

I personally find the Hokkaido Shinkansen to be very interesting considering the many challenges being faced. You have the mountainous terrain that Japan is characterised by, the extreme snow and ice conditions of Hokkaido and also all the challenges within the retrofitted Seikan Tunnel. Then there is also this big seemingly-political end-goal of reducing the Tokyo-Sapporo journey time to under 4 hours, thereby achieving a significant end-to-end modal shift. 

By comparison when the Shinkansen south of Tokyo was gradually extended with the Sanyo and Kyushu lines, I do not think it was done primarily to reduce Tokyo-Kagoshima journey times, albeit a significant gain. After all, there is no direct Nozomi service between Tokyo and Kagoshima-Chuo, which is a comparable distance with Tokyo and Sapporo. Also, the new Hokuriku Shinkansen was not built for super-high speeds. The Hokkaido Shinkansen will however have a direct Tokyo-Sapporo service, a distance of over 1000 km. This is isn't a simple and gradual extension of the line to connect more urban areas as time goes by, as it usually has been.

Japan's Shinkansen network seems to increasingly be entering 'new territory' which is great because it shows how Japan is constantly on the forefront with rail technology and innovation. The recent issues with the Nagasaki Shinkansen and the Gauge Change Train is another example, as is the to-be-decided extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the route, method and standard to be chosen. 

Shinkansen lines were mainly both grade-separated and network-separated lines, which reduced risks. It will be sad to see the famed reliability and safety of the Shinkansen become diminished what with Shinkansen and zairaisen becoming more and more intermingled. Incredible reliability and safety are what greatly differentiate the high-speed rail systems of Japan with those of the rest of the World.


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## Rodalvesdepaula

This emergency brake inside Seikan Tunnel would be an advert to JR Hokkaido and JR Kamotsu to introduce the Train-on-Train as soon as possible. 

Freight trains and high-speed trains in the same track is a bad combination. Even in Japan, there have been several accidents involving passenger trains due to debris left by freight trains. Even at 140 km/h, this small piece of metal on the tracks could have derailed the Shinkansen train.


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## Sr.Horn

*GENBI SHINKANSEN presentation*










Today has presented the GENBI SHINKANSEN at Echigo-Yuzawa station. This is a six-car set rebuilt from former Akita Shinkansen trainset R19 at Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe as an excursion train named Genbi Shinkansen ("contemporary art shinkansen") for use on the Joetsu Shinkansen between Echigo-Yuzawa and Niigata, mostly at weekends, entering service from 29 April 2016. The exterior livery was designed by photographer Mika Ninagawa.









Car 11









Car 12









Car 13









Car 13









Car 14









Car 15









Car 16

Source: http://rail.hobidas.com/blog/natori/archives/2016/04/12_26.html


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## bluemeansgo

A neat 30 minute piece on NHK World about the Chuo Shinkansen Maglev line under construction:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/vod/japanrailway/20160408.html

Available until April 21st. 



> Traveling at 500km/h, the Superconducting Maglev will connect Tokyo to Nagoya in just 40 minutes and is planned to begin commercial service in 2027. To achieve such extreme speeds, magnetic levitation is used to lift the train 10cm above the guideway. See the cutting-edge technology used to safely operate ultra-high speed services, and experience the world of 500km/h rail travel as we report from the 42km-long Yamanashi Maglev Test Line.


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## Sr.Horn

Powerful and shallow earthquake hits Kumamoto prefecture in Kyushu, a bullet train 800 series "Tsubame" derailed:






More than 30 replies felt from the first at 21:26 JST


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## Rodalvesdepaula

This was the third derailment of Shinkansen since 1964.


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## stingstingsting

Sr.Horn said:


> Powerful and shallow earthquake hits Kumamoto prefecture in Kyushu, a bullet train 800 series "Tsubame" derailed


Thankfully the other operational trains did not derail and thankfully that specific Tsubame was stationary and was not operational, as I have read. The UrEDAS system is demonstrably effective and so there should not be too much worry about casualties with derailments. I think derailments when stationary and some damage to structures will always be inevitable, especially with strong earthquakes. Derailment at speed, however, would certainly be much more catastrophic.

OT but apparently the only two operational nuclear reactors 120 km south in Sendai (Kyushu) reported no problems, according to the authorities... Lets hope this stays so. My thoughts go to all those affected.

Here's a something I read a while back on UrEDAS undoubtedly saving thousands of lives during the devastating Tohoku Earthquake. You've really got to take your hats off to the people who developed this.

From Railway Technology:



> http://www.railway-technology...122751/
> 
> *How Japan’s Rail Network Survived the Earthquake*
> 
> 28 June 2011
> Elisabeth Fischer
> 
> The earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011 threw the country's rail network into complete chaos.
> 
> …
> 
> A *brief 12-15 seconds before a massive earthquake* of 8.9 magnitude hit mainland Japan on the afternoon of 11 March 2011, a seismometer at Kinkazan belonging to the country's eastern rail operator JR East sent an automatic stop signal to the Shinkansen - Japan's high-speed bullet train - electric power transmission system, triggering the emergency brake on 33 trains.
> 
> …
> 
> Industry experts agree that critical damage and, more importantly, great sorrow was averted due to the installation of such seismometers - the one at Shinkansen is one of nine along the Pacific coast - alongside the completion of anti-seismic reinforcement works such as quakeproof structures and anti-derailing systems that were undertaken based on the experience of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji and 2004 Niigata Chuetsu earthquakes.
> 
> …


----------



## k.k.jetcar

According to news reports, the shinkansen trainset that derailed was a six-car unit which was out of service, and making a run from Kumamoto station to the Kumamoto Rolling Stock Depot. The train derailed at a speed of 80km/h, with all cars derailing (though from pics all remained upright). 

Also, in the vicinity of Shin Tamana Station, two trains were halted. Around 100 passengers were stranded, but a portion of them were able to walk on the tracks to Shin Tamana Station. Another train in a different section was halted by the earthquake, but was able to make it to the nearest station to unload passengers.


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## RyukyuRhymer

I stopped by Sendai again because I need to attend a meeting on the Kumamoto earthquake, and I found the station selling Hokkaido Shinkansen goods lol

















want some Shinkansen cheesecake?


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## k.k.jetcar

^^
"White black thunder" candy bars? Another variation of the popular value leader...


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## SamuraiBlue

k.k.jetcar said:


> ^^
> "White black thunder" candy bars? Another variation of the popular value leader...


A potent rival against the "white couple" champions that dominate the northern island.:lol:


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## Woonsocket54

Shinkansen derailment due to recent quake










http://www.gettyimages.se/detail/ny...f-tiles-at-the-kumamoto-nyhetsfoto/521274166#


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## Bbbut

Another angle:









Interesting how the pantograph is bent but the catenary looks fine...


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## Rodalvesdepaula

Kyushu Shinkansen is out of operation yet?

I believe JR Kyushu will introduce a "Relay Shinkansen" in Kagoshima Main Line until the repairs of Shinkansen tracks finish.


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## Sr.Horn

The entire section of the Kyushu Shinkansen (Hakata - Kagoshima-chuo) remains suspended.

As for the zairaisen lines:
Kagoshima Line: Arao～Yatsushiro
Nippo Line: Unoshima～Nobeoka 
Kyudai Line: Kurume～Oita
Hohi Line: Kumamoto～Oita
Misumi Line: Uto～Misumi 
Hisatsu Line: Yatsushiro～Yoshimatsu 

https://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/pdf/160416_en_04.pdf


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## Momo1435

With the new, even bigger earthquake it will probably take longer to reopen the tracks. With even more inspections of all the infrastructure needed to find any damage on top of repairing the derailment damage before restarting the trains.


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## sacto7654

I wouldn't be surprised that it won't be until sometime late this fall that Kyushu Shinkansen resumes operations between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo Stations. The line south of Kurume Station contains a *LOT* of tunnels and all of them have to be checked--along with track replaced--before service can resume.


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## k.k.jetcar

^^
Late this fall? I think places south of Kumamoto would not tolerate such lax commitment to service restoration, especially missing the summer holiday rush.
A professor at Kansai University, has projected restoration in one month best case, and two months worst, based on past recovery effort timelines after the Tohoku Quake and the Chuetsu Quake.
http://www.sankei.com/affairs/news/160418/afr1604180041-n1.html


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## k.k.jetcar

The east end option is by far the most realistic and cost effective. The area is underdevolped and frankly desolate- mainly parking lots which take up the former site of Nittsu et al that once shipped parcels by rail. A two track platform would be adequate for services, which I reckon would be 4-6 tph at the most. What is important is that a consensus is formed quickly and a firm plan instituted- there are rumors that big retailers (namely Isetan) are waiting on a final decision so that they can go ahead with opening a Sapporo branch adjacent.


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## sacto7654

If they extend the Hokkaido Shinkansen beyond Sapporo, the most likely destination is Asahikawa.


----------



## Sr.Horn

Japan Railway Journal 22






The episode is focused on the maintenance work on the Tokaido Shinkansen, tracks and trainsets. Very interesting for those who wants to know more about the quality on the line.


----------



## quashlo

*Ōita Prefecture begins push for East Kyūshū Shinkansen route*
https://www.oita-press.co.jp/1010000000/2016/09/21/JD0054956539

There is an existing liaison group of Ōita, Fukuoka, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima Prefectures together with Kita-Kyūshū City that has been lobbying to get the project moving, but Ōita Prefecture will also establish its own group to help push for the project, including city, town, and village leaders and local trade and tourism industry groups.

Estimated total cost of the project would be ¥2.673 trillion. Even assuming a conservative financial outlook (completion in 2060, declining population), the benefit–cost ratio is still estimated at 1.07 after 50 years of operation.


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## SamuraiBlue

quashlo said:


> *Ōita Prefecture begins push for East Kyūshū Shinkansen route*
> https://www.oita-press.co.jp/1010000000/2016/09/21/JD0054956539
> 
> There is an existing liaison group of Ōita, Fukuoka, Miyazaki, and Kagoshima Prefectures together with Kita-Kyūshū City that has been lobbying to get the project moving, but Ōita Prefecture will also establish its own group to help push for the project, including city, town, and village leaders and local trade and tourism industry groups.
> 
> Estimated total cost of the project would be ¥2.673 trillion. Even assuming a conservative financial outlook (completion in 2060, declining population), the benefit–cost ratio is still estimated at 1.07 after 50 years of operation.


This would be interesting, a virtual Shinkansen loop line going around Kyushu.
The connection through the east side of Kyushu by train was always a joke and most people used cars for transit so there maybe a possibility if they can keep the price low enough.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Snakes on a Train!

Hiroshima Bound Shinkansen Nozomi 103 was forced to stop after discovering a 30cm python

http://ryukyushimpo.jp/kyodo/entry-364302.html


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## sacto7654

By the way, has JR East said anything about when will they finally retire the E4 Series Shinakansen trainset? I expect that to happened probably by the fall of 2017 at earliest. 

When that happens, watch for possibly the maximum speed of the entire Jōetsu Shinkansen line to be increased. Since the entire Jōetsu line will be a mix of newer-build E2's, E7/W7's and likely eventually the E5, the speed limit will likely be raised from 240 km/h to 260 km/h. This may likely cut a number of minutes of travel time on both the Jōetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen trains.


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## 00Zy99

Is there any chance we'll see another double-deck Shinkansen in the near future?


----------



## luacstjh98

Speaking of double deck Shinkansen EMUs - 

I remember the 0 series and 100 series had double-decker cars. Is it possible we could see TGV Duplex or E4-like sets, or would they be too dangerous to run with the tilting operations on the Tokaido?


----------



## quashlo

JR Hokkaidō has published ridership data for the first six months of the Hokkaidō Shinkansen:
http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/press/2016/160926-4.pdf

Ridership for the six-month period (March 26 – September 25) was 1.435 million, coming out to about 7,800 average daily passengers (177% over last year, when service was provide by conventional lines).

Ridership on _Hayabusa_ and _Hayate_ trains between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate–Hokuto (this year), compared to conventional line between Naka-Oguni and Kikonai (last year):

Overall performance:



Code:


                      OUTBOUND             INBOUND               TOTAL
                ===================  ===================  ===================
                 2016   2015  Ratio   2016   2015  Ratio   2016   2015  Ratio
                =====  =====  =====  =====  =====  =====  =====  =====  =====
Daily average   4,000  2,200   180%  3,800  2,200   175%  7,800  4,400   177%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily average          1,900   212%         1,800   207%         3,700   209%
 without over-
 night trains

Utilization by seat class:



Code:


                          OUTBOUND                       INBOUND                       TOTAL
                ============================  ============================  ============================
                Standard  Green  Gran  Total  Standard  Green  Gran  Total  Standard  Green  Gran  Total
Daily average      41%     32%    39%   40%      39%     32%    36%   38%      40%     32%    38%   39%


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## k.k.jetcar

^^
There will be no double deck Shinkansen rolling stock made anymore, especially for the Tokaido Line. JR Tokai has standardized on 16 car single level consists as it fits the operating profile of the line. In fact, outside of France, single level high speed trainsets are the favored standard.


----------



## quashlo

For the first time, JR Hokkaidō invited the press to view maintenance work being conducted on the dual-gauge tracks inside the Seikan Tunnel:






Maintenance work takes place daily between 1:00 AM and 3:30 AM and includes inspection of the rail and fastening systems for wear or damage. In comparison, they usually have about 6 hours or so on Shinkansen-only tracks, but because the tunnel is shared with freight trains, some of which run in the very early morning and late evening, they have substantially less time to carry out the work here.

Currently, they are also upgrading the insulators with a taller (thicker) plate to protect the integrity of the track circuit system. This comes after an incident in April where a Shinkansen train was forced to come to an emergency stop due to metal fragments that had fallen onto the track, creating a "ghost train". Due to the time limits, the workers can only complete maintenance on about 20 m of track a day.


----------



## Coccodrillo

In the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which also has mixed traffic but on a single gauge and has two single track tubes, maintenance is done three nights a week on one tube only, each time with a total closure of one tube of 6 to 8 hours and traffic going on in the other. 

The Seikan tunnel has a double track tube, which seems less ideal form maintenance although this give more room to work. Closing one track and continue oepration on the other is more difficult and dangerous.

Thanks also for the traffic statistics. The Seikan tunnel now has the same passenger traffic as the existing Gotthard tunnel (7.800 a day vs. 9.000). However, when the Gotthard motorway and the low cost airlines didn't exist, rail traffic averaged 20.000 a day. Freight traffic on the Gotthard averages 15 million net tonens a year, but I didn't found a figure for the Seikan.


----------



## Sunfuns

A bit naive question perhaps, but why is the maintenance needed that often? To a nonspecialist like me it sounds like not a very resilient system...


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## quashlo

It's probably less about "need" and more about doing the work in the most efficient and cost-effective way. They probably only have a small number of experienced maintenance staff capable of performing this type of skilled work. So you just put the same crew out there every day and they do a specific routine of tasks for some distance of track a day. Once they finish the entire line, they go back and start over again.

If JR Hokkaidō had a much larger Shinkansen network, there would probably come a point where they could look at automating some of the inspection by using specialized inspection trains similar to the _Doctor Yellow_ or _East i_ sets used on the Tōkaidō / San'yō and Tōhoku lines. That's how they originally tested the line before opening, by borrowing the _East i_ set from JR East.


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## quashlo

High-speed passes, mostly Tōhoku Shinkansen E5 / E6:


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## Splitheads85

^^


----------



## Gusiluz

*JR Central Annual Report 2016*

From April 2015 to March 2016 (FY2015) JR Central income 1,175.2 billion yen (+ 4.3%) for tickets in its Shinkansen trains, there were 162.87 million passengers (+ 3.5%) and 52,166 million passengers-kilometers (+ 4.1% ); with an average journey of 320 km and an average income of 7,210 yen per passenger (€ 63.52) and 22.53 yen per passenger-km (19.85 cents €).
Rolling stock: 133 trains (28 trains 700C series, and 80 N-700 25 N-700A). In FY2020 will be 80 N-700 51 N-700A.
Source: Annual Report 2016

There is something I do not understand. On page 43 of the Annual Report 2016 puts the Shinkansen rolling stock traveled 981 million km, which is divided by 133 trains an average of 7.38 million km each train, which would be 20,153 km daily, for which it would take almost 100 hours. Something is wrong.
It is also true that says: Conventional Lines, but on page 36 of the Annual Report 2015 (and in 2014) there is an identical graph (except that it says not: Conventional Lines) with the same amounts for Shinkansen.
 

As all trains have 1,323 seats it is that the offer would be 1,297,863 million seats-kilometers, since demand was 52,166 million passengers-kilometers would be an average utilization (passengers-kilometers / seats-kilometers, which was I wanted to find out) 4%; the average throughout the Shinkansen was of 59.27% in 2012 (source: Performance and efficiency of high-speed rail systems) so, It should be like that by my count, 981 million km should be divided between 15: about 85 million km. Either that, or is that the calculator has gone to my head, which is most likely.

By comparison with other FY2015 data, *JR East* income 578.213 billion yen (+ 10.9%) for tickets in its Shinkansen trains, there were 22,848 million passengers-kilometers (+ 9.2%); with a median income of 25.31 yen per passenger-km (22.30 cents €).

Passengers on the *Shinkansen trains*:


----------



## sacto7654

luacstjh98 said:


> Speaking of double deck Shinkansen EMUs -
> 
> I remember the 0 series and 100 series had double-decker cars. Is it possible we could see TGV Duplex or E4-like sets, or would they be too dangerous to run with the tilting operations on the Tokaido?


The 0 and 100 Series Shinkansen trainsets--which had a top speed of only 230 km/h on certain stretches of the San'yō Shinkansen line--had bi-level restaurant cars on many trainsets during the 1960's all the way to the late 1980's. Those restaurant cars were eliminated when the 300 Series Shinkansen with the 270 km/h top speed arrived in the early 1990's, the time when the _Nozomi_ limited-stop train service between Tokyo and Hakata (Fukuoka) became started.

Indeed, JR East plans to phase out the E4 bi-level Shinkansen trainsets now running on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line over the next few years, replaced by E2's displaced off the Tōhoku Shinkansen line and possibly some E5's.


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## Sr.Horn

^^ Only the 100 series G series from 1988, and 100N / V series / 100-3000 used on _Grand Hikari_ service from 1990 had double decker cars.

:dunno:


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## sacto7654

bluemeansgo said:


> The Shinkansen 500 is as close as Japan got to a European train in Japan. It was a beloved train, whose overall design was overseen by German industrial designer Alexander Neumeister.


However, it was also ungodly expensive to build and its interior space wasn't that great, either--only 10 complete 16-car trainsets were ever built. Acceleration of 500 Series trainset was about the same as the far-less expensive 300 Series, also. That's why when JR Central developed the 700 Series with its lower production cost and very roomy interior, both JR Central and JR West bought them in fairly large numbers until it was superseded by N700 Series.


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## 00Zy99

The N700A matches the 500 for top speed, doesn't it? And it has better acceleration, so you get higher average speeds start-to-stop.


----------



## Gusiluz

*Shinkansen 2015*

*JR West* from April 2015 to March 2016 (FY2015) income 437.2 billion yen (+16,3%) for tickets in its Shinkansen trains, there were 83 million passengers (+20,3%) and 20,249 million passengers-kilometers (+12,9%); with an average journey of 246 km and an average income of 5,267 yen per passenger (€ 46.41) and 21.38 yen per passenger-km (18.83 cents €).
Rolling stock: 92 trains (7 trains 500 series, 15 700B series, 16 700E series, 44 N700 [25x16 cars + 19x8 cars] and 10 W7).
Well, then we have the 92 JR West Shinkansen trains in 2015 runs 44.29 million kilometers with an average of 481,370 km per year each train or what is the same, 1,315 km a day each train.
Since ponderated average capacity of the trains are 931 seats, it is that the bid was approximately 41,230 million available seats-kilometers, since demand was 20,449 million passengers-kilometers would be an average occupancy (passengers-kilometers / seats-kilometers) 49.60%; the average throughout the Shinkansen trains was of 59.27% in 2012 (source: Performance and efficiency of high-speed rail systems).
Source: Annual Report 2016

*JR Central* income 1,175.2 billion yen (+ 4.3%) for tickets in its Shinkansen trains, there were 162.87 million passengers (+ 3.5%) and 52,166 million passengers-kilometers (+ 4.1% ); with an average journey of 320 km and an average income of 7,210 yen per passenger (€ 63.52) and 22.53 yen per passenger-km (19.85 cents €).
Rolling stock: 133 trains (28 trains 700C series, and 80 N700 25 N700A). In FY2020 will be 80 N700 51 N700A.
Well, then we have the 133 JR Central Shinkansen trains in 2015 runs 61.31 million kilometers with an average of 460,996 km per year each train or what is the same, 1,260 km a day each train.
As all trains have 1,323 seats it is that the offer would be 81,116 million available seats-kilometers, since demand was 52,166 million passengers-kilometers would be an average occupancy (passengers-kilometers / seats-kilometers) 64.31%.
Source: Annual Report 2016

*JR East* income 578.2 billion yen (+ 10.9%) for tickets in its Shinkansen trains, there were 22,848 million passengers-kilometers (+ 9.2%); with a median income of 25.31 yen per passenger-km (22.30 cents €). No more data.
Rolling stock: 187 trains (51 E2 series, 41 E3, 26 E4, 29 E5, 23 E6 and 17 E7).
Source: Annual Report 2016

*JR Kyushu* does not publish Annual Report, I hope start publish now listed on the Stock Exchange.
Rolling stock: 20 trains (9 trains 800 series and 11 N700R series).

Someone has any JR Kyushu information?
JR East passengers?

Passengers on the Shinkansen network (include Mini-Shinkansen):


*Shinkansen income*
Shinkansen majors (East, Central and West) income 2,190.6 billion yen for tickets in its Shinkansen trains, there were 95,263 million passengers-kilometers with *a median income of 23.00 yen per passenger-km* (20.26 cents €).

Shinkansen rolling stock (410 trains 250 km/h or more, 26 trains for 240):


*Duration of each series*
Moreover, the 60 JR Central trains 700C series entered service between 1999 and 2005, and in march 2016 there are only 28, and 0 in march 2020, which is not to be a novelty in the Shinkansen trains although the rest of the world. Almost seems planned obsolescence, but it is primarily fatigue of material (constant tunnels input and output at high speeds) and lower costs in the most modern trains.
Other cases:

The first series O entered service in 1964-1966 until 1999. Maximum: 33 years.
0 series: from 1969/86 until 2008. Some trains: 22 years. (not worth counting of 1969 until 2008, the first manufactured are the first to unsubscribe, and I have no data to know the average length).
100 series: from 1986/91 until 1999/2012. Some 21; in 2005 there were 22 of 66, so 44 lasted less than 19 years. The most years: 23.
200 series: from 1982/86 until 2013. Some 27; in 2005 there were 13 of 66, so 53 lasted less than 23 years. Only in theory one could reach a maximum of 31.
300 series: from 1992/98 until 2007/12. Some 14 years, only in theory one could reach a maximum of 20. In 2005 there were 69 of 70, in 2009: 45 and in 2011: 29.
400 series: from 1992/95 until 2008/10. 15 years.
E1 series: from 1994/95 until 2012. 17/18 years.
E4 series: from 1997/03 to march 2017. 14/20 years.
The 500 series (1997/98) continues to circulate, the 9 trains manufactured are 7. But each train of eight cars, instead of the original 16.


----------



## bluemeansgo

00Zy99 said:


> The N700A matches the 500 for top speed, doesn't it? And it has better acceleration, so you get higher average speeds start-to-stop.


I believe so, yes. It's also considerably newer.

The other issue with the 500 is that it did not have tilting tech... which is why although it was technically rated higher than the original 700 was, would have been less useful on the Tokaido line as it was limited to 270kph. The 700 was limited to 285 on the Sanyo line. 270kph on Tokaido, 250 kph on Tokaido curves. 

The 500 had a 320km/h design speed, which at the time was the fastest train around. 

As for acceleration, 


Code:


 500 : 1.6 km/h/s ( 1.92 in High acceleration mode ? )
 700 : 1.6 km/h/s (Tokaido) 2.0 km/h/s (Sanyo)
N700 : 2.6 km/h/s

source

I bet the 500-series could have been improved on just as easily as the 700, but a decision was made. I suspect there may have been some JR East/West rivalry involved as well.

The N700 and the 700 are very different trains, despite similar exteriors. 

In addition to acceleration, many features ( including being a tilting train ). The acceleration gains from the 700 to the N700 are fantastic! From 300 seconds to 180 seconds to get to top speed (270km/h). It even beats out the Transrapid Maglev!


----------



## M-NL

sacto7654 said:


> However, it was also ungodly expensive to build and its interior space wasn't that great, either--only 10 complete 16-car trainsets were ever built. Acceleration of 500 Series trainset was about the same as the far-less expensive 300 Series, also. That's why when JR Central developed the 700 Series with its lower production cost and very roomy interior, both JR Central and JR West bought them in fairly large numbers until it was superseded by N700 Series.


Ok, I've already debunked the myth of the 'ungodly' expensive series 500 in this post before. In that post I didn't even mention that if you only build 9 sets of course the price per set will be higher, then for instance the 91 700 series sets and over 160 N700 sets.

The limited acceleration was the result of a design choice by JR West: Because the 500 was designed to go up to 350 km/h, it required taller gearing, which results in slower acceleration. An 360 km/h E5 also doesn't accelerate as fast, but it does have a much higher top speed. Remember JR West runs the 300 km/h Sanyo Shinkansen, whereas JR Central on the other hand runs the curvy at that time 'only' 270 km/h Tokaido Shinkansen. For them acceleration was more important. 

For practical purposes the curved body was an unfortunate design choice, but damn, even now it still looks amazing. Also I highly doubt that the impact of the curved sides has as dramatic an effect on the interior space as you claim, because at shoulder height the interior is just as wide as any other model. A shame they also changed the pantographs when they shortened the sets to 8 cars though, because the new ones are ugly. 

Although the curved body may have cost slightly more to build, it was the technology that made the train expensive. All axles were driven, it was the first Shinkansen with active suspension (if fitted with the right sensors it could have been made to tilt) and the old super silent pantographs were a true work of art.


----------



## 00Zy99

Is it possible to combine high top speed and high acceleration?


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## bluemeansgo

M-NL said:


> Ok, I've already debunked the myth of the 'ungodly' expensive series 500 in this post before. In that post I didn't even mention that if you only build 9 sets of course the price per set will be higher, then for instance the 91 700 series sets and over 160 N700 sets.
> 
> The limited acceleration was the result of a design choice by JR West: Because the 500 was designed to go up to 350 km/h, it required taller gearing, which results in slower acceleration.


Not to mention the fact that the 700-series had identical acceleration of 1.6km/h/s on the Tokaido line (250km/h max speed).


> Although the curved body may have cost slightly more to build, it was the technology that made the train expensive. All axles were driven, it was the first Shinkansen with active suspension (if fitted with the right sensors it could have been made to tilt) and the old super silent pantographs were a true work of art.


True, it is a beautiful machine. Another beauty was the Fastech "shark nose"


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## bluemeansgo

00Zy99 said:


> Is it possible to combine high top speed and high acceleration?


Yep.


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## 00Zy99

With conventional rail.

Maglev operates in somewhat of a separate category when comparing HSR trains.


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## SamuraiBlue

00Zy99 said:


> With conventional rail.
> 
> Maglev operates in somewhat of a separate category when comparing HSR trains.


Well you'll need stronger and lighter magnets with a higher frequency converter to achieve that.
Relationship between acceleration and top speed in trains are the same with cars.
For acceleration you need torque and the most simplest way is to have a wide gear ratio in which powered gear is smaller than the transmission gear and visa versa for top speed requiring horsepower with faster rotation at the powered gear. 

At some point you'll require to use super conductive magnets to achieve those goals but at that point it's much more efficient to simply converting to maglevs then to pursuing higher speed with better acceleration on conventional high speed rail.


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## 00Zy99

But if the cost of the superconductors goes down while concrete doesn't then existing steel rail systems are cheaper than whole new guideways.


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## SamuraiBlue

00Zy99 said:


> But if the cost of the superconductors goes down while concrete doesn't then existing steel rail systems are cheaper than whole new guideways.


Most all HSR operator has stated that it is not economically practical to purse higher speed with conventional wheel on rail configuration due to energy consumption with more damage to tracks resulting to more frequent maintenance. 
Although maglev requires more energy, it requires far less maintenance off setting cost with much higher overall capacity through higher speed cutting travel time and potentially longer business hours. 
So it's either HSR with no further gain in speed or Maglev that travels 200Km faster then HSR that can virtually run 24 hours a day.

As we move further into the future old technology will be replaced by the new with wheel on tracks passenger trains being one of them.


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## 00Zy99

France and California are moving up to 400 kph and beyond.

And steel wheel will always be around simply due to the massive investment already made.


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## Short

00Zy99 said:


> France and California are moving up to 400 kph and beyond.
> 
> And steel wheel will always be around simply due to the massive investment already made.


All countries with HSR are conducting research and development into 400Kph+ running. Like all industries there will be improvements to maintenance issues, especially with the current limiting factors of pantograph, rail and wheel wear. Even so often there will be announcements of this or that tech, promising much for the future. However in reality, it is like my internet connection, where greater and greater speeds are announced in new breakthrough developments but they are slow to actually appear because of the infrastructure upgrade issues.


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## Sunfuns

RyukyuRhymer said:


> One thing I also like to add is that foreigners can also buy the JR Rail Pass (about 200USD?). that allows them to use the shinkansen as much as they want (most lines) for a week!
> It's totally unfair. The best I can get for unlimited rides is the seishun 18, and that's hella slow.


Those foreigners come with a money not earned in Japan and spend it in your country. JR Rail pass is a good incentive to do so. 

Two weeks in Japan next spring is our "big trip" next year so I'll see soon enough how it all works :cheers:


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## SamuraiBlue

00Zy99 said:


> France and California are moving up to 400 kph and beyond.
> 
> And steel wheel will always be around simply due to the massive investment already made.


Wishful thinking is not going to get you anywhere and talk stops as reality sets in with a hefty bill for maintenance.

It's basically the end of the line with room only left for faster acceleration in which case all train sets would need to be renewed or you are back to square one.


==Edit==

I don't believe wheel on tracks configuration will disappear they will just be relabeled as trains no matter how fast they go and will be revered as old tech much like steam locos are seen today.


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## SamuraiBlue

Sunfuns said:


> Those foreigners come with a money not earned in Japan and spend it in your country. JR Rail pass is a good incentive to do so.
> 
> Two weeks in Japan next spring is our "big trip" next year so I'll see soon enough how it all works :cheers:


Don't forget to get yourself a Suica card as well.


----------



## M-NL

bluemeansgo said:


> True, it is a beautiful machine. Another beauty was the Fastech "shark nose"


I like that one too. This nose design would have resulted in a few more seats in the end cars of the E5, but instead they opted to go with an evolved version of the arrow-line end of the Fastech 360S.


----------



## 00Zy99

SamuraiBlue said:


> Wishful thinking is not going to get you anywhere and talk stops as reality sets in with a hefty bill for maintenance.
> 
> It's basically the end of the line with room only left for faster acceleration in which case all train sets would need to be renewed or you are back to square one.


Now you are being rude. Please stop dismissing someone else with "wishful thinking". 

Improved material science will reduce maintenance costs and maintenance is still going to be more cost-effective than an entirely new route in most cases.





> ==Edit==
> 
> I don't believe wheel on tracks configuration will disappear they will just be relabeled as trains no matter how fast they go and will be revered as old tech much like steam locos are seen today.


The continued regulatory and technical differences will continue to differentiate HSR from conventional rail systems that can share tracks with freight trains. 

And they will not be revered as "old tech" much like airliners and automobiles are not.

Much like SST, maglev is likely to be best-suited for certain specific ultra-high-density, high-prestige corridors for at least the next half-century.

Now please stop acting like a bully. It is not appreciated.


----------



## luacstjh98

M-NL said:


> I like that one too. This nose design would have resulted in a few more seats in the end cars of the E5, but instead they opted to go with an evolved version of the arrow-line end of the Fastech 360S.


Wasn't there a concern with tunnel boom, which is why the E5 went with that nose design instead?


----------



## SamuraiBlue

00Zy99 said:


> Improved material science will reduce maintenance costs and maintenance is still going to be more cost-effective than an entirely new route in most cases.


There are more abrasion resisting material around already. The problem is one cost and second not manageable in the field.
The reason they use steel rail is because it's cheap and can be bend in the field to fit curves. To have precast rails for every curve just hikes up cost.
Same with power lines where aluminum is the third conductive material second is copper and first being gold. No one is going to use gold for power lines. Anything that further hikes up cost will be disregarded from the start. Basically wheel on track configuration is at the end in terms of economic practicality for speed.






00Zy99 said:


> The continued regulatory and technical differences will continue to differentiate HSR from conventional rail systems that can share tracks with freight trains.
> 
> And they will not be revered as "old tech" much like airliners and automobiles are not.
> 
> Much like SST, maglev is likely to be best-suited for certain specific ultra-high-density, high-prestige corridors for at least the next half-century.


Cars or internal combustion engine automobiles to be more specific are not going to make it in the later half of this century. Probably the same with kerosene powered engines for airplanes in which Hydrogen will be replacing it. SST was not economically practical and did not pass most noise pollution regulations. 

As Maglevs becomes common and construction cost goes down some HSR lines will be converted into maglev lines since it makes more economic sense.
At the end, the term High Speed wheel on track Rail will become a foot note with nostalgic sense at the end of this century.


----------



## Sunfuns

SamuraiBlue said:


> Cars or internal combustion engine automobiles to be more specific are not going to make it in the later half of this century. Probably the same with kerosene powered engines for airplanes in which Hydrogen will be replacing it. SST was not economically practical and did not pass most noise pollution regulations.
> 
> As Maglevs becomes common and construction cost goes down some HSR lines will be converted into maglev lines since it makes more economic sense.
> *At the end, the term High Speed wheel on track Rail will become a foot note with nostalgic sense at the end of this century.*


I doubt that. Particularly considering that many countries Japan included are still building new conventional HSR lines.


----------



## Lower Silesia

fasdfv


----------



## SamuraiBlue

Sunfuns said:


> I doubt that. Particularly considering that many countries Japan included are still building new conventional HSR lines.


For higher economic efficiency, Tokyo demolished the tram system with more than 40 line in the 60's and built the subway system we see today.

Japan really has no problem with scrap and build since the nation itself is based on it.

As for rail, many lines had been abandoned in all nations once they find it is not economically viable to maintain them, HS Wheel on track R are no exception.


----------



## Sunfuns

SamuraiBlue said:


> For higher economic efficiency, Tokyo demolished the tram system with more than 40 line in the 60's and built the subway system we see today.


Perhaps Tokyo is too big for a tram system, but many other cities erroneously demolished their tram lines in favour of cars and now are building them back at a great expense. Particularly common in USA. 




SamuraiBlue said:


> As for rail, many lines had been abandoned in all nations once they find it is not economically viable to maintain them, HS Wheel on track R are no exception.


Nothing is forever, I understand that. Just don't see how standard HSR becomes unviable in less than a hundred years. And even if it does it could be in favour of some kind of air transport instead of Maglev. 

Too bad neither of us will be around to see the outcome...


----------



## 00Zy99

SamuraiBlue said:


> There are more abrasion resisting material around already. The problem is one cost and second not manageable in the field.
> The reason they use steel rail is because it's cheap and can be bend in the field to fit curves. To have precast rails for every curve just hikes up cost.
> Same with power lines where aluminum is the third conductive material second is copper and first being gold. No one is going to use gold for power lines. Anything that further hikes up cost will be disregarded from the start. Basically wheel on track configuration is at the end in terms of economic practicality for speed.


Given the emerging practicality of 3D-Printing and new meta-materials, I don't think that this is a valid argument. There is no way of forecasting what material science will be in 100 years.




> Cars or internal combustion engine automobiles to be more specific are not going to make it in the later half of this century. Probably the same with kerosene powered engines for airplanes in which Hydrogen will be replacing it. SST was not economically practical and did not pass most noise pollution regulations.


But automobiles as a concept and jet airliners moving at high subsonic speeds will still be around. 



> As Maglevs becomes common and construction cost goes down some HSR lines will be converted into maglev lines since it makes more economic sense.


Maglev will act as an addition to HSR, not a replacement, since it requires different curve profiles and demand will be higher than it is now.

Then there is the huge cost of converting HSR to maglev. It will almost always be more expensive to replace wholesale than to have incremental upgrades. 

Not to mention the immense disruption to a vital transport system for the time it would take to convert.



> At the end, the term High Speed wheel on track Rail will become a foot note with nostalgic sense at the end of this century.


You live at the dawn of the century. Don't go around making wild predictions as though they are certain.


----------



## sacto7654

I think the reason why the original 700 Series was developed was its higher top speed than the 300 Series (285 km/h versus 270 km/h) and the fact it used a "duckbill" nose to reduce noise coming out of tunnels. You still see a small number of 700 Series trainsets on _Nozomi_ service, but they're being rapidly replaced by N700/N700A trainsets with its 300 km/h top speed and ability to take the curves between Shin-Yokohama and Mashima Stations on the Tokaidō Shinkansen line faster.


----------



## SamuraiBlue

00Zy99 said:


> Given the emerging practicality of 3D-Printing and new meta-materials, I don't think that this is a valid argument.


Which results to higher cost. You don't need a Ph.D to understand that.
New technology comes with a price, something HS wheel on track R cannot afford hiking up cost further.



00Zy99 said:


> But automobiles as a concept and jet airliners moving at high subsonic speeds will still be around.


Basically if you widen the concept, horse and buggy fits into your description of widening the concept as cars as well. 
In the future with UBER and automated driving mechanism it will change the society where people of the last century will not able understand the concept of cars to their own. 




00Zy99 said:


> Maglev will act as an addition to HSR, not a replacement, since it requires different curve profiles and demand will be higher than it is now..... snip
> 
> 
> You live at the dawn of the century. Don't go around making wild predictions as though they are certain.


You see you are guilt of the very thing you accuse predicting the future saying that HS wheel on track R will live on. I say that is a wild prediction stating that the economy will select and maintain something even though there are alternatives that are more economically efficient. 
I postulated that the term HS wheel on track will R will be bunched up into just trains and the term HSR will be re-designated towards maglevs only since they are more economically efficient and will become more common replacing some lines in the future.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Sunfuns said:


> Perhaps Tokyo is too big for a tram system, but many other cities erroneously demolished their tram lines in favour of cars and now are building them back at a great expense. Particularly common in USA.


Tokyo does have a few tram lines like the Toden Arakawa line









but they are very few (maybe 2 or 3 lines)?

and I find them to be low capacity.


----------



## Sunfuns

RyukyuRhymer said:


> and I find them to be low capacity.


Compared to subways? Of course... 

Actually are trams common in the smaller (<1 million) Japanese cities or do they rely mostly in buses?


----------



## Svartmetall

Sunfuns said:


> Compared to subways? Of course...
> 
> Actually are trams common in the smaller (<1 million) Japanese cities or do they rely mostly in buses?


Ripped up most of them but are now building back. A few examples of legacy systems are mostly on Kyushu and Shikoku. Hiroshima kept it's tram. Nagasaki, kumamoto, Kagoshima on Kyushu all have. Matsuyama and Kochi on Shikoku too.

Now there are new tram cities coming up. Toyama is a success story. Utsunomiya is now green lit to build a new system too.


----------



## M-NL

00Zy99 said:


> Is it possible to combine high top speed and high acceleration?


In theory yes, but given that it hasn't been done yet, it's probably not easy to do.
The thing is, quick acceleration requires a high torque on the driven axles. 
You could do that by making the motors spin faster, but that would seriously decrease motor efficiency and reduce life span of all drive train components. 
The only viable way is by beefing up all drive train components. That in turn makes your bogies and entire train heavier, which is the last thing you want.
Despite that over the years drive train components have shrunk in size considerably, also top speeds continue to rise, thus you're still stuck with a compromise between acceleration and top speed.


----------



## 00Zy99

SamuraiBlue said:


> Which results to higher cost. You don't need a Ph.D to understand that.
> New technology comes with a price, something HS wheel on track R cannot afford hiking up cost further.


And those costs go down. I don't need a PhD to understand that either. Standard HSR can still afford more new technology before it ceases to be cost-competitive with maglev, especially due to its backwards compatibility and greater available industrial base and scale.



> Basically if you widen the concept, horse and buggy fits into your description of widening the concept as cars as well.
> In the future with UBER and automated driving mechanism it will change the society where people of the last century will not able understand the concept of cars to their own.


No, because horses are not mechanical. Taxis and chauffeurs existed 100 years ago, as did battery-powered cars. There were even some experiments with automation under the US Capitol. So things would hardly be unrecognizable. And there is a reason why self-driving cars have taken so long-they need to be backwards-compatible with existing roadways. You may notice that we don't have any special magnet-embedded roads running around. Maglev doesn't have any backwards-compatibility at all, and there much more divergences in standards, as compared to the relative standardization of conventional HSR.




> You see you are guilt of the very thing you accuse predicting the future saying that HS wheel on track R will live on. I say that is a wild prediction stating that the economy will select and maintain something even though there are alternatives that are more economically efficient.


You have no way of knowing for certain what will be more economically efficient, and I have produced evidence to the contrary, which hardly makes it a wild prediction. You are continuing to be rude about this. Please at least maintain some decorum. 



> I postulated that the term HS wheel on track will R will be bunched up into just trains and the term HSR will be re-designated towards maglevs only since they are more economically efficient and will become more common replacing some lines in the future.


And I have noted that it is unlikely to be economically or practically viable to do so. You have not explained how the disruption of replacement would be handled, nor have you explained why organizations would opt for replacement instead of developing more capacity in the face of increased traffic. Without such massive traffic flows, the cost of a new HSR line of any type is unlikely to be economically viable.



RyukyuRhymer said:


> Tokyo does have a few tram lines like the Toden Arakawa line
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> but they are very few (maybe 2 or 3 lines)?
> 
> and I find them to be low capacity.





Svartmetall said:


> Ripped up most of them but are now building back. A few examples of legacy systems are mostly on Kyushu and Shikoku. Hiroshima kept it's tram. Nagasaki, kumamoto, Kagoshima on Kyushu all have. Matsuyama and Kochi on Shikoku too.
> 
> Now there are new tram cities coming up. Toyama is a success story. Utsunomiya is now green lit to build a new system too.


There is a proposal currently floating about for the removal of the Metropolitan Expressway at Nihonbashi. The plan calls for installing a new tramway through the area and creating a quieter, greener, neighborhood.



M-NL said:


> In theory yes, but given that it hasn't been done yet, it's probably not easy to do.
> The thing is, quick acceleration requires a high torque on the driven axles.
> You could do that by making the motors spin faster, but that would seriously decrease motor efficiency and reduce life span of all drive train components.
> The only viable way is by beefing up all drive train components. That in turn makes your bogies and entire train heavier, which is the last thing you want.
> Despite that over the years drive train components have shrunk in size considerably, also top speeds continue to rise, thus you're still stuck with a compromise between acceleration and top speed.


I see. Thank you for discussing this in a technical manner. Is there any prospect of a future technical advance that enables improvements in both?


----------



## M-NL

00Zy99 said:


> I see. Thank you for discussing this in a technical manner. Is there any prospect of a future technical advance that enables improvements in both?


Yes, it's called maglev...
But seriously, for classic wheel on rails trains I think we are approaching the limits. Not so much the technical limits (a 'classic' train could go up at least 575 km/h), but the time and energy it takes to accelerate to top speed and the noise a train at speed makes will pose practical limits. Currently I would say this limit is at around 350 km/h. It may creep up in the future, but I don't expect it to exceed 400 km/h any time soon.


----------



## chornedsnorkack

Sunfuns said:


> Compared to subways? Of course...
> 
> Actually are trams common in the smaller (<1 million) Japanese cities or do they rely mostly in buses?


Which still does not mean big cities do not need big tram systems!
After all, subways have the problem of being at a separate grade.


----------



## stingstingsting

New episode of Japan Railway Journal available: 






Episode 23 is themed around the rapid rehabilitation of the Kyushu Shinkansen after the first of the earthquakes on 14 April, with emphasis on the complex removal undertaken for the derailed 800 series Shinkansen set in Kumamoto. 

I might be wrong here, but for a relatively new line and after the 2004 Joetsu derailment, I am surprised that derailment guards weren't installed much earlier or even during construction. Considering this, its short of miraculous that the most affected trainset was one without any passengers. It must have been quite a stroke of luck anyhow.

After watching the complicated albeit well-executed rerailing of one trainset, I am hopeful that the full implementation of derailment guards (and other devices) will be a worthwhile spend of JR Kyushu's profits on the Kyushu Shinkansen line.

On a side note, the 800 series is one of my favourite Shinkansen trainsets. I recall travelling on them 2 years ago and thinking that simply having wood panelling added so much unquantifiable elegance and comfort on the trip. I guess the 2+2 seating must have helped too 



M-NL said:


> ... But seriously, for classic wheel on rails trains I think we are approaching the limits. Not so much the technical limits (a 'classic' train could go up at least 575 km/h), but the time and energy it takes to accelerate to top speed and the noise a train at speed makes will pose practical limits. Currently I would say this limit is at around 350 km/h. It may creep up in the future, but I don't expect it to exceed 400 km/h any time soon.


00Zy99 I identify with you insofar as hoping that High Speed Rail will retain its current status and relevance compared to more inferior modes of transport, and I tend to agree with many of your points. I acknowledge that part of my affinity for HSR is visceral and I do not really want to see maglev overtake it, to the point of considering HSR a sort of romantic way to travel (I know, strange). However, my pragmatic side tends to agree that we are reaching limits in improving HSR operations, that are unlikely to be easily overcome with materials, technology and costs. I'm not saying that you are the same though. Its sad for me, but hey what's to hate about Maglevs unless you have a pacemaker? (JOKING:banana


----------



## PredyGr

SamuraiBlue said:


> Most all HSR operator has stated that it is not economically practical to purse higher speed with conventional wheel on rail configuration due to energy consumption with more damage to tracks resulting to more frequent maintenance.
> Although maglev requires more energy, it requires far less maintenance off setting cost with much higher overall capacity through higher speed cutting travel time and potentially longer business hours.


When it comes to hsr, energy cost represents just >=10% of the overall costs. 

Correct me if i am wrong, but JR East after concluding the high speed trials, assessed that there is no need for change in track maintenance strategy. The same with OHLE.

You keep saying about the economic viability of maglev systems, especially compared to conventional hsr, but do you have numbers to support the claim?


----------



## SamuraiBlue

PredyGr said:


> When it comes to hsr, energy cost represents just >=10% of the overall costs.
> 
> Correct me if i am wrong, but JR East after concluding the high speed trials, assessed that there is no need for change in track maintenance strategy. The same with OHLE.
> 
> You keep saying about the economic viability of maglev systems, especially compared to conventional hsr, but do you have numbers to support the claim?


JR East after extensive testing had dropped the 350Km/h plans and geared down to 320Km/h top speed.
Ask JR Central for the maintenance cost comparison. They are the ones who are most vocal about this topic.


----------



## M-NL

I was under the impression that it was always JR East's intention to increase the speed in steps. The testing concluded that some extra noise preventing measures are needed to allow speed raises past 320 km/h. That's why they stuck to 320 km/h for now, but future options remain open.


----------



## bluemeansgo

M-NL said:


> I was under the impression that it was always JR East's intention to increase the speed in steps. The testing concluded that some extra noise preventing measures are needed to allow speed raises past 320 km/h. That's why they stuck to 320 km/h for now, but future options remain open.


That was my impression, as well. They need to improve sound dampening and ensure stopping adequate performance from 360km/h. 

And let's be honest, slowly raising speeds incrementally over a period of years is a very Japanese thing to do. Japan is very "Apple" in its incremental progressiveness. 

- Add a feature, announce an improvement.
- Add a feature, announce an improvement.
- Add a feature, announce an improvement.

I expect we'll see increases to 330km/h, 350km/h, 360km/h...


----------



## luacstjh98

Likewise, I remember reading that the plan was to reach 360km/h on the Tohoku Shinkansen by 2020, along with a plan to reduce the Tokyo-Sapporo travel time to 4 hours.

Personally I think we could start seeing work on a new "E8" trainset to replace the E2 trainsets by 2020, incorporating the design improvements 00Zy99 was talking about.

EDIT: Here's a source on Tokyo-Sapporo in 4h:


----------



## 00Zy99

So, that would be, what, two hours to Aomori and three to Hakodate?


----------



## Sr.Horn

Two hours to Aomori considering no stopping at Sendai and Morioka? Not sure...


----------



## luacstjh98

Sr.Horn said:


> Two hours to Aomori considering no stopping at Sendai and Morioka? Not sure...


Eh, I don't know, the fastest Hayabusa trains can get to Aomori in around 3 hours (I took Hayabusa 11 as an example).

H11 averages around 263kph between Omiya/Sendai and Sendai/Morioka, and around 227kph between Morioka and Aomori.

The main time sink seems to be between Tokyo and Omiya, where 23 mins is spent to cover the 31km distance, because the trains are stuck at zairaisen speeds. Increasing this to 160kph or so, around the speed of the Keisei Skyliner, sounds to me like a low hanging fruit to squeeze 5-10 minutes out of the travel times.

Full 320kph service between Morioka and Aomori could also squeeze you an additional 5-10 minutes at least, and then perhaps if speeds north of Omiya can hit 360kph you get maybe 20 extra minutes, getting you a total of 30-40 mins off the existing 3h travel time?

It's another hour to Hakodate mainly due to speed restrictions on the Kaikyo Line, and if they manage to get 300kph on the Hokkaido Shinkansen then 1 hour to Sapporo.

So it's just me, but 4h30min seems like a more realistic timing, unless they find a way to allow the Shinkansen to operate at higher speeds through the Kaikyo Line without affecting the freight service. Then 4h might be more reasonable.


----------



## sacto7654

I do think 150-160 km/h between Ueno and Omiya Stations is doable, then 300 km/h between Omiya and Utsunomiya, 360km/h max between Utsunomiya and Morioka, 320 km/h beteen Morioka and Shin-Aomori, 220 km/h between Shin-Aomori and Kikonai, and 300 to 320 km/h between Kikonai and Sapporo. 

I still think the "train on train" idea may come to fruition. That way, freight cars can be loaded into a wider train at a new terminal next to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station and unloaded at a new terminal at what is now Shin-Nakaoguni Signal Station just south of the Doai Tunnel (the south end of the tunnel is where the Shinkansen and _zairaisen_ tracks separate).


----------



## flierfy

luacstjh98 said:


> Likewise, I remember reading that the plan was to reach 360km/h on the Tohoku Shinkansen by 2020, along with a plan to reduce the Tokyo-Sapporo travel time to 4 hours.


It was also planned to run free-gauge trains on the Nagasaki Shinkansen. And look how far that project has come. The high-speed operation over 300 km/h requires a significant technological progress as well. Such a progress may come one day or maybe it doesn't, who knows. I wouldn't count on it though.

If the Japanese government as well as the involved railway companies really wanted to push travel time to Sapporo down to competitive levels they would have built the Tohoku Shinkansen differently. The slow passages of the metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Sendai as well as the alignment north of Morioka do not suggest that travel times to Sapporo were the highest priority. Hence my doubt on the ambitious plans of a 4-hour rail travel.

By the way travel times of 2,5 hours to Shin-Aomori would require an average speed of over 300 km/h north of Omiya. I don't see a way to achieve this with the currently available technologies.


----------



## stingstingsting

00Zy99 said:


> Curve realignment is much easier to do than you seem to think-note Japan's repeated ability to shift alignments overnight in construction activities.
> 
> ...


00Zy99, you mentioned about improving the curve alignments on existing tracks. I am not even sure if they had maximised curved alignments on the newest of tracks.

I had posted six months ago about the curve radius coming into Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station looking very tight. Considering this is the second- newest Shinkansen line, I was surprised that it seems that they did not maximise the track design to have the highest possible maximum speed on that section. In fact, I roughly estimated looking at the curve radius that the maximum speed through the station would be +/- 200 km/h, which is pretty low considering many Shinkansen stations even on the same spinal high speed route north from Tokyo allow for trains to operate through without slowing down. 

Track design, coupled with related infrastructure such as the concrete viaduct, is probably one of the most complicated factors to change once operations have started. I am at a loss to understand the reason for the relatively low speeds this newest of lines seems to have been designed for. Difficult terrain does not seem to me to be a likely reason as they would be tunneling onwards anyway, through what will be some of the longest tunnels in Japan. Maybe they intended for all trains going into the future to require stopping at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, which also seems unlikely considering the 3-track layout within Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station itself. Now there must be a reason, most likely a commercial and/or political one, but I am not sure it would be so compelling if the overarching aim of the Hokkaido Shinkansen was to eventually have competitive journey times on par with air travel.

Also I understand that the relatively short run from Kikonai to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto is fairly straight. Even though the current maximum speed on that stretch is 260 km/h it should be easy for Shinkansen trains to eventually run at 320 km/h. It seems to me that 260 km/h is a speed limit mandated by the authorities for initial operations on all newly-opened high speed lines, which may be conservative but seems fair from a safety and energy-use perspective. I don't think there would be any obstacles to increasing the speed limit on this stretch especially upon the eventual opening of the stretch to Sapporo. However, for a train to accelerate after leaving the Seikan tunnel only to have to slow down considerably before Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station makes 320 km/h, much less 360 km/h, seemingly unfeasible as well.

Just looking at this one example and not considering technological, vibration and noise challenges, it does not bode well to me that a Tokyo-Sapporo time of under 4 hours will be achieved as much as I certainly would like it to be hno: 

Nonetheless let's not forget that reliable 320 km/h operations is the fastest in the World and is already highly superior considering the challenges that Japan faces on its high-speed railways, such as earthquakes and population density.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=131922317&postcount=1800



stingstingsting said:


> ...
> 
> 
> 
> My simplistic and amateur measurement of that curve on Google maps yielded a radius of around 2500m, maximum 3000m. For what I assume is a mostly greenfield location, that seems to be quite tight. That would translate to a maximum speed of 200-km/h, I take? I note that there is a considerable cant on that section to compensate for the curve as can be seen on this video:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...
> 
> It seems like an, pardon the pun, uphill climb. :banana:


----------



## luacstjh98

Question: Will all trains stop at Hakodate?

If yes, then perhaps the 200kph limit through the station wouldn't matter much.

If no, then it's still a time saving, but not as much of savings...


----------



## loefet

stingstingsting said:


> My simplistic and amateur measurement of that curve on Google maps yielded a radius of around 2500m, maximum 3000m. For what I assume is a mostly greenfield location, that seems to be quite tight. That would translate to a maximum speed of 200-km/h, I take? I note that there is a considerable cant on that section to compensate for the curve as can be seen on this video:


Looking in Google Earth and using it's circle measurement then you get a circle with a radius of nearly exactly 3000 meters at this curve, which would correspond to a maximum speed of about 250 km/h.


----------



## sacto7654

luacstjh98 said:


> Question: Will all trains stop at Hakodate?
> 
> If yes, then perhaps the 200kph limit through the station wouldn't matter much.
> 
> If no, then it's still a time saving, but not as much of savings...


Yes, I do think that all trains will stop at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, mostly because that's the closest station to the city of Hakodate itself. It's like Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima and Kokura are mandatory stops for the full-distance _Nozomi_ trains.


----------



## stingstingsting

^^

Thanks Loefet and Sacto7654.

250 km/h is not that much faster either. And if we go by the fact that we've had Nozomi services for decades and yet the fastest services still have to stop at about ten stops, the point is further reinforced that we will not see Tokyo-Sapporo Shinkansen services of under 4h. This is unlike what that famous chart below was alluding to. You can't beat that curve radius much too so its just highly unlikely.

Furthermore there will not be a modal shift for Tokyo-Sapporo journeys just like how there has not been a modal shift for Tokyo-Fukuoka journeys. Clearly, a 4h service is just neither a priority nor an intention of the Hokkaido Shinkansen. I'm resigned to that conclusion...



luacstjh98 said:


> ...
> 
> EDIT: Here's a source on Tokyo-Sapporo in 4h:


A related question: 
why do all the new stations on the Hokkaido Shinkansen only have three tracks? I looked at the Tohoku Shinkansen, and in fact on all other Shinkansen lines, and I'm hard pressed to find three-track stations. Most of them are two-tracked, four-tracked or six-tracked. Even multiples would mean a through track for each direction. Also the new Hokuriku Shinkansen does not have three-track stations. I understand removing one track might save some costs. Hokkaido is also more sparsely populated but this seems new and operationally quite a bit more complicated, isn't it?


----------



## loefet

^^ If disregarding the Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station which have space for three tracks but only have two installed and concentrate on the Okutsugaru-Imabetsu and Kikonai stations instead which both have three tracks installed but only 2 platforms.

These stations lay at either and of the Seikan Tunnel, which I believe plays a huge part on their design. I presume that there stricter limits on train distances in the tunnel compared to other stretches. And with this layout with the platform for the line towards the tunnel on a siding makes it possible for "faster" services to overtake the all stop ones, but after exiting the tunnel there is enough distance to the next train for a slower train to stop and still have enough space for getting up to speed before the faster train catches up with it. 
I hope that this makes sense.


----------



## luacstjh98

stingstingsting said:


> ^^
> 
> Thanks Loefet and Sacto7654.
> 
> 250 km/h is not that much faster either. And if we go by the fact that we've had Nozomi services for decades and yet the fastest services still have to stop at about ten stops, the point is further reinforced that we will not see Tokyo-Sapporo Shinkansen services of under 4h. This is unlike what that famous chart below was alluding to. You can't beat that curve radius much too so its just highly unlikely.
> 
> Furthermore there will not be a modal shift for Tokyo-Sapporo journeys just like how there has not been a modal shift for Tokyo-Fukuoka journeys. Clearly, a 4h service is just neither a priority nor an intention of the Hokkaido Shinkansen. I'm resigned to that conclusion...


You can't compare the Tohoku and Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen, they serve quite different areas. A wiser comparison for the Tohoku Shinkansen would be the CRH network, where stations are more spaced out.

IIRC Japan is more densely populated west of Tokyo than east of it, since along the way to Fukuoka you have Nagoya, the entire Kansai region (Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, all of which are next to each other so you can't hit high speeds for long), Okayama (for trains to Shikoku) and Hiroshima along the way, along with Kokura just 50km out from Hakata. Whereas on the Tohoku trunk, you only have stops at Sendai, Morioka, Aomori and Hakodate, and long clear runs between all stations. Hence more stops to the west than to the east, and why trains to the east can reach higher speeds.

Besides, I don't really see much of a "modal shift" in Tokyo-Fukuoka travel, since it's five hours with so many stops. The money is in travel to/from the intermediate cities. And the Shinkansen to Sapporo is only happening in 2030, so who knows what could happen in the meantime? Maybe by then JR Hokkaido and JR East would have bought super-fast "E8/H8" series trains that can make the journey in 4h, assuming the Tohoku Shinkansen is also upgraded.

I don't think it's wise to shut the possibility down now since we're talking about things fifteen years away at the very least.


----------



## chornedsnorkack

luacstjh98 said:


> You can't compare the Tohoku and Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen, they serve quite different areas. A wiser comparison for the Tohoku Shinkansen would be the CRH network, where stations are more spaced out.
> 
> IIRC Japan is more densely populated west of Tokyo than east of it, since along the way to Fukuoka you have Nagoya, the entire Kansai region (Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, all of which are next to each other so you can't hit high speeds for long), Okayama (for trains to Shikoku) and Hiroshima along the way, along with Kokura just 50km out from Hakata. Whereas on the Tohoku trunk, you only have stops at Sendai, Morioka, Aomori and Hakodate, and long clear runs between all stations. Hence more stops to the west than to the east, and why trains to the east can reach higher speeds.
> 
> Besides, I don't really see much of a "modal shift" in Tokyo-Fukuoka travel, since it's five hours with so many stops. The money is in travel to/from the intermediate cities.


The distances are:
Tokyo-Shin-Hakodate - 824 km
Tokyo-Hiroshima - 821 km
Stops of most express trains:
Hayabusa: 

Omiya
Sendai
Morioka
Shin-Aomori
Shin-Hakodate
Nozomi:

Shinagawa
Shin-Yokohama
Nagoya
Kyoto
Shin-Osaka
Shin-Kobe
Okayama
Hiroshima
However, Hayabusas make additional stops which vary.
Total tally of stations that exist:
Tohoku-Hokkaido:

Ueno
*Omiya*
Oyama
Utsunomiya
Nasu-Shiobara
Shin-Shirakawa
Koriyama
Fukushima
Shiroishi-Zao
*Sendai*
Furukawa
Kurikoma-Kogen
Ichinoseki
Mizusawa-Esashi
Kitakami
Shin-Hanamaki
*Morioka*
Iwate-Numakunai
Ninohe
Hachinohe
Towada
*Shin-Aomori*
Okutsugaru-Imabetsu
Kikonai
*Shin-Hakodate*
Tokaido-Sanyo:

*Shinagawa*
*Shin-Yokohama*
Odawara
Atami
Mishima
Shin-Fuji
Shizuoka
Kakegawa
Hamamatsu
Toyohashi
Mikawa-Anjo
*Nagoya*
Gifu-Hashima
Maibara
*Kyoto*
*Shin-Osaka*
*Shin-Kobe*
Nishi-Akashi
Himeji
Aioi
*Okayama*
Shin-Kurashiki
Fukuyama
Shin-Onomichi
Mihara
Higashi-Hiroshima
*Hiroshima*
So, how do "clear runs" compare? The total count of stations - 25 vs. 27, there is not much difference!


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## luacstjh98

Well, here's some timings I calculated, but whether it's of use to you is mixed:










Don't forget that the N700 accelerates at 2.6km/s^2, 50% faster than the E5 which accelerates at 1.71km/s^2, so the E5 needs a longer time to get to top speed. JR East may not need to break the 360km/h barrier, perhaps with faster-accelerating trains they could also shorten travel times by quite a fair bit.

(all info from Wikipedia)


----------



## bluemeansgo

Not to mention 4 hours to Sapporo is still possible with trains running at 360kph. Curve radius on one station won't affect travel times that much and there are more important aspects of station design... like an alignment that actually works. To make that alignment straighter would have involved building a viaduct on top of town in addition to not being able to link up with the mainline. By doing it this way there is the possibility of doing a mini-Shinkansen north from this point along the main line. 

There's no guarantee that Sapporo will get Shinkansen by 2030.


----------



## sacto7654

Speaking of the Shinkansen, has JR East mentioned anything about when will they _finally_ retire the E4 trainsets? I believe once the E4's finally retire, it may finally make it possible to bump up the maximum speed of the Shinkansen line between Omiya and Takasaki and Takasaki to Niigata to 260 km/h. And that will mean faster travel times for both the Jōetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen runs.


----------



## Sr.Horn

^^ Not yet. 
_______

Special Hokuriku-Tohoku Shinkansen from Kanawaza to Sendai and back using E7 Series Shinkansen:






TV coverage:


----------



## Rodalvesdepaula

This is a new Shinkansen service?


----------



## flierfy

Sr.Horn said:


> Special Hokuriku-Tohoku Shinkansen from Kanawaza to Sendai and back using E7 Series Shinkansen


Do I see this correctly that there is no cross-country service north of the Kantō plain? No Limited Express service connecting Sendai, Niigata and further on to Kanazawa? That seems strange. There is clearly something missing.


----------



## bluemeansgo

flierfy said:


> Do I see this correctly that there is no cross-country service north of the Kantō plain? No Limited Express service connecting Sendai, Niigata and further on to Kanazawa? That seems strange. There is clearly something missing.



The Shinkansen map is a little skewed though. Basically there IS Shinkansen service from Sendai to Nagano. You transfer at Omiya. It makes a lot more sense when you realize that the line to Niigata should never have been built as it was essentially pork barrel politics. There were far more deserving routes. When you take that into account it doesn't look that crazy not to have a route through small communities to get to Nagano from Sendai when the current route isn't much slower.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

flierfy said:


> Do I see this correctly that there is no cross-country service north of the Kantō plain? No Limited Express service connecting Sendai, Niigata and further on to Kanazawa? That seems strange. There is clearly something missing.


I recently went from Sendai to Niigata, then on to Kanazawa.

Basically had to go south to Fukushima, transfer, then go west towards Aizu-Wakamatsu, transfer again to go to Niigata (I took the SL train).

From Niigata to Kanazawa, several transfers between JR lines and private/3rd sector lines.

or to summarize, physically not that far to Niigata, but the process of going from Sendai to Kanazawa via Niigata was not seamless.


----------



## bluemeansgo

RyukyuRhymer said:


> I recently went from Sendai to Niigata, then on to Kanazawa.
> 
> 
> 
> Basically had to go south to Fukushima, transfer, then go west towards Aizu-Wakamatsu, transfer again to go to Niigata (I took the SL train).
> 
> 
> 
> From Niigata to Kanazawa, several transfers between JR lines and private/3rd sector lines.
> 
> 
> 
> or to summarize, physically not that far to Niigata, but the process of going from Sendai to Kanazawa via Niigata was not seamless.



A quick look at a relief map really is the answer. You clearly see that there is a large mountain range between Sendai and Niigata and that Niigata is teeny. 

Not to mention that Sendai to Kanazawa is currently as fast as 3..5 hours with a transfer at Omiya. By car the shortest road is still about 560km so even a direct Shinkansen along a similar route would take about 3 hours anyhow so there really isn't a good reason to spend a lot money

Far more pressing would be a connection between Kanazawa and Osaka. 
P.


----------



## flierfy

bluemeansgo said:


> The Shinkansen map is a little skewed though. Basically there IS Shinkansen service from Sendai to Nagano. You transfer at Omiya. It makes a lot more sense when you realize that the line to Niigata should never have been built as it was essentially pork barrel politics. There were far more deserving routes. When you take that into account it doesn't look that crazy not to have a route through small communities to get to Nagano from Sendai when the current route isn't much slower.


Warning: This is a would-should-could post. Don't read on if you want to stay in reality.

Beyond the two Shinkansen lines to the north coast there is also a line call Hokuhoku Line. Each of these lines have been added since the 1960s. And yet they don't fit together. It seems as if there were some discontinuities in the planning. If only one could rearrange the efforts spent on these projects, one could have ended up with a network that not only would have connected all the north coast towns to Tokyo reasonably fast but also to each other and to Sendai as well.

It would have looked like this:









The Yamagata Mini-Shinkansen wouldn't have been needed this way as well. A bis chance missed, I would say.


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## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/.../gauge-changing-train-decision-next-year.html
> 
> *Gauge-changing train decision next year*
> 17 Nov 2016
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JAPAN: JR Kyushu, which was successfully listed on the stock market on October 26, expects to decide whether or not to continue with plans for a gauge-changing Shinkansen train next year.
> 
> The latest test train is undergoing endurance trials following modifications made after cracks were found in the axles two years ago
> 
> ...


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## M-NL

This train proves the closed nature of the rail industry. The largest user of gauge change technology is Spain where development started in 1968 resulting in two proven gauge changing systems that are also used for high speed trains.
But instead of acquiring a license to use some proven technology JR Kyushu opted to develop their own system, which has already resulted in 18 years of testing, three generations of test trains but still no decision to actually use it. Surely a license would have been the cheaper option?


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## loefet

Delete


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## Gusiluz

M-NL said:


> This train proves the closed nature of the rail industry. The largest user of gauge change technology is Spain where development started in 1968 resulting in two proven gauge changing systems that are also used for high speed trains.
> But instead of acquiring a license to use some proven technology JR Kyushu opted to develop their own system, which has already resulted in 18 years of testing, three generations of test trains but still no decision to actually use it. Surely a license would have been the cheaper option?


JR West he is already doing it.


> In order to extend the benefits of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to stations west of Tsuruga before the line to Osaka is completed, JR West is working in partnership with Talgo on the development of a Free Gauge Train (FGT), which will be capable of operating under both the 25kV ac electrification used on the Shinkansen and the 1.5kV dc system employed on conventional lines. The six-car train is due to start trials on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the 1067mm-gauge Hokuriku and Kosei lines in 2017. As part of the project JR West has already began trials with a purpose-built 180m-long gauge-changer at Tsuruga.


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## sacto7654

I think somebody else might be quietly interested in a free-gauge train using the Talso technology: JR East.

Why? Because it would make it possible to revive the old _Hokuetsu_ direct service between Kanazawa and Niigata, which would travel like this:

Kanazawa to Itoigawa--Hokuriku Shinkansen line
Itoigawa to Nagaoka--Nihonkai Hisui Line and Shin'etsu Main Line
Nagaoka to Niigata--Jōetsu Shinkansen line


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## Rodalvesdepaula

BRAVA-CAF gauge changing system is also a good option for JR Kyushu: http://www.cafusa.com/en/innovacion-tecnologia/productos-tecnologicos/brava.php

This tecnology could be use also in Hokkaido Shinkansen, from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo via Hakodate Main Line. Variable-gauge tilting trains could be used in Tokyo-Sapporo services.


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## Sr.Horn

Developing history: The Free Gauge Train (FGT-9000) is back a year after because the improvement in some parts of the 3-car unit. 



















More in japanese: http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2016/12/04/017/


NNN:


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## Rodalvesdepaula

I watched some news on NHK _Ohayou Nihon_ about the extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kansai region. The Obama-Kyoto Route was considered as possible future definitive route.

In Nihongo: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20161207/k10010797741000.html


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## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/high-speed/single-view/view/hokuriku-extension-route-agreed.html
> 
> *Hokuriku extension route agreed*
> 23 Dec 2016
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JAPAN: Plans to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka via Obama and Kyoto were agreed by the coalition government on December 20.
> 
> A 125 km section extending the line from its present terminus at Kanazawa to Tsuruga is currently under construction, with completion expected in 2022-23. The government’s decision will see the route continued further along the Sea of Japan coast to Obama and then south to Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto. From there the line would continue to Shin-Osaka, effectively duplicating the Kyoto – Osaka section of the Tokaido Shinkansen — a decision on the routing of this final section is expected by the end of March 2017
> 
> ...


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## luacstjh98

So is it pretty much*confirmed that the*Hokuriku Shinkansen will go to Kyoto?


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## flierfy

luacstjh98 said:


> So is it pretty much*confirmed that the*Hokuriku Shinkansen will go to Kyoto?


It actually means that the line will only run via Kyoto as it will actually terminate at Shin-Osaka. It does not even mean that it will serve Kyoto station but may have its own station somewhere else in the city.


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## 00Zy99

Considering that they're coming in from due north and headed south, it doesn't make much sense to jog the line east or west to any real degree, and at that point, you might as well aim for Kyoto station since there aren't too many other transit hubs in the area to connect to.


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## Negjana

Can anybody predict if the Hokuriku Shinkansen will run paralel to the Tokaido Shinkansen between Kyoto and Osaka or run on a different alignment?


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## Short

Negjana said:


> Can anybody predict if the Hokuriku Shinkansen will run paralel to the Tokaido Shinkansen between Kyoto and Osaka or run on a different alignment?


I was wondering the same thing, especially with local political support for a separate alignment in an alternate proposal that was put forward. That called for a north-south path through Kyoto and then on to Osaka from the west.


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## 00Zy99

Do you have a map of this alignment?


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## Short

00Zy99 said:


> Do you have a map of this alignment?


From the Japan Bullet website, there is this basic outline. It is just a crude proposal rather than a defined route in Red dots. There is an intention that this could better serve the Kansai region and possibly extend to Kansai Airport, put forward by a local politician.










Japan Bullet article announcing the selection of the Obama route


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## sacto7654

I still wished JR West was able to route the section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line from Tsuruga to Kyoto closely paralleling the current JR West Kosei Line. There's more potential passenger traffic this way and frankly, how much ridership will we have between Tsuruga and Obama?


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## 00Zy99

The Kosei line is already serving that segment reasonably well, and this route gives Obama and the towns west of it better access to Kyoto and Osaka.


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## sacto7654

I really wonder when will JR East announce the final retirement of the E4 Shinkansen fleet, since it appears they're only running them on the _Toki_ and _Tanigawa_ trains on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line.


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## saintm

Would anyone here know if it will use the existing HSR tracks between Kyoto and Shin Osaka?


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## 00Zy99

The Hokuriku Shinkansen may use the existing alignment, but there is no way in hell that it will share actual tracks with the Tokaido trains. The Tokaido is just far too busy to allow any sort of cooperation. Every Hokuriku train would be one less Tokaido train, and there is too much demand on the Tokaido line to allow that.


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## Negjana

Wouldn't there be enough slots on Tokaido in that segment once Chuo is finished?


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## luacstjh98

Negjana said:


> Wouldn't there be enough slots on Tokaido in that segment once Chuo is finished?


The Tokaido Shinkansen is pretty much a de facto commuter line - I would think they want extra Hikari and Kodama trains in the freed-up slots.

Besides, we're talking 2038, it's still a long way off...


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## chornedsnorkack

luacstjh98 said:


> The Tokaido Shinkansen is pretty much a de facto commuter line - I would think they want extra Hikari and Kodama trains in the freed-up slots.


Some Kodamas run just Tokyo-Nagoya, though - the Nagoya-Osaka section seems less loaded.


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## 00Zy99

A) Less crowded is relative.

B) There are probably going to be Nagoya-Osaka Kodamas running soon enough, if not already.

C) That capacity will fill out by the time the Chuo is complete.


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## sacto7654

According to Wikipedia, the most common _Kodama_ runs are Tokyo-Nagoya, trains starting at either Shizuoka/Hamamatsu/Nagoya west to Shin-Osaka, Shin-Osaka to Okayama/Hiroshima and Hakata-Kokura (though I'm sure there are Hakata to as far east as Okayama). There are Tokyo to Shin-Osaka and Shina-Osaka to Hakata _Kodama_ services, but those are not that common.


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## Sr.Horn

The Hokuriku Shinkansen extension to Fukui will have the first combined high-speed train and highway bridge in Japan 5km NE Fukui Station. It will be just a bridge of 1.5 kilometers of new track where the train will circulate between the two lanes of a motorway.

This is now under construction if you check on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/PTs1V1gDxmG2




























https://trafficnews.jp/post/63568/


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## sacto7654

I'm actually surprised that JR West didn't say they would open the line from Kanazawa to Fukui first, then from Fukui to Tsuruga.


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## bluemeansgo

I wonder if they'll consider terminating the line at Tennoji. If they're already intersecting the Tokaido Line at Kyoto, I don't see a pressing need to follow the line to Shin-Osaka.

The Chuo Shinkansen will approach Osaka from Nara, so you could combine Hokuriku and Chuo there. The only negative would be transfers from the Tokaido to the Chuo from further West... it's a 15 minute ride from Shin-Osaka to Tennoji. But hey, if you're going from 150 minutes to 67 minutes... a 15-20 minute transfer would still save at least 1 hour.


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## Short

bluemeansgo said:


> I wonder if they'll consider terminating the line at Tennoji. If they're already intersecting the Tokaido Line at Kyoto, I don't see a pressing need to follow the line to Shin-Osaka.
> 
> The Chuo Shinkansen will approach Osaka from Nara, so you could combine Hokuriku and Chuo there. The only negative would be transfers from the Tokaido to the Chuo from further West... it's a 15 minute ride from Shin-Osaka to Tennoji. But hey, if you're going from 150 minutes to 67 minutes... a 15-20 minute transfer would still save at least 1 hour.


The issue here is capacity. Not only are the tracks congested with trains, requiring a duplication, there are not enough seats on the existing trains to handle passengers transferring from other lines. This is also combined with the stations capacity to handle transferring passengers too.


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## SamuraiBlue

Short said:


> The issue here is capacity. Not only are the tracks congested with trains, requiring a duplication, there are not enough seats on the existing trains to handle passengers transferring from other lines. This is also combined with the stations capacity to handle transferring passengers too.


They won't require the capacity once the Chuo Shinkansen reaches Osaka since most travelers from Tokyo,Nagoya to Osaka will divert to the Chuo leaving the Tokaido Shinkansen empty.


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## sacto7654

SamuraiBlue said:


> They won't require the capacity once the Chuo Shinkansen reaches Osaka since most travelers from Tokyo,Nagoya to Osaka will divert to the Chuo leaving the Tokaido Shinkansen empty.


If you're willing to wait until 2045 that is. But up till that time, the "regular" Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Osaka will still be very busy, since passengers don't want to go through the hassle of changing trains at Nagoya.


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## SamuraiBlue

sacto7654 said:


> If you're willing to wait until 2045 that is. But up till that time, the "regular" Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Osaka will still be very busy, since passengers don't want to go through the hassle of changing trains at Nagoya.


So? The Obama - Kyoto route construction is not due to finish till 2046.:lol:


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## aquaticko

I've always been surprised that they don't run (more?) double-deck trains along what is probably the world's single busiest rail route. I don't know if it's a loading gauge issue on the Tokaido Shinkansen, station compatibility challenges, or whatever, but it seems like making trains which carry more people is--potentially-an easy solution to capacity issues.


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## SamuraiBlue

aquaticko said:


> I've always been surprised that they don't run (more?) double-deck trains along what is probably the world's single busiest rail route. I don't know if it's a loading gauge issue on the Tokaido Shinkansen, station compatibility challenges, or whatever, but it seems like making trains which carry more people is--potentially-an easy solution to capacity issues.


They used to but found that double deckers takes more time for people to get on and off meaning longer idle time. It also requires more open area for steps and impractical for vendor carts.


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## k.k.jetcar

^^
As samurai says, it's all about station dwell time. A single deck design is going to be more efficient in loading and unloading passengers, plus cleaning will be quicker at terminal stations. When you are running an HSR service like the Tokaido shinkansen at metro-like headways, you can't have trains being held up at stations waiting for passengers to negotiate stairs and the like.


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## sacto7654

00Zy99 said:


> There is still much better service at Osaka, with connections to Hanshin and Nankai, providing access to Kansai International and Kobe.


I still disagree, since from Kyoto Station, Kintetsu trains can reach most destinations on its network, particularly Osaka Uehommachi and Osaka Namba Stations in central Osaka (which also serve Hanshin trains). JR West has _Special Rapid_ service trains with limited-stop service from Kyoto to Osaka Station in Umeda (and beyond to well west of Kobe), and from Umeda can get on Hanshin trains at Hanshin Umeda Station. Also, JR West runs the _Haruka_ airport express train from Kyoto Station to Kansai Airport, too.


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## 00Zy99

But Hanshin and Nankai can be reached DIRECTLY from Osaka. And Kobe is much faster and easier to get to from Osaka (or so people will perceive). Plus Wakayama, and the Fukuchiyama Line.

And there's still all of the MANY businesses in Osaka that would prefer not to have to deal with the transfer penalty getting up to Hokuriku and vice-versa.


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## bluemeansgo

Shin-Osaka is the main JR WEST terminal for Shinkansen. JR WEST is going to do everything possible to run the train to Osaka. It's where quite a few Shinkansen services start and stop for West Japan and Everything about the station is JR West. 

Three Shinkansen services terminate at Shin-Osaka:
- Kodama ( all stops )
- Mizuho ( super express )
- Sakura ( express )

If the line terminated at Kyoto, you'd be forcing people West of Osaka in Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Fukuoka (Hakata) to change trains in Shin-Osaka. They'd also be changing to JR Central to get to Kyoto.

Terminating at Shin-Osaka means that JR West keeps the revenue passenger from start to finish... all the way up to Myoko. They keep the passenger on their trains and completely off of JR Central. This means they don't have to share the revenue. 









*JR WEST wants to keep passengers off the ORANGE Line:
*










If I were JR West, I'd push for that. As it is, they're missing out on the most profitable segment in the world, the Tokyo-Osaka run. JR Central's kind of an interloper into Tokyo and Osaka. I don't know the history, but to me it looks like it was drawn this way to provide Nagoya with some consolation. 

They may the city that most pass through between the two big boys, but they control the the revenue. 

In fact, it's theorized that one of the reasons that JR Central chose to run the new Chuo line to Shinagawa was because they could buy up and control more of the land in that area. Shinagawa is not a terribly convenient station. Shinjuku ( or even Shibuya) would have served FAR more people and given Tokyo two main train-ports into the city, but 

Shinjuku is:
A) EXTREMELY busy and complicated to build into
B) 100% JR East domain

Anyhow, unless politics change, you can guarantee that JR West will be terminating at Kyoto. They may choose to build a new station in Northern Kyoto, but honestly I don't know where they're going to find the room.

The BIGGER question I have is how are they going to serve Obama? Are they just going to come close to Obama (Higashi Obama) and double back and follow the 367 down to Kyoto and Osaka, or are they going to tunnel straight south from Obama?

If it's the latter, then I can see them having a new station in West Kyoto.


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## 00Zy99

Those last couple of paragraphs are confusing.

I suppose you mean that JR West will terminate at Shin-Osaka? I suppose that it would call at the existing Kyoto station, and possibly have a stop somewhere between there and Shin-Osaka.


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## loefet

bluemeansgo said:


> The BIGGER question I have is how are they going to serve Obama? Are they just going to come close to Obama (Higashi Obama) and double back and follow the 367 down to Kyoto and Osaka, or are they going to tunnel straight south from Obama?


My guess would be to put it close to Shinhirano Station or Kaminaka Station and then rename it to Shin-Obama and keep the overall alignment pretty straight between Tsuruga and Kyoto.



sacto7654 said:


> 1. The Shinkansen line between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka is already running at capacity with _Nozomi_, _Hikari_ and _Kodama_ trains.


I don't think that it's as bad as you might believe.
Currently there are a maximum of 14 trains/hour (actually only a maximum of 13 trains/hour west of Nagoya) on the Tokaido Shinkansen. And since they could theoretically run in 3 minutes intervals then they should be able to fit up to 20 trains/hour, especially on this stretch.
Why? 
Well there are no intermediate stations between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka and all trains stops at both of them. Meaning that they don't have to schedule trains with a spacing to allow for faster trains to pass slower ones or allow extra time for the slower trains to stop at a station so that the faster train won't have to slow down after it. 
Meaning that there is easy space to accommodate up to 7 more trains/hour on that stretch, as long as the Hokuriku Shinkansen trains can keep up with the N700 series trains of the Tokaido Shinkansen, which the current generation can't at the moment. 
The question is though, would JR Central allow them to share the track.


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## 00Zy99

I would run from Tsuruga, through Mihama (calling there) to Higashi-Obama.

Then, I would turn south, running between Mount Sajikigatake and Mount Minako. I would merge with the Tokaido Shinkansen in the Higashiyama Ward of Kyoto, having a flying junction as the two lines emerge from the last tunnel just before Kyoto station (Hokuriku tracks outside of the Tokaido tracks). There would then be a four-track stretch running directly into Kyoto station.

Different acceleration curves and top speeds could be handled by adding a couple of passing sidings on the run to Shin-Osaka.


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## luacstjh98

00Zy99 said:


> I would run from Tsuruga, through Mihama (calling there) to Higashi-Obama.
> 
> Then, I would turn south, running between Mount Sajikigatake and Mount Minako. I would merge with the Tokaido Shinkansen in the Higashiyama Ward of Kyoto, having a flying junction as the two lines emerge from the last tunnel just before Kyoto station (Hokuriku tracks outside of the Tokaido tracks). There would then be a four-track stretch running directly into Kyoto station.
> 
> Different acceleration curves and top speeds could be handled by adding a couple of passing sidings on the run to Shin-Osaka.


It'd be 2045 by then, I would think JR West would already have a common Shinkansen type for both Sanyo and Hokuriku Shinkansens.

Personally, I'd just four-track the line between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka, with two tracks operationally belonging to the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and two to the Tokaido Shinkansen. Unless they do some magic with the timetables, the Hokuriku Shinkansen would need its own platforms at Kyoto anyway because some Tokaido Shinkansen trains wait for other trains to pass at Kyoto, if memory serves.

They can't do it at Shin-Osaka because all the terminating capacity there is needed to turn trains from Kagoshima (and in future, Nagasaki), since they don't go to Tokyo, and the occasional Kodama run from Tokyo. Of course, it wouldn't be unwise to expect some trains from Kanazawa/Joetsumyoko to also turn at Shin-Osaka.


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## sacto7654

Let's say they can extend the run of the Hokuriku Shinkansen all the way to Shin-Osaka, since there are no stations between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka Stations.

An issue could be that JR Central--who owns the Tokaidō Shinkansen tracks east of Shin-Osaka--will have to impose a 260 km/h top speed to keep it compatible with the E7/W7 trainsets traveling between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka. That might not be a good idea since they want to keep the 270 km/h top speed on this part of the Tokaidō line, unless they modify the E7/W7 trainset to run at 270 km/h top speed.


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## luacstjh98

sacto7654 said:


> Let's say they can extend the run of the Hokuriku Shinkansen all the way to Shin-Osaka, since there are no stations between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka Stations.
> 
> An issue could be that JR Central--who owns the Tokaidō Shinkansen tracks east of Shin-Osaka--will have to impose a 260 km/h top speed to keep it compatible with the E7/W7 trainsets traveling between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka. That might not be a good idea since they want to keep the 270 km/h top speed on this part of the Tokaidō line, unless they modify the E7/W7 trainset to run at 270 km/h top speed.


The E7/W7 can already hit 275km/h, but are limited to 260km/h because of the E2s.

Besides, this discussion is pointless, since by 2045 the E7/W7 would be on the way out...


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## bluemeansgo

00Zy99 said:


> Those last couple of paragraphs are confusing.
> 
> I suppose you mean that JR West will terminate at Shin-Osaka? I suppose that it would call at the existing Kyoto station, and possibly have a stop somewhere between there and Shin-Osaka.




JR West currently terminates at Osaka. JR Central controls track from Osaka to Kyoto. This is why it makes much more sense for the Hokuriku line (JR West) to terminate the centre of the region. It also allows for through routes from Places like Kobe and Okayama to Fukui without changing to JR Central for one stop. The logistics make much more sense.


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## loefet

bluemeansgo said:


> JR West currently terminates at Osaka. JR Central controls track from Osaka to Kyoto. This is why it makes much more sense for the Hokuriku line (JR West) to terminate the centre of the region. It also allows for through routes from Places like Kobe and Okayama to Fukui without changing to JR Central for one stop. The logistics make much more sense.


So you mean that you can't take any Nozomi train (or Hikari which starts at Okayama) from any of those places and go to Kyoto and change trains there? Since they all do through service to Tokyo.

And why are everyone so obsessed with running all the way on a single train. In Japan most train changes can be done with minimum hassle, so I don't really see the problem with having to change trains.


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## asyuqshk1

Japan Bullet train has good speed.


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## Sopomon

bluemeansgo said:


> JR West currently terminates at Osaka. JR Central controls track from Osaka to Kyoto. This is why it makes much more sense for the Hokuriku line (JR West) to terminate the centre of the region. It also allows for through routes from Places like Kobe and Okayama to Fukui without changing to JR Central for one stop. The logistics make much more sense.


There really isn't any hassle involved with taking a train from Kyoto to Okayama.
Plus a lot of the passengers on the Tokaido line will have got off at Nagoya and Kyoto anyway.


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## 00Zy99

As things stand, the Sakura and Mizuho trains from Kyushu, as well as some Sanyo Kodama and Hikari services, terminate at Shin-Osaka due to the very busy nature of the Tokaido between there and Kyoto. An extra pair of tracks would enable them to run through.


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## bluemeansgo

loefet said:


> So you mean that you can't take any Nozomi train (or Hikari which starts at Okayama) from any of those places and go to Kyoto and change trains there? Since they all do through service to Tokyo.


Yes you can change trains but why force a change? In addition, service like the Sakura stops in Osaka as it is a natural terminus. This is partly due to congestion but no doubt it's also due to keeping the JR West trains on JR West. 


> And why are everyone so obsessed with running all the way on a single train. In Japan most train changes can be done with minimum hassle, so I don't really see the problem with having to change trains.


True, changes have become a way of life and they do a good job of reducing the inconvenience. However the change isn't just the customers we're talking about, it's changing companies as well. All through trains at Shin-Osaka change all staff from JR West to JR Central. There's more to it than just a transfer. 

Having two sets of tracks between Osaka and Kyoto connects the entire JR West system. 

I just don't get why you'd terminate the Hokuriku at Kyoto. Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe are all JR West cities, all part of the same Kansai region, and this line linking up with the Sanyo line makes sense. Also remember that train companies choose their own trains as well. The Sanyo/Tokaido is a special relationship. Hokuriku/Sanyo makes more sense than Hokuriku/Tokaido/Sanyo.

Add to all this Osaka being the centre and the Chuo line not (currently) planned to hit Kyoto, and you have a stronger case for Shin-Osaka than Kyoto.


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## loefet

00Zy99 said:


> As things stand, the Sakura and Mizuho trains from Kyushu, as well as some Sanyo Kodama and Hikari services, terminate at Shin-Osaka due to the very busy nature of the Tokaido between there and Kyoto. An extra pair of tracks would enable them to run through.


There is no point to have through running Kodamas between Sanyo/Tokaido Shinkansen since they are just a feeder to and from the lesser serviced stations along the lines to the bigger ones where the faster services stop at, nothing more. Say you wanted to travel from Shin-Onomichi Station to Shin Osaka then you would take the Kodama to Okayama and then switch to a faster service for the rest of the journey not use the Kodama all the way.
All Hikari Services on the Sanyo Shinkansen run all the way to Tokyo (they only start at Okayama though). 
The Sakura and Mizuho don't fulfill the 16-cars 1323 seat norm that JR Central have on all their trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen at the moment, and since they start at Kagoshima-Chuo then it's already a long enough journey that having it terminate at any station along the Hokuriku Shinkansen is just a strange decision since the travel time is so long that most people will fly anyway.
Also as I have stated before, they could easily fit 4 more trains/hour on the Tokaido Shinkansen between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto if they really wanted to. We just have to wait and see what will happen as the Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Kyoto and when the Chuo Shinkansen opens how they plan to connect to Shin-Osaka.
Also to note is that all trains have a Home Depot where all the service is carried out, and you don't really want them to go too far away from that place, especially considering the strict service schedule they have in Japan.



bluemeansgo said:


> Yes you can change trains but why force a change? In addition, service like the Sakura stops in Osaka as it is a natural terminus. This is partly due to congestion but no doubt it's also due to keeping the JR West trains on JR West.
> True, changes have become a way of life and they do a good job of reducing the inconvenience. However the change isn't just the customers we're talking about, it's changing companies as well. All through trains at Shin-Osaka change all staff from JR West to JR Central. There's more to it than just a transfer.


I seriously doubt that any Sakura/Mizuho service will go any further than to Shin-Osaka, even if they were allowed to go any further due to reasons I wrote above. 
JR Central only wants 16 car trains with 1323 seats so that they easily can change train-sets without having to worry about passengers not having seats, but also maintain a high level of capacity on the line. And so you know, JR West owns a good portion of the 16-car trains that run on the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen lines.
And as I have said before, there is plenty of space for a few extra trains on the Kyoto-Shin-Osaka section if they wanted to due to the lack of intermediate station on that section.
But if you are on a Nozomi train and go from Okayama to Kyoto then you don't have to leave the train, sure the staff change at Shin-Osaka but you don't. Then if you wanted to continue on the Hokuriku Shinkansen from there then it's just one quick change. 



bluemeansgo said:


> Having two sets of tracks between Osaka and Kyoto connects the entire JR West system.


True, but why spend a massive load of extra money on a pair of tracks when they aren't really needed unless there demand for it. When the Chuo Shinkansen opening they might actually have less trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen and I seriously doubt that they will run more than 4 trains/hour to/from the Osaka area and the Hokuriku area, which is exactly as many trains that they are running from the Tokyo area today.
If there is demand for it then sure why not build quadruple the section.



bluemeansgo said:


> I just don't get why you'd terminate the Hokuriku at Kyoto. Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe are all JR West cities, all part of the same Kansai region, and this line linking up with the Sanyo line makes sense. Also remember that train companies choose their own trains as well. The Sanyo/Tokaido is a special relationship. Hokuriku/Sanyo makes more sense than Hokuriku/Tokaido/Sanyo.
> 
> Add to all this Osaka being the centre and the Chuo line not (currently) planned to hit Kyoto, and you have a stronger case for Shin-Osaka than Kyoto.


I have never said anything about terminating the line at Kyoto. The plan is to have it connected with Osaka, I just suggested that they shared the space with the Tokaido line trains between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka instead of just wasting a lot of money unless it's absolutely necessary. 

But why stop at your combinations and start service from Kagoshima-Chuo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (heck they might have reached Sapporo at this point) now when they will be connected once the Hokuriku line reaches Osaka and you can circumnavigate the whole JR Central area... /End sarcasm...


----------



## 00Zy99

Lets say that you want three trains an hour from Kyoto through to Kyoto. And three trains an hour from the Hokuriku through to Shin-Osaka. That's six trains. More than the spare capacity available (which will likely be eaten up shortly by growth on the Tokaido). So yes, a new pair of tracks would probably be useful.


----------



## loefet

00Zy99 said:


> Lets say that you want three trains an hour from Kyoto through to Kyoto. And three trains an hour from the Hokuriku through to Shin-Osaka. That's six trains. More than the spare capacity available (which will likely be eaten up shortly by growth on the Tokaido). So yes, a new pair of tracks would probably be useful.


What? I don't get the first part at all, do you mean the Sakura and Mizuho's? They will never go any further than Shin-Osaka in my opinion, it would be too much hassle to get them in there and there is no space to have them turn around at Kyoto. 
Also with only one quick change (or two if going between to lesser serviced stations) you can get between any two stations west of Tokyo is really excellent in my opinion.

The thing I'm saying is that there easily is space for up to 4 more trains/hour for the Hokuriku Shinkansen to squeeze in on that stretch on the Tokaido Shinkansen if they really wanted to, not 6.
And also I doubt that we will see enough trains to completely fill the Tokaido Shinkansen, to leave absolutely no space what so ever for any additional trains between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka.
They only way that it could happen is if they cut both the Hikari and Kodama services from the Tokaido Shinkansen and only run Nozomi trains, which to be honest won't happen, there will be too much of an uproar from all the smaller towns along the line.


----------



## Short

It is quite plain to see that no solution is going to be easy. There is no doubt that Osaka is a desired terminus for the line instead of Kyoto in the long term. However reality clearly shows that there is no spare capacity on the existing line and little to no physical capacity to add extra tracks to the existing route either. Thus it is worthy and justified for a complete study be made of multiple options. None will be cheap or perfect but any option will be a compromise. Be it a direct corridor to Shin-Osaka or a north-south line through Kyoto, via Nara and then into Osaka by a new western route and possibly serving the airport. There is justification for the Kanto region being served by more than one Shinkansen route, but we will never know until all the figures are crunched and the local politicians, business leaders and the community have their say.


----------



## 00Zy99

loefet said:


> What? I don't get the first part at all, do you mean the Sakura and Mizuho's? They will never go any further than Shin-Osaka in my opinion, it would be too much hassle to get them in there and there is no space to have them turn around at Kyoto.
> Also with only one quick change (or two if going between to lesser serviced stations) you can get between any two stations west of Tokyo is really excellent in my opinion.


What I'm saying is that adding another pair of tracks between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka would allow the Sakura and Mizuho services to terminate in Kyoto. While there might not be too many people all the way from Kyushu, it would relieve the other services on the Sanyo to an extent. 

This certainly would not be enough to merit a new set of tracks on its own, but when you combine it with the Hokuriku services through to Shin-Osaka, then you start to get a case for a new route. The case for capacity from Hokuriku and the case for capacity from Kyushu and Sanyo are mutually supportive.



> The thing I'm saying is that there easily is space for up to 4 more trains/hour for the Hokuriku Shinkansen to squeeze in on that stretch on the Tokaido Shinkansen if they really wanted to, not 6.


Which is why I argued that there should be additional tracks. 

Suppose that there are 4-5 trains per hour from Hokuriku. Then give 3-4 trains per hour from Kyushu a chance to terminate in Kyoto to provide better connectivity. And maybe two or three Kodama services from the Sanyo.

That's seven to twelve trains per hour that can use this new route.

And people WOULD ride the Kodama through to Kyoto to avoid dealing with the hassle of getting off of one train and boarding another-the transfer penalty.



> And also I doubt that we will see enough trains to completely fill the Tokaido Shinkansen, to leave absolutely no space what so ever for any additional trains between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka.
> They only way that it could happen is if they cut both the Hikari and Kodama services from the Tokaido Shinkansen and only run Nozomi trains, which to be honest won't happen, there will be too much of an uproar from all the smaller towns along the line.


I think that it would be fewer Nozomi and many more Kodama trains that would fill up the Tokaido. That seems to be the plan once the Chuo Shinkansen is completed.


----------



## Sr.Horn

NHK Documentary about Shinji Sogo "The Pioneer of Shinkansen":


----------



## sacto7654

In the end, the biggest problem for extending the Hokuriku Shinkansen beyond Kyoto to Shin-Osaka is that the Shinkansen line between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka is already running at capacity with _Nozomi_, _Hikari_ and _Kodama_ trains already running on the line.

Like I said earlier, Kyoto Station is well-connected with local trains traversing most of the entire Keihanshin region, what what JR West (local) and Kintetsu connections there and (likely) a future Hankyu connection there, also. Kyoto is important enough a destination that I feel the west end of the Hokuriku Shinkansen at Kyoto will still be quite viable--and it won't require the possibility of having to possibly quad-track the line between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka Station (with all its attendant land acquisition and construction costs).


----------



## Faiyez

If it can be done, why the heck not?


----------



## flierfy

sacto7654 said:


> In the end, the biggest problem for extending the Hokuriku Shinkansen beyond Kyoto to Shin-Osaka is that the Shinkansen line between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka is already running at capacity with _Nozomi_, _Hikari_ and _Kodama_ trains already running on the line.


You are denying facts, aren't you. The Tokaido Shinkansen between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka is currently frequented by up to 11 train-pairs per hour on weekdays and 12 at the week-end. With 18 train-pairs per hour possible the line runs at 2/3 of its capacity on the section in question.


----------



## 00Zy99

A) The Tokaido is almost certainly going to demand more service in the near future.

B) JR West will want to avoid the transfer penalty as much as possible. 

I'm seeing a new pair of tracks to Shin-Osaka sometime in the next 30 years.


----------



## sacto7654

00Zy99 said:


> I'm seeing a new pair of tracks to Shin-Osaka sometime in the next 30 years.


It may not happen. Not if the plans of the Chūō Shinkansen terminating at Shin-Osaka Station come to fruition. That could make it possible to reduce "conventional" Shinkansen traffic between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka Station, which might actually allow the Hokuriku Shinkansen trains to run all the way to Shin-Osaka Station with the successor to the E7/W7 trainset.


----------



## 00Zy99

sacto7654 said:


> It may not happen. Not if the plans of the Chūō Shinkansen terminating at Shin-Osaka Station come to fruition. That could make it possible to reduce "conventional" Shinkansen traffic between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka Station, which might actually allow the Hokuriku Shinkansen trains to run all the way to Shin-Osaka Station with the successor to the E7/W7 trainset.



That is possible. However, I recall seeing plans to fill the extra capacity made available by the absence of Nozomi services by adding many more Kodama services. Its not as though there isn't desire for them.


----------



## bluemeansgo

As far as I understand it, after the Chuo line comes online, there will be no more Nozomi between those stops. JR Central plans to move all express passengers onto the Maglev. This means that the Tokaido line will essentially turn into Hikari/Kodama service only.

In the end, we can pretty much assume JR West really wants its own set of tracks between Kyoto and Osaka and will push its case for its own tracks. If it has to travel on JR Central tracks between its two lines, it will have to negotiate with them. This means it doesn't have control of its own schedule and will have to use trainsets that JR Central approves, etc. 

Simply put, Kyoto and Osaka statins are JR West domain, but with a JR Central line taking a lot of the traffic. I'm sure it wants the ability to run its own trains along its own tracks that it doesn't need to share.

Sure, it may in the end be forced to share the tracks along this corridor... but ideally, JR West doesn't want that.


----------



## stingstingsting

If they join the Hokuriku Shinkansen tracks physically with the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks, I think that would be quite historic. As it is, the Shinkansen tracks north of Tokyo are not physically connected to the tracks going south.

This is a silly pipedream but I confess that I am fascinated to see this happen.


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## 00Zy99

I'm excited too, and a little voice keeps yelling, "It's not a pipe dream!!"


----------



## Heavenly Field

*Hokuriku Shinkansen routing*

Pretty big news out last night.
LDP's Shinkansen Project Team has come out with a recommendation for Hokuriku Shinkansen's routing between Kyoto and Shin-Osaka.

http://www.news24.jp/articles/2017/03/06/04355784.html
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/top/article/20170307000013
http://tabiris.com/archives/hokuriku-shinkansen-12/

Sorry for all the sources in Japanese. I usually try to keep news from Japanese-only sources in the Japan Forum, but I thought this should go here.

The routing will see the Hokuriku Shinkansen head south from Kyoto Station, skim the city of Kyotanabe (with a station proposed at Matsui-Yamate), and head to Shin-Osaka. So from Tsuruga onwards, Hokuriku Shinkansen will probably have stations at Mihama and Kaminaka before heading straight south in a deep tunnel toward Kyoto Station where it will cross the present Tokaido tracks in a + shape.










The route will follow the dotted blue line.


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## 00Zy99

Well, hopefully there will be a track connection at Shin-Osaka.


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## Heavenly Field

^^
The connection at Shin-Osaka is a given. That was the entire point of the contentions associated with Hokuriku Shinkansen's routing. JR West did not want the Hokuriku tracks isolated from the rest of its Shinkansen network.


----------



## bluemeansgo

Looks like it may follow the Kintetsu ROW south to the DainiKeinan Highway ROW. 

Also looks like they may have chosen the south route to come as close as possible to serving Nara... without actually entering Nara and dealing with the politics of having to put a station in Nara.


----------



## luacstjh98

bluemeansgo said:


> Looks like it may follow the Kintetsu ROW south to the DainiKeinan Highway ROW.
> 
> Also looks like they may have chosen the south route to come as close as possible to serving Nara... without actually entering Nara and dealing with the politics of having to put a station in Nara.


Is there a possibility of putting the Chuo Shinkansen's "Nara" station there (if a site hasn't yet been chosen)?

JR West could then put on shuttles like what JR Hokkaido has at Hakodate.


----------



## bluemeansgo

luacstjh98 said:


> Is there a possibility of putting the Chuo Shinkansen's "Nara" station there (if a site hasn't yet been chosen)?
> 
> 
> 
> JR West could then put on shuttles like what JR Hokkaido has at Hakodate.




Except that it's not actually IN Nara there. 

I somehow doubt they'd want the Nara station so far north... although it may be a reasonable compromise as a station there would be closer to Kyoto.

Ultimately it will depend on what Nara Prefecture and JR Central agree upon and I don't think JR Central is going to build a station at an intermediary station which would be controlled by JR West.... and Nara is likely going to prefer putting the station closer to its population center. 

You can see the station in this image ( the little flag ).


----------



## Heavenly Field

Yes, the last time I saw, Nara Prefecture apparently wanted the Maglev station somewhere around Yamato-Kooriyama, but JR Central wanted it just north of Nara City.

Basically, it's almost a certainty that the station in Mie Prefecture will be in Kameyama, and then it just becomes a question of "What's the shortest route between Kameyama and Osaka without going into Shiga or Kyoto Prefectures?" 

Personally, I would love to see a Nara station at Yamato-Saidaiji, but yeah, pipe dream.


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## 00Zy99

The Hokuriku will likely follow the Daini Kaihin to the flower gardens. 

From there, a corridor exists that wouldn't be_ totally_ destructive. 

It does raise the question of how they intend to clear Hankyu's little mess at Awaji and then swoop down into Shin-Osaka.


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## Momo1435

Some history.

1963, Tokaido Shinkansen construction.

Nagoya Station









https://twitter.com/showaspotmegri/status/833999830519160833


Tokyo Station










https://twitter.com/showaspotmegri/status/834601529977942017


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## Sr.Horn

25th anniversary of the Nozomi Shinkansen:




> Nozomi shinkansen marks 25 years as vital transport artery
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Nozomi bullet train service, a crucial transport artery connecting major cities — making more than 200 trips every day between Tokyo to Osaka alone — marked its 25th anniversary Tuesday.
> 
> Nozomi trains from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka arrive every few minutes at major stations such as Shinagawa and Shin-Yokohama, reflecting the large number of passengers using the service for its speed and convenience.
> 
> The service between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka takes 2 hours and 22 minutes at its shortest. The trip from Tokyo to Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture takes 4 hours and 46 minutes.
> 
> Railway journalist Jun Umehara said the success of the Nozomi came through shortened travel times as it created room for additional train services.
> 
> “It created a virtuous cycle of more train services and enhanced convenience,” he said, calling it a “great success” from measures taken after the disbandment and privatization of the government-owned Japanese National Railways in 1987.
> 
> The Nozomi was introduced on the Tokaido Shinkansen operated by Central Japan Railway Co. in 1992 as the third train category on the line connecting Tokyo and Osaka. The Hikari and Kodama trains were in use from the line’s launch in 1964 under the National Railways, shortly before the Tokyo Olympic Games that year.
> 
> In 1992, the 300 series could travel at a maximum speed of 270 kph, 50 kph faster than the previous service, cutting trips between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka by 19 minutes to 2½ hours.
> 
> The Nozomi service was extended to Hakata on the Sanyo Shinkansen operated by West Japan Railway Co. in 1993. Following the introduction of the 500 series in 1997, the maximum speed reached 300 kph, making it the fastest train in the world at the time.
> 
> The Nozomi’s current mainstay N700A series has an improved braking system and can travel on the Tokaido Shinkansen at a maximum 285 kph. The N700S series is scheduled to be introduced from fiscal 2020.
> 
> The Nozomi has dominated shinkansen schedules since Shinagawa Station opened in 2003, with expanded services on Fridays to meet an increase in passenger numbers.
> 
> Masato Shinoyama, the JR Central official in charge of transport scheduling, said he tried to arrange convenient timetables to always enable people reserve seats. “We hope to continue improving the Nozomi to make the train more comfortable,” he said.


The Japan Times

Also a JR East CM about some anniversarys on Tohoku Shinkansen network:






Akita Shinkansen (Tokyo - Akita) 20th anniversary (22-03-97)
Tohoku Shinkansen (Omiya - Morioka) 35th anniversary (23-06-82)
Yamagata Shinkansen (Tokyo - Yamagata) 25th anniversary (01-07-92)
Hokuriku Shinkansen (Tokyo - Nagano) 20th anniversary (01-10-97)
Joetsu Shinkansen (Omiya ~ Niigata) 35th anniversary (15-11-82)
Tohoku Shinkansen (Morioka - Hachinohe) 15th anniversary (01-12-02)


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## k.k.jetcar

> The question now is, which stops to cut? Omiya?


No, the stops (minimally) on a Tokyo-Sapporo service would be Ueno, Omiya, Sendai, Morioka, Shin Aomori, Shin Hakodate Hokuto. Note the last- and I'm sure as I've been living in Hokkaido for 20+ years and so I know the implications. Cutting any of those would be either stupid in terms of losing passenger traffic, or politically impossible. Rather than fixate on curves and expensive tilt, the biggest thing to tackle is increasing the speed through the Seikan Tunnel, which is straight and thus naturally a place to go fast.


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## erick17

k.k.jetcar said:


> No, the stops (minimally) on a Tokyo-Sapporo service would be Ueno, Omiya, Sendai, Morioka, Shin Aomori, Shin Hakodate Hokuto. Note the last- and I'm sure as I've been living in Hokkaido for 20+ years and so I know the implications. Cutting any of those would be either stupid in terms of losing passenger traffic, or politically impossible. Rather than fixate on curves and expensive tilt, the biggest thing to tackle is increasing the speed through the Seikan Tunnel, which is straight and thus naturally a place to go fast.


It doesn't need to stop at Ueno since few Kagayaki, Toki, Yamabiko and also Hayabusa services has already passed by that station. Also due to the close distance with Tokyo which is only 3.6 km and you can access both stations with local train on Keihin-Tohoku and Yamanote lines.


----------



## luacstjh98

00Zy99 said:


> If they were to eliminate all slow spots and bring the entire line up to 350 kph, how fast (keeping the current stops) could they do Tokyo-Sapporo? What about Tokyo-Hakodate?


Tokyo-Hakodate is currently 4 hours, if you eliminate all slowzones (except Tokyo-Omiya, blame very strong Nimbyism) you could probably do it in 3h to 3h15m.



k.k.jetcar said:


> No, the stops (minimally) on a Tokyo-Sapporo service would be Ueno, Omiya, Sendai, Morioka, Shin Aomori, Shin Hakodate Hokuto. Note the last- and I'm sure as I've been living in Hokkaido for 20+ years and so I know the implications. Cutting any of those would be either stupid in terms of losing passenger traffic, or politically impossible. Rather than fixate on curves and expensive tilt, the biggest thing to tackle is increasing the speed through the Seikan Tunnel, which is straight and thus naturally a place to go fast.


Precisely the point I was trying to make - cutting any more stops wouldn't make sense.

Could the Seikan Tunnel be timeshared - say, Shinkansen trains using it at line speed between 8am and 9pm, and freight trains at all other times?


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## 00Zy99

If Tokyo-Omiya were in a deep, straight, tunnel, how much time could be shaved off?


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## sacto7654

Personally, I think once the Hokkaido Shinkansen is complete, they'll probably run the fastest trains to stop through the following stations:

Tokyo
Ueno
Omiya
Sendai
Morioka
Hachinohe
Shin-Aomori
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
Shin-Otaru
Sapporo


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## erick17

sacto7654 said:


> Personally, I think once the Hokkaido Shinkansen is complete, they'll probably run the fastest trains to stop through the following stations:
> 
> Tokyo
> Ueno
> Omiya
> Sendai
> Morioka
> Hachinohe
> Shin-Aomori
> Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
> Shin-Otaru
> Sapporo


It doesn't need to stop at Hachinohe since two hayabusa services in each direction already passed by that station since the day one of operation.
Although it was one of two core city in Aomori Pref., there is no major tourist and economic sector with huge impact to Japan or neither any major transportation hub at Hachinohe.
It basically just like compared Hachinohe with the city of Kurume, Fukuoka when all Mizuho services didn't stop at Kurume station on Kyushu Shinkansen.

It doesn't need to stop at Shin Otaru station neither since there is no any major economy or tourist sector in that city. Otaru was in economy decline since 1950's when many major sectors were shifted fo Sapporo. It just like compared Otaru with the city of Satsumasendai, Kagoshima when all Mizuho services also didn't make any stop at Sendai station on Kyushu shinkansen line since 2011.

And as i shared earlier ...
It doesn't need to stop at Ueno since few Kagayaki, Toki, Yamabiko and also Hayabusa services has already passed by that station. Also due to the close distance with Tokyo which is only 3.6 km and you can access both stations with local train on Keihin-Tohoku and Yamanote lines.

So it would be faster and make any sense if the fastest service only make stop at following stations :
Tokyo
Omiya
Sendai
Morioka
Shin-Aomori
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
Sapporo


----------



## Sr.Horn

*New N700S*

JR Central announced today the production of 16-car pre-series trainset. The Series N700S is due to be introduced in March 2018, while the series-built trains would enter commercial service from 2021.












> Following the current fleet of N700 and N700A trainsets, the S suffix represents ‘Supreme’. JR Central says the trains are intended to be ‘the best of the N700 series’.
> 
> Three main technical changes are envisaged. Modifications to the braking system and automatic train control are intended to shorten the emergency braking distance in the event of an earthquake. Based on research undertaken at JR Central’s own R&D centre, there will be improvements to the bogie vibration sensors, which will be coupled with changes to the active suspensions to improve ride quality.
> 
> Silicon carbide semiconductors will be incorporated into the traction control system to reduce weight and minimise energy consumption. According to JR Central, these are more resistant to high temperatures, and will be combined with air cooling technology developed in house.
> 
> To enhance environmental performance, the N700S driving cars will have a new nose profile designated as ‘Dual Supreme Wing Type’. This has been developed using 3D simulation to reduce the sonic boom when running through tunnels. Air resistance will be minimised by modifying the car shape and smoothing the external surfaces. JR Central estimates that the new profile, lighter vehicles and the adoption of SiC semiconductors will together reduce energy consumption by around 7% compared to the Series N700A.
> 
> The other main change with the N700S will be the use of more standardised car designs, reducing the number of vehicle types to four, with a rearrangement of the underfloor traction and auxiliary equipment. This would make it simpler to marshal 16, 12 and 8-car formations as traffic dictates. JR Central believes that the use of standard cars will enable it to introduce ‘higher quality’ trains at a lower cost, with shorter delivery times for both the domestic and international markets.
> 
> ...
> 
> Passenger comfort improvements include the installation of ‘Full Active Vibration Control’ on the Green Car vehicles. Electric outlets for mobile phones, which are already installed on all Green Car seats in the N700A sets, will be provided at all seats on the N700S. Li-ion batteries will be provided to power the toilets if the main supply is lost, ‘improving the passengers’ convenience at an unusual time’.


http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...nch-next-generation-shinkansen-trainsets.html














































N700A vs N700S

For more details: http://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/_pdf/000034313.pdf


----------



## sacto7654

I think the N700S may incorporate not only a new nose and standardized car design, but I could see the following changes:

1. The use of more carbon fiber structural parts on the bogies and an improved air suspension system so the slight "tilt" happens faster, which may allow even higher speeds on Tokaidō Line between Tokyo and Mashima Stations.

2. It will be designed to operate as fast as 300 km/h on selected sections of the Tokaidō Line between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in addition to 300 km/h running on the San'yō Line.

3. There may be consideration for a 2x1 seating _Gran Class_ configuration, already found on the E5/H5 and E7/W7 trainsets.


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## 00Zy99

I don't know about Gran-class. There's just too much demand to allow such a splurge on seating. Besides, the journeys are relatively short.

By the way, what's the plan on the E2 series? Is it being replaced by E5 or E7 or what?


----------



## Sr.Horn

*JR East will develop a new test-train ALFA-X*










JR East announced on July 4 the new E-956 series (10-car) as a test train of the next generation of Shinkansen. The nickname is "ALFA-X" (Advanced Labs for Frontline Activity in rail eXperimentation), which is scheduled to be completed in spring of 2019. The idea is verify the "possibility of maximum speed 360 km/h in commercial operation" (400km/h in test driving).

Source: https://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2017/20170705.pdf


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## sacto7654

I knew that JR East had to develop a new class of Shinkansen designed so it could operate between Utsunomiya and Morioka Stations at speeds up to 360 km/h (224 mph). I expect the final version to be called E8系 (JR East) and H8系 (JR Hokkaido).


----------



## luacstjh98

sacto7654 said:


> I knew that JR East had to develop a new class of Shinkansen designed so it could operate between Utsunomiya and Morioka Stations at speeds up to 360 km/h (224 mph). I expect the final version to be called E8系 (JR East) and H8系 (JR Hokkaido).


Why did I think of


> gr8 b8 m8 I r8 8/8


On a side note, I'm very interested to see how these E956 trains turn out, and what kind of full-production trains we'll get out of it.

With the recent launch of the Chinese CR400, the last thing the Japanese want is to lose the speed war, especially since both countries have been competing rather fiercely for the overseas HSR market.


----------



## Sr.Horn

JR East started tests to increase the speed on the Joetsu Shinkansen. New E7 trainsets will be introduced from FY2018 (April) to replace the E4 series. A total of 12 units will be served between 2018 and 2020.

E7 series will enter in service on Omiya - Niigata Line by 7 July 2018 increasing the speed from 240 km/h... to 260 km/h?






http://news.tv-asahi.co.jp/news_society/articles/000109540.html


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## loefet

^^ The design speed of the E7 series is 275 km/h, so hopefully they will increase the speed more than 20 km/h. You can also consider that they have ran trains up to 275 km/h on sections of the line in the past.


----------



## sacto7654

Due to the top speed limitations of the 200, E1 and E4 Series trainsets, the top speed on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line up till now was limited to 240 km/h. But now that the E4's are being phased out, I expect the top speed on the fastest portions of the Jōetsu line--particularly from Niigata to just south of Nagaoka and from Omiya to Takasaki--to be raised to 260 km/h, the normal top operational speed of the E7/W7 Series trainset. This could also result in slightly faster travel times on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, since part of the travels of the Hokuriku Shinkansen trains use the Jōetsu line.


----------



## Gusiluz

^^ According to this source (Japan Railfan Magazine Vol. 52 no. 612. Japan: Kōyūsha Co., Ltd. April 2012. p. 14.), the current maximum speed for regular services on the line is 245 km/h except for the section between Jōmō-Kōgen and Urasa (61,9 km) which is 275 km/h.
According to the UIC, it is 270 although it does not indicate the stretch.


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## sacto7654

I believe while the E7/W7 is capable to 275 km/h, because of its aerodynamic shape, JR East and JR West will likely limit the top speed to 260 km/h. But that means parts of the Jōetsu line that can handle above 240 km/h speeds will likely have the speed limit raised to 260 km/h.


----------



## Equario

From 0:01 to 2:12 the video speaks about the nature-inspired design of Shinkansen train sets and, subsequently, the industry-wide design.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMtXqTmfta0


----------



## Gusiluz

*Ridership and revenues*

*JR Kyushu* had 1,852 million passenger.km (1,852,000,000) on the Shinkansen trains in the fiscal year ending March 2017 while the revenues from transport tickets were 50,100 million yen (20.5 cents of euro per passenger and km: double that in Spain´s AVE). The passengers were about 13 million, so they paid on average about € 29 for each trip with an average of about 142 km, which is little more than the distance between Hakata and Yatsushiro (121 km) or between Yatsushiro and Kagoshima (127 km); that is to say: that only the revenues within the Kyushu network count and, for example, Tokyo-Kagoshima passengers (1,326 km) in Kyushu trains (800 and N700R series) pay each of the companies they pass through (JR Central and JR West).

*JR West* had 20,348 million passenger.km while the income from transport tickets was 434,600 M ¥ (15.7 cents of € per passenger and km). The passengers were about 83 million, so they paid almost € 40 for each trip of about 245 km.

*JR Central* had 52.909 million passenger.km while the revenues from transport tickets were 1,211,900 M ¥ (17.4 cents of € per passenger and km). The passengers were about 165 million, so they paid € 55.65 for each trip of about 321 km.

*JR East* had 23,176 million passenger.km while revenues from transport tickets were 584,385 M ¥ (19.1 cents of € per passenger and km). Lately he does not publish the number of passengers in his annual report.


*JR Hokkaido*
Missing the data, let's put some news.
Lots of empty seats on Hokkaido Shinkansen. Nikkei Asian Review, March 26, 2017


> A year since its launch, and the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which runs between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto stations, is struggling with low occupancy rates.
> The rate through February was 7 percentage points higher than the previous forecast but still only 33%.
> Passenger numbers have plunged with winter, dropping the line's occupancy rate to below the 47% that the Hokuriku Shinkansen got its first year. The Hokuriku Shinkansen runs more or less west from Tokyo.
> The Hokkaido Shinkansen's occupancy greatly varies from month to month; the rate hovered from 40% to 48% during the July-September tourist season but fell below 30% in November, then to 19% in January and February.


----------



## stingstingsting

Source: NHK



> https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171211_19/
> 
> *Tests to raise train speeds in Seikan tunnel*
> DECEMBER 11, 2017
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Japanese government and Hokkaido Railway Company plan to shorten the travel time between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station in Hokkaido.
> 
> Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet trains currently connect the two stations in 4 hours and 2 minutes.
> 
> ...
> 
> To shorten the travel time, the government and the bullet train operator have decided to conduct test runs in fiscal 2018 to raise the speed inside the tunnel. They hope to *raise it to 160 kilometers per hour.*
> 
> If it is confirmed that this is safe, they want to officially apply the new speed inside the tunnel in the spring of 2019. The result will be a travel time of *less than 4 hours*.


I don't know the speed and acceleration/deceleration profile but how many minutes could this shorten off the journey time? 

Even if this small (I assume) exercise manages to shave just 3 minutes to 3h59, I think that it would be quite a big deal crossing that famous 4h threshold. Its hopefully just a case of small incremental improvements each year, bit by bit... and by then the entire length of the line from Tokyo to Sapporo will open to 4h journey times.



Gusiluz said:


> *JR Hokkaido*
> Missing the data, let's put some news.
> Lots of empty seats on Hokkaido Shinkansen. Nikkei Asian Review, March 26, 2017


And maybe it can help magically double ridership sooner than later too :banana:


----------



## loefet

stingstingsting said:


> Source: NHK
> I don't know the speed and acceleration/deceleration profile but how many minutes could this shorten off the journey time?


Disregarding acceleration/deceleration which both happen before and after the shared section of the Kaikyō Line. Then the shared section is 82 km long, which would mean that they could save more than 7 minutes of travel time if raising the speed from 130 km/h to 160 km/h.

82 km / 130 km/h * 60 (to get the time in minutes) = 37,85 minutes travel time.

compared to

82 km / 160 km/h * 60 = 30,75 minutes.

Then the time saved would be: 37,85 - 30,75 = 7,1 minutes

And since you need a bit less acceleration and deceleration before and after the shared section, and if the Shinkansen trains can keep the speed limit the whole way, then you would save a little bit more time than those calculated minutes.

So this would mean that they easily would brake the 4 hour barrier between Tokyo and Hakodate.


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## Gusiluz

^^ The maximum speed in the mixed gauge section is 140 km/h.

Before the inauguration they talked about the possibility that some HSTs did not cross with freight trains in the tunnel; that yes that would shorten the time since they would circulate to 260 km/h. This would enable a travel time from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto of 3 hours and 45 minutes.
But that can only be done by very few trains, depending on the hours and days of circulation.

In Spain HST cross with freight trains (even in tunnel) at 200 km/h.


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## Negjana

250 km/h in Germany.


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## loefet

Gusiluz said:


> ^^ The maximum speed in the mixed gauge section is 140 km/h.


Oops, missed that bit. Still redoing the calculations then the time saving will be just under 4 minutes (or 3 minutes and 54 seconds). Enough to get below the 4 hour mark. 



Gusiluz said:


> In Spain HST cross with freight trains (even in tunnel) at 200 km/h.





Negjana said:


> 250 km/h in Germany.


There are two major differences to the Seikan tunnel compared to European systems. 
1. The freight trains use a narrower gauge, which means that they are more unstable compared to standard gauge trains when hit by pressure waves. 
2. The Japanese tunnels have a smaller diameter, which on the plus side makes them cheaper to build, but on the negative side they forces the trains closer together and also increases the pressure waves that trains which are traveling at higher speed produce, two things that are not good for the stability of the freight trains. 

Apart from the suggestion to have times where the Shinkansen trains would be allowed to run at their maximum speed, there have also been designs on putting the freight trains onto a standard gauge train (Train on Train), and also ideas on having the Shinkansen running at higher speed where possible on the line and automatically slow down if they were to pass a freight train.

Also in theory they could increase the speed on the 260 km/h sections of the Tohoku and Hokkaido Shinkansen lines, since they are pretty long, and the E5/H5s are able to run at 320 km/h, which could give a good reduction in travel time. 
Though that would most likely have to wait until the whole line is open to Sapporo, so that they would generate enough passengers to warrant the extra cost of running at that high speed.


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## sacto7654

Actually, the "train on train" idea is not completely dead. With good reason: it will allow JR Freight to run trains through the Seikan Tunnel at speeds as high as 210 km/h, compared to the 140 km/h it is doing now. And that means H5 trainsets can pass the Seikan Tunnel at 210 km/h all the time.


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## loefet

^^ Also, raising the speed to 210 km/h would mean a time saving of almost 23 minutes compared to today.


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## M-NL

loefet said:


> There are two major differences to the Seikan tunnel compared to European systems.
> 1. The freight trains use a narrower gauge, which means that they are more unstable compared to standard gauge trains when hit by pressure waves.
> 2. The Japanese tunnels have a smaller diameter, which on the plus side makes them cheaper to build, but on the negative side they forces the trains closer together and also increases the pressure waves that trains which are traveling at higher speed produce, two things that are not good for the stability of the freight trains.


I would like to add bullet point 3: Most, if not all, modern European locomotives have pressure sealed cabs (Afaik a requirement to even be allowed on a HSL in Germany while HSTs are operating). Judging from the pictures I've seen Japanese locos are not.


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## stingstingsting

M-NL said:


> I would like to add bullet point 3: Most, if not all, modern European locomotives have pressure sealed cabs (Afaik a requirement to even be allowed on a HSL in Germany while HSTs are operating). Judging from the pictures I've seen Japanese locos are not.


AFAIK the only locomotives that are allowed to operate on the Kaikyo line (and in the Seikan Tunnel) are the dual voltage Bo'Bo'+Bo'Bo' EH800s. This was to comply with the voltage being raised to 25 kV AC to match Shinkansen requirements. Are the EH800 locomotives pressure sealed? What would you look out for to see if a locomotive is pressure sealed? 

On a side note why then aren't Japanese locomotives pressure sealed? Is it because they would not be going at speeds of more than 130 km/h or so? You would think that there would be quite a large number of tunnels that freight trains would need to traverse in mountainous Japan.

Besides, as per what Loefet stated, I think the greater limiting issue is the narrow clearance of the Seikan Tunnel and the fact that containers (and oil tankers possibly) might be more unstable with passing high speed Shinkansen trains.

Another issue is the increased risk of strewn debris that could arise from passing trains at higher speeds. I remember there was an incident about a year and a half ago where a small metal object on or near the tracks caused an H5 set to make an emergency stop in tunnel. Thankfully there hasn't seem to have been another such incident since then.


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## TWK90

*My experience on Gran Class, W7 series Shinkansen (Kanazawa to Tokyo)*


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## *Tomodachi Maikeru*

My trip on the Shinkansen a few weeks ago now. Sky's were very clear and filming in 2.5K made it perfect conditions for seeing Mt Fuji.





RIDE WITH MIKE


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## cheehg

After read all the posts of this thread, I am wondering if JR pays too much attention to details and forget about the bigger picture. They try not paying much to build new lines but wiling to pay high price for trains and maintenance to achieve something. The ideas of maglev and FGT for example delaying much needed new high speed railway. Nevertheless it is still a very good system. The way they always improve to the better service.


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## k.k.jetcar

cheehg said:


> After read all the posts of this thread, I am wondering if JR pays too much attention to details and forget about the bigger picture. They try not paying much to build new lines but wiling to pay high price for trains and maintenance to achieve something. The ideas of maglev and FGT for example delaying much needed new high speed railway. Nevertheless it is still a very good system. The way they always improve to the better service.


Let's talk reality- the Shinkansen system is pretty much built out. The remaining lines that are projected to be built are honestly the result of a desire to connect those regions in question as a public service rather than a practical need. These sections in less populated areas require vast expenditures- in the short term, use of funds to improve existing services is highly prudent, especially as the main shinkansen operators are listed companies with stockholders who want a return on their investment.


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## cheehg

k.k.jetcar said:


> Let's talk reality- the Shinkansen system is pretty much built out. The remaining lines that are projected to be built are honestly the result of a desire to connect those regions in question as a public service rather than a practical need. These sections in less populated areas require vast expenditures- in the short term, use of funds to improve existing services is highly prudent, especially as the main shinkansen operators are listed companies with stockholders who want a return on their investment.


It would be better to build Tokyo to Nagoya straight line by HSR? instead of maglev? or Japan has big plan for maglev? The ticket will be very expensive for the maglev. 

For Tokaido Shinkansen maybe they should just run all express trains during the busy hours from 8 am to 20 pm, adding Shizuoka and Hamamatsu stops. it may add 10 mins more for the trips but they can run 20 Trains per hours just like metro.


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## loefet

cheehg said:


> It would be better to build Tokyo to Nagoya straight line by HSR? instead of maglev? or Japan has big plan for maglev? The ticket will be very expensive for the maglev.
> 
> For Tokaido Shinkansen maybe they should just run all express trains during the busy hours from 8 am to 20 pm, adding Shizuoka and Hamamatsu stops. it may add 10 mins more for the trips but they can run 20 Trains per hours just like metro.


Maglev is good since it will cut the time by more than half, no other train can do that on a regular basis. The price won't be much higher than today (1000-2000 JPY if I remember correctly), which will be cheap considering the time saving.

I don't think that the passengers at the other intermediate stations will be happy with your suggestion. They already run with up to 15 trains/hour, and that includes both Kodamas and Hikaris. 
Do anyone know the loading factor at peak times, are there people that are forced to stand on every train?
If it isn't then they don't need any more trains, and also when the Chuo Shinkansen is done it will unload a lot of capacity of the Tokaido line, so it would be better to get it done instead of trying to put in a few more trains.


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## bluemeansgo

cheehg said:


> It would be better to build Tokyo to Nagoya straight line by HSR? instead of maglev? or Japan has big plan for maglev? The ticket will be very expensive for the maglev.
> 
> 
> 
> For Tokaido Shinkansen maybe they should just run all express trains during the busy hours from 8 am to 20 pm, adding Shizuoka and Hamamatsu stops. it may add 10 mins more for the trips but they can run 20 Trains per hours just like metro.




It wouldn’t matter much if it were HSR or Maglev. The majority of the cost is in the tunneling and track not the vehicles, which by the way will have fewer moving parts and cost less to run apparently. The tracks are easily convertible to HSR if Maglev fails spectacularly. It will also be 80% underground or in elevated tubes. 

As loeflet mentioned, the Chuo line is forecast to charge a 1000 JPY premium for the Chuo. And the plan, once it starts up, is to stop Nozomi service from Nagoya, thus making the Tokaido line slower but increasing service to smaller stations. Expect all trains to stop at Shizuoka, for example. JR Central wants most of the Ōsaka Tokyo traffic to change trains in Nagoya.

Also note that the majority of trains will NOT stop between Nagoya and Shinagawa. Straight shot. One train per hour will make all stops. At least that was the plan I saw last. We won’t know until 2027. 

Japan would obviously like to export its Maglev technology but it remains to be seen whether any other country would go for it. Boston NYC DC is an obvious corridor where it makes sense. There’s potential in Asia but the big fish China prefers to buy technology and rebrand than buy trains. Not a lot of money in other places.


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## M-NL

bluemeansgo said:


> The tracks are easily convertible to HSR if Maglev fails spectacularly. It will also be 80% underground or in elevated tubes.


Are they? The interior of the L0 trains seems narrower (4 seats per row, instead of 5 in standard class), so the exterior is probably smaller as well. Conventional trains are also a lot heavier. Will the infrastructure be able to handle those loads? That suggests you can't simply drop in some track and an overhead line and convert to conventional trains. Wouldn't it be interesting if they could construct the maglev track in such a way that it includes conventional track and overhead lines.

As I see it the only reason this project could fail is financially, not technologically. The test track suggests the technology works, but requires major investments to extend. Basically the same reason Transrapid never took off.


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## loefet

M-NL said:


> Are they? The interior of the L0 trains seems narrower (4 seats per row, instead of 5 in standard class), so the exterior is probably smaller as well. Conventional trains are also a lot heavier. Will the infrastructure be able to handle those loads? That suggests you can't simply drop in some track and an overhead line and convert to conventional trains. Wouldn't it be interesting if they could construct the maglev track in such a way that it includes conventional track and overhead lines.
> 
> As I see it the only reason this project could fail is financially, not technologically. The test track suggests the technology works, but requires major investments to extend. Basically the same reason Transrapid never took off.


Sure the maglev trains are narrower an lighter, but you forget the concrete guideway. 
Which overall would be wider than the standard Shinkansentrains, also the tunnels are wider to make the shockwaves less problematic with the higher speeds of the maglev trains. 
And the extra weight of the guideway then the heavier train isn't a problem either. 
All of this makes it pretty easy to convert from maglev to HSR, but also makes it possible to do it the other way around I believe.


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## bluemeansgo

M-NL said:


> Are they? The interior of the L0 trains seems narrower (4 seats per row, instead of 5 in standard class), so the exterior is probably smaller as well. Conventional trains are also a lot heavier. Will the infrastructure be able to handle those loads? That suggests you can't simply drop in some track and an overhead line and convert to conventional trains. Wouldn't it be interesting if they could construct the maglev track in such a way that it includes conventional track and overhead lines.
> 
> As I see it the only reason this project could fail is financially, not technologically. The test track suggests the technology works, but requires major investments to extend. Basically the same reason Transrapid never took off.




I can’t find the source but I remember reading that it would be convertible if necessary. However that was long before the line was approved and before JR Central decided to go it alone. All that being said, where there’s a will there’s a way. Each line has trains specifically designed for it so I see no reason why the same couldn’t be true here. The Sanyo line 500 series were designed to travel at top speed (300kph) only on the Sanyo Line. The N700 was designed with a passive tilt mechanism designed for higher speed and faster acceleration on the 2500m curves and short station spacing of the Tokaido line. 

If it were to be converted, and if weight were a problem, they could always look at employing composites to reduce weight much like the airline industry is doing. 

High speed train sets are essentially all custom built for a line so I don’t see narrower tracks or weight as a major stumbling block.


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## bluemeansgo

M-NL said:


> As I see it the only reason this project could fail is financially, not technologically. The test track suggests the technology works, but requires major investments to extend. Basically the same reason Transrapid never took off.



Agreed, though the Transrapid tech never took off for a few reasons but yeah finances was a major issue. What self respecting Chinese national is going to pay 5x for a bumpy less comfortable ride to save 25 minutes on a trip to or from the airport ( accounting for the transfer and avg 10 minutes wait for Maglev ), a trip that most don’t do regularly. 

The Shanghai Maglev is only a demonstration system. If it was extended with a couple of stops in Shanghai it would be more useful.


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## flierfy

k.k.jetcar said:


> Let's talk reality- the Shinkansen system is pretty much built out. The remaining lines that are projected to be built are honestly the result of a desire to connect those regions in question as a public service rather than a practical need.


This is not exactly true. The Tokaido Shinkansen is struggling with demand. It is in fact under-serving big towns like Hamamatsu and Shizuoka. Additional capacities between Tokyo and Osaka will be needed. And because the Chuo Shinkansen won't reach Osaka before the 2040s, the only realistic option to relief the Tokaido Shinkansen is the Hokuriku Shinkansen.


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## krnboy1009

Quack quack, that is some seriously long beak.


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## TNAT

Short said:


> Tunnel boom, caused by trains acting like a piston punching out of a tunnel, this is a major issue in Japan. The elongated noses have been found to reduce this effect, with a constant balance being sought between the economics of running the train versus the noise levels affecting local residents. A secondary issue has been the affect of oncoming high speed trains with regular freight services in the Seikan Tunnel.


you are right.


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## aquaticko

Short said:


> Tunnel boom, caused by trains acting like a piston punching out of a tunnel, this is a major issue in Japan. The elongated noses have been found to reduce this effect, with a constant balance being sought between the economics of running the train versus the noise levels affecting local residents. A secondary issue has been the affect of oncoming high speed trains with regular freight services in the Seikan Tunnel.


I've always wondered about the peculiar emphasis on tunnel boom in Japan. No other country designs high-speed trains with such exaggerated nose cones; is tunnel boom really so much worse in Japan? In most other countries, HSR runs in relatively flatter regions (China, Taiwan's western side, France), but in e.g. Korea, Italy, and Spain, there are plenty of tunnels involved, and they run without nearly as much tunnel boom concern.

Are settlement patterns in Japan such that people live closer to HSR tunnels? Are the tunnels in Japan bored to a smaller diameter, thereby increasing pressure when the trains travel through and subsequent tunnel boom? Is it because trains travel through urban cores at high speeds?


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## Silver Swordsman

Japanese tunnel bore specifications are much smaller than international counterparts: in most videos, you can see that Shinkansen railway tunnels do not have evacuation pathways built into the side of the tunnels. Also, the pattern of urbanization in Japan much denser than those in other countries (there are some areas in Tokyo where entire communities are built around tunnel entrances), hence the enforced 70Db sound pollution limit. 

An interesting comparison is Taiwan High Speed Rail, in which due to politics, the tunnel specifications were built to European standards (includes evacuation walkways on the sides; hence reduced tunnel boom syndrome), and as a result, the head of the 700T shinkansen was modified to be shorter (to increase passenger capacity).


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## ukiyo

There are many houses right next to Shinkansen tracks, like literally outside people's balconies lol. So yeah noise pollution is a huge concern.


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## sacto7654

ukiyo said:


> There are many houses right next to Shinkansen tracks, like literally outside people's balconies lol. So yeah noise pollution is a huge concern.


Which explains where there has been some controversy about the plan to increase the speed of the Shinkansen trains between Ueno and Omiya Stations from 110 km/h (68 mph) to 130 km/h (81 mph).


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## Gusiluz

^^ These are the measures in Spain, the 63.4 m2 (in the best of cases) of the Shinkansen are equivalent in Spain to about 250 kmh.



And now are made with a tunnel for each track.


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## Momo1435

Keep in mind that the main Shinkansen Lines were designed much earlier then most European High Speed Lines, and not for the current day high speeds of 300 km/h and over. So if they want to go faster they can either widen the tunnels, which would cause too much disruption for the operations or do something with the trains.


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## M-NL

Well, I can understand that the tunnels in the original Tokaido Shinkansen were small, because tunnel boom wasn't known back then. But even on the much later built lines the tunnels are still smaller. The Tohoku shinkansen, for instance, was opened in 1982, yet JR East still has to use the most radical designs to reduce noise and tunnel boom. 
Why is that?

Is it still true that new shinkansens are designed for 260 km/h and that the operator has to come up with the additional funds if it want to go faster?


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## luacstjh98

Well, even if newer sections are built to 300kph and above, it's not like trains won't have to pass through existing infrastructure.

And I guess 1982 is considered old for the Shinkansen...


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## aquaticko

I would imagine that most Shinkansen trainsets are designed to the biggest buyer’s requirements—that’d be JR Central, ergo the Tokaido Shinkansen, with its smaller tunnels. Just a thought; Maybe the Tohoku and Sanyo Shinkansen lines were also bored with small-diameter tunnels to save construction costs, I don’t know.


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## cheehg

luacstjh98 said:


> Well, even if newer sections are built to 300kph and above, it's not like trains won't have to pass through existing infrastructure.
> 
> And I guess 1982 is considered old for the Shinkansen...


Actually no direct trains pass through Tokyo so It is designed to save the cost. 
They do the same to India HSR. I have seen the comparative detail design between Chinese one and Japanese biding for Indonesia HSR. you can see they still have the same smaller tunnels. The cross section area of tunnel is 100 s.m (Chinese) vs 64 s.m(Japanese).


Here is the link:

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1859378&page=3


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## Momo1435

M-NL said:


> Well, I can understand that the tunnels in the original Tokaido Shinkansen were small, because tunnel boom wasn't known back then. But even on the much later built lines the tunnels are still smaller. The Tohoku shinkansen, for instance, was opened in 1982, yet JR East still has to use the most radical designs to reduce noise and tunnel boom.
> Why is that?
> 
> Is it still true that new shinkansens are designed for 260 km/h and that the operator has to come up with the additional funds if it want to go faster?


As already said before, 1982 is already ancient in the short history of High Speed rail. Japan is also known for being conservative, "it's done this way because that's the way we do it". And it does look like that's the case with the Shinkansen tunnels.

For example this document on Shinkansen Infrastructure by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from 2013 comparing the Shinkansen infrastructure to the European High speed trains and lines. 
http://www.jterc.or.jp/english/kokusai/conferences/pdf/130211-mlit-presentation.pdf


Quote from the document.

"The excellent air tightness of the car body of Shinkansen allows for tunnel cross sections to be constructed small."

So there's this concept of smaller tunnels that can be used because our trains are so good. In the meantime we do know that these noses are not needed in other countries, simply because the tunnels are wider. But that's not the way it's done in Japan, so they are going to stick with the small tunnels. 

This way of thinking is very common in Japan and it does work for them as they are very good at perfecting the way they do things. You won't have any big issues when a new lines are opened, this compared to some of the failures in some European countries. Looking at the Dutch high speed rail problems, to name my own country as an example. But on the other hand it also means that new innovations will only be introduced in a very slow pace if there is already a Japanese solution in place. In this case it probably means that if Japan would have started building the Shinkansen Network in the late 1990s or early 2000s you would have seen much wider tunnels and less noses.


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## cheehg

Momo1435 said:


> As already said before, 1982 is already ancient in the short history of High Speed rail. Japan is also known for being conservative, "it's done this way because that's the way we do it". And it does look like that's the case with the Shinkansen tunnels.
> 
> For example this document on Shinkansen Infrastructure by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from 2013 comparing the Shinkansen infrastructure to the European High speed trains and lines.
> http://www.jterc.or.jp/english/kokusai/conferences/pdf/130211-mlit-presentation.pdf
> 
> 
> Quote from the document.
> 
> "The excellent air tightness of the car body of Shinkansen allows for tunnel cross sections to be constructed small."
> 
> So there's this concept of smaller tunnels that can be used because our trains are so good. In the meantime we do know that these noses are not needed in other countries, simply because the tunnels are wider. But that's not the way it's done in Japan, so they are going to stick with the small tunnels.
> 
> This way of thinking is very common in Japan and it does work for them as they are very good at perfecting the way they do things. You won't have any big issues when a new lines are opened, this compared to some of the failures in some European countries. Looking at the Dutch high speed rail problems, to name my own country as an example. But on the other hand it also means that new innovations will only be introduced in a very slow pace if there is already a Japanese solution in place. In this case it probably means that if Japan would have started building the Shinkansen Network in the late 1990s or early 2000s you would have seen much wider tunnels and less noses.


Well said. I know Japanese are very good in details and always calculated yo cents. They already have the trains can run in smaller tunnels so why waste more money in construction bigger tunnel.


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## k.k.jetcar

This whole thread is just overthinking. Often the simplest explanation is the correct one, as in this case. The reason that the tunnels are small diameter (the Seikan double track tunnel is just a bit wider than the typical single track HSR tunnel bore in Europe) is to save on costs. Period. Full stop. It is said that _reducing the diameter of a tunnel by half reduces tunneling costs by* 3-4 times*_. On routes where the majority of track is in tunnel, this is significant, to put it mildly. An example is the Hokkaido extension of the Tohoku Shinkansen- it is 76% in tunnel, 80% if it is decided to make the portion from the Teine Tunnel to Sapporo Station underground.


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## luacstjh98

Seems like they're testing the N700S in eight-car formations now:


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## ddes

Momo1435 said:


> As already said before, 1982 is already ancient in the short history of High Speed rail. Japan is also known for being conservative, "it's done this way because that's the way we do it". And it does look like that's the case with the Shinkansen tunnels.
> 
> For example this document on Shinkansen Infrastructure by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from 2013 comparing the Shinkansen infrastructure to the European High speed trains and lines.
> http://www.jterc.or.jp/english/kokusai/conferences/pdf/130211-mlit-presentation.pdf
> 
> 
> Quote from the document.
> 
> "The excellent air tightness of the car body of Shinkansen allows for tunnel cross sections to be constructed small."
> 
> So there's this concept of smaller tunnels that can be used because our trains are so good. In the meantime we do know that these noses are not needed in other countries, simply because the tunnels are wider. But that's not the way it's done in Japan, so they are going to stick with the small tunnels.
> 
> This way of thinking is very common in Japan and it does work for them as they are very good at perfecting the way they do things. You won't have any big issues when a new lines are opened, this compared to some of the failures in some European countries. Looking at the Dutch high speed rail problems, to name my own country as an example. But on the other hand it also means that new innovations will only be introduced in a very slow pace if there is already a Japanese solution in place. In this case it probably means that if Japan would have started building the Shinkansen Network in the late 1990s or early 2000s you would have seen much wider tunnels and less noses.


I was wondering, if it's possible to somehow exploit the smaller tunnels to create some level of evacuation, thus creating less air pressure, a pseudo vacuum if you will, to boost trains a tad?


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## coth

luacstjh98 said:


>


..


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## Sr.Horn

*N700S batteries*

JR Tokai is testig the back up battery power on the N700S which means in the event of a power failure trains should be able to get to nearest stations at a speed of 30 km/h. 

NHK News report:



























































The N700S model’s unique feature is its capability to run in various lengths such as 12 cars and eight cars, as its underfloor devices have been downsized, made lighter and arranged with better balance. On the company’s Tokaido Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Osaka, trains normally run in a 16-car length.

Source: http://tetsudo-shimbun.com/article/...hgiDHEzsVRebE7rUX7Y1u--QmURnFD8rlGNR_RkKCtD44

http://the-japan-news.com/news/arti...Nj7dRXzCXXLq-CtSBD1vvWIr6EjX6A0awjqGzQDGkY_H8

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20...FlG0Dheb_ZlYCRhjiz-FD57DfHsIki2ipcJVH2gB6YUNc


----------



## Momo1435

RyukyuRhymer said:


> https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...taff-made-to-sit-by-tracks-10656814?cid=FBcna
> 
> *Hair-raising! Japan bullet train staff made to sit by tracks
> *


And JR West has now suspended this kind of training after complaints from the labor unions.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201810290001.html


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## saiho

> “Exposing employees to danger is a problem,” said a senior union official. “Workers have been forced to undergo the training program as a sort of punishment for the accident.”


EXACTLY. Anyone that says otherwise claiming safety culture or something is staning and/or has never held a managerial position. The culture of safety can not be created from pure intimation alone. Look at other places in Japan, the culture of safety is created by the dedication and devotion of the employees and management to their work. If they can do it then JR West can to.


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## Momo1435

JR East E2 series Shinkansen J14 car #10 on the move, but not on the tracks, and also for the last time as it's being retired. The car will go to Chikusei City in Ibaraki Prefecture well it will be used by the local tourist office. 











source:
https://twitter.com/2000toritetu65/status/1060666955965771776











source:

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1060387704498610177https://twitter.com/S300er/status/1060387704498610177


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## starrwulfe

^^
Note to self: ride an E4 Joetsu Shinkansen Max double decker before they’re all gone in a year too.


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## sacto7654

I think once the E4's are retired in 2019, I expect speed increases on the original Jōetsu Shinkansen routing. 260 km/h between Omiya and Takasaki and from just south of Nagaoka to Niigata will now be possible, since they'll switch to E2, E7 and possibly E5 train sets only.


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## jp1032

What are the possible reasons why the Tokaido Shinkansen become bumpy after it pass through Shizuoka prefecture? Osaka to Shizuoka was smooth ride


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## Sr.Horn

*ALFA-X test car unveiled to media*









> East Japan Railway Co. on Wednesday unveiled to the media ALFA-X, the testbed of the next-generation bullet train, which is expected to run at a speed of 360 kilometers per hour.
> 
> The 10-car silver train with green lines being manufactured at Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.'s plant in Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture will be completed in May. It will go through a high-speed trial run on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line to gather data for sound reduction.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The test train's No. 1 car featuring a 16-meter nose-shaped head was shown to the media Wednesday. The nose of the No. 10 car on the tail end is expected be longer at about 22 meters.
> 
> JR East will study pressure and sound differences between the two noses when the train enters tunnels. Existing trains, such as the E-5 series Hayabusa shinkansen, have noses measuring about 15 meters.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The company is also planning to test functions to immediately halt the train or prevent derailment in times of earthquakes as well as new equipment to avoid vehicle vibrations.
> 
> Tokyo and Sapporo in Hokkaido are expected to be linked by the bullet train services in the spring of 2031 by extending the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line, currently operating between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate, to Sapporo.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Referring to the test car, Koji Asano, head of the frontier railway system development center of JR East, said, "Testing to build trains for the extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line will begin. It will be a 10-year development project by manufacturing cars following prototypes."



Source: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/...-x-shinkansen-test-car-unveiled-to-media.html
Photos: https://www.sankei.com/photo/story/news/181212/sty1812120002-n1.html


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## Sr.Horn

Important news from the Tohoku Shinkansen Morioka - Shin-Aomori section (178.4 km long)



> *Top speed of 320 kph mulled for new Shinkansen section*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) is considering a *maximum travel speed of 320 kph in the section between Morioka and Shin-Aomori *stations on the Tohoku Shinkansen line, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
> 
> It would be the first time for the maximum travel speed, which is currently 260 kph, to be raised in a section for a new Shinkansen line.
> 
> Aiming to cut the construction costs for new Shinkansen lines, the maximum design speed of bullet trains has been limited to 260 kph under a new Shinkansen line construction plan based on the Nationwide Shinkansen Railway Development Law.
> 
> If bullet trains can run at a speed of 320 kph in the section between Morioka and Shin-Aomori, the travel time between Tokyo Station and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station in Hokkaido is expected to be reduced by about 10 minutes.
> 
> (...)
> 
> The main bullet trains operated by JR East have already run at 320 kph between Utsunomiya and Morioka stations. These trains are therefore capable of traveling at an increased speed.
> 
> According to sources connected to JR, if Shinkansen trains run at 260 kph or faster between Morioka and Shin-Aomori stations, there would be few facility-related problems in terms of strength.
> 
> What would be necessary are measures for noise prevention. As noise grows louder in keeping with higher speeds, it is essential to heighten noise prevention walls and improve facilities at the ends of tunnels.
> 
> (...)


The Japan News

Passing trains at Mizusawaesashi:


----------



## sacto7654

A major issue for the section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Shin-Aomori and Morioka are the *LONG* tunnels on two parts of that route (Iwate-Ichinohe and Hakkōda). These tunnels may require strengthening to allow for 320 km/h (and eventually 360 km/h) operation.


----------



## *Tomodachi Maikeru*

Window view of Mt Fuji from Hikari Shinkansen.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

sacto7654 said:


> A major issue for the section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Shin-Aomori and Morioka are the *LONG* tunnels on two parts of that route (Iwate-Ichinohe and Hakkōda). These tunnels may require strengthening to allow for 320 km/h (and eventually 360 km/h) operation.


I wonder if it is really worth while just for a 10 min reduction. sounds very expensive


----------



## Lw25

Just out of curiosity, are there any long term plans for new Shinkansen routes after Chuo, Hokuriku and Sapporo?


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Lw25 said:


> Just out of curiosity, are there any long term plans for new Shinkansen routes after Chuo, Hokuriku and Sapporo?


The extension to Nagasaki is being worked on as we speak. A friend of mines was working at JR Kyushu and inspected it.. but has now left the company.

There was a long term goal to make a western Shinkansen route in Kyushu (thus making Kyushu entirely encircled by high speed rail. but not sure if it will get funding. 

Beyond that, not sure where else they could possibly build. The only areas remaining are Shikoku and northern Chugoku.


----------



## Lw25

RyukyuRhymer said:


> The extension to Nagasaki is being worked on as we speak. A friend of mines was working at JR Kyushu and inspected it.. but has now left the company.
> 
> There was a long term goal to make a western Shinkansen route in Kyushu (thus making Kyushu entirely encircled by high speed rail. but not sure if it will get funding.
> 
> Beyond that, not sure where else they could possibly build. The only areas remaining are Shikoku and northern Chugoku.


Thanks
Well, I would say that Sanyo extension from Fukuoka via Tsushima strait to Busan came to my mind as next step, but I think there would be more political than technical problems with that.


----------



## Faiyez

Lw25 said:


> Thanks
> Well, I would say that Sanyo extension from Fukuoka via Tsushima strait to Busan came to my mind as next step, but I think *there would be more political than technical problems* with that.


*raises brow*

I think not.


----------



## Lw25

Faiyez said:


> *raises brow*
> 
> I think not.



According to my knowledge, Tsugaru strait is deeper, and it was possible to construct Seikan Tunnel in the 80's. Of course the tunnel between Japan and Korea would be longer and it wouldn't be cheap but I don't think it is impossible to construct. :cheers:

When it comes to political problems, I believe it is not a right place to discuss them.


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## RyukyuRhymer

Lw25 said:


> According to my knowledge, Tsugaru strait is deeper, and it was possible to construct Seikan Tunnel in the 80's. Of course the tunnel between Japan and Korea would be longer and it wouldn't be cheap but I don't think it is impossible to construct. :cheers:
> 
> When it comes to political problems, I believe it is not a right place to discuss them.


aside from historical/political barriers

there are a variety of engineering and economic barriers.
First and foremost is dealing with seismic risk, as the Kyushu side of Japan is pretty active. Going towards Pusan is less active, but it is still active.

Then you have the fact that the two countries use different rail gauges, and drive on different side of the roads (although this could be mitigated, if the UK and French can handle it).

But I think the economic barrier is probably just too significant. it will be very expensive to make and it seems likely they won't recuperate the costs versus flights and ferries.


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## 00Zy99

Travel time between major cities would be too long to compete with planes, and it would be more expensive than ferries to defray the cost. 

The Shinkansen actually uses the same track gauge as the Korean network, but I would be worried about the loading gauge.

Freight, on the other hand, WOULD have a gauge barrier, because there is no way that you are cramming freight trains onto the Sanyo-Tokaido Shinkansen.


----------



## Coccodrillo

There is also the problem of the small loading gauge in Japan.

Even using expensive and complex variable gauge bogies, smaller trains would have to be used.

I don't ever know if there are wagons able to carry shipping containers in Japan (they would certainly have to have a low floor).


----------



## Faiyez

So you guys are saying that as far as engineering hurdles go, a tunnel that long is actually feasible and viable?


----------



## 00Zy99

Its.... at the edge, shall we say?

Boring a tube that length would be possible. However, the safety systems required for that project are a tremendous additional complexity.

That said, if/when North Korea falls, there will be people looking seriously in that direction.


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## luacstjh98

Now that I think about it, why do Japanese railways insist on having dedicated access to the driver's cab on their rolling stock?

I would think it possible to eke out 1 more row of passenger seating on the ALFA-X if the dedicated cab door was axed and drivers accessed their cab through the passenger vestibule of car 1...

(especially on the Shinkansen, where the conductor uses their dedicated compartment at the middle of the train (with a provided window) instead of the rear cab)


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## k.k.jetcar

luacstjh98 said:


> Now that I think about it, why do Japanese railways insist on having dedicated access to the driver's cab on their rolling stock?
> 
> I would think it possible to eke out 1 more row of passenger seating on the ALFA-X if the dedicated cab door was axed and drivers accessed their cab through the passenger vestibule of car 1...
> 
> (especially on the Shinkansen, where the conductor uses their dedicated compartment at the middle of the train (with a provided window) instead of the rear cab)


Simple answer- it facilitates quick crew changes _en route_. When the working timetable (_daiya_) is measured in terms of seconds, you can't have a crew member trying to navigate a scrum of passengers including granny with her bad hip getting on and off at a station stop. Re. Shinkansen, most Tokaido Shinkansen trains are run with a operating crew of three- two conductors and a driver, and Kodama services between Nagoya and Shin Osaka with two, with the conductor using the rear cab as his/her work station.


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## RyukyuRhymer

k.k.jetcar said:


> Simple answer- it facilitates quick crew changes _en route_. When the working timetable (_daiya_) is measured in terms of seconds, you can't have a crew member trying to navigate a scrum of passengers including granny with her bad hip getting on and off at a station stop. Re. Shinkansen, most Tokaido Shinkansen trains are run with a operating crew of three- two conductors and a driver, and Kodama services between Nagoya and Shin Osaka with two, with the conductor using the rear cab as his/her work station.


I was just thinking the same thing!
Yesterday, I had a seat right behind the driver's door. but it was really crowded and people were standing.. we were about to leave but I noted the driver still didn't arrive.

he eventually came and went straight to his crew door and avoided all these annoying people

another thing worth mentioning is that Japan has a lot of Densha Otaku (train nerdy fans). They can be really really annoying and bothersome and harass staff. best to keep away from the public.


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## luacstjh98

Fair enough, but don't Odakyu operate Romancecar types with the driver's cab elevated over the passenger compartment?

Although that might be more the exception than the norm, with there being plenty of time to turn a Romancecar limited express (does the same apply to the Tohoku Shinkansen?)...


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## starrwulfe

Romancecars on Odakyu (and their Kintetsu and Meitetsu brethren) don't change crews en route.


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## Svartmetall

k.k.jetcar said:


> Simple answer- it facilitates quick crew changes _en route_. When the working timetable (_daiya_) is measured in terms of seconds, you can't have a crew member trying to navigate a scrum of passengers including granny with her bad hip getting on and off at a station stop. Re. Shinkansen, most Tokaido Shinkansen trains are run with a operating crew of three- two conductors and a driver, and Kodama services between Nagoya and Shin Osaka with two, with the conductor using the rear cab as his/her work station.


It is even the case in the UK as well where there are cab doors on the trains. In Sweden this is the case as well.


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## zidar fr

I have been working on this one for quite some time and it is finally finished:

A schematic map of Japan's Shinkansen high speed train network.

Complete
Iconic
Bilingual

Features all train services names and stopping patterns.
A smaller diagram shows the names of track portions.

http://www.jugcerovic.com/maps/shinkansen-map/











The schematic map nested inside the red quarter circle shows Shinkansen lines, train services and stations.

Hokkaido - Tohoku Shinkansen
Hayabusa, Hakate, Yamabiko, Nasuno

Tokaido - Sanyo - Kyushu Shinkansen
Nozomi*, Hikari, Kodama, Mizuho*, Sakura, Tsubame

*On Nozomi and Mizuho trains Japan Rail pass is not accepted.

Hokuriku Shinkansen
Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Asama, Tsurugi

Joetsu Shinkansen
Toki, Tanigawa

Yamagata Shinkansen
Tsubasa

Akita Shinkansen
Komachi











http://www.jugcerovic.com/maps/shinkansen-map/


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## SSCreader

There is a subtle error in your design: you are using the traditional Chinese version of the kanji. See for example the 線 character. Strokes 4 & 5 are different in the Japanese version of the character. The 新 character is also slightly different, and the names on the rest of the diagram have the same problem as well - see Hokkaido for a visible example.


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## Sr.Horn

From March 2020, Tokaido Shinkansen will change with all 700 series completely out of Shin-Osaka - Tokyo route. All trains (N700A and N700S) will be capable of 285 km/h. JR Central plans to introduce two extra Nozomi services.










From the current 10 Nozomi - 2 Hikari - 3 Kodama (15 tph) to the 12 Nozomi - 2 Hikari - 3 Kodama (17 tph), so a train every five minutes.










Source: https://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/_pdf/000039529.pdf

Also, JR Central will start trial runs on the Tokaido Shinkansen (Kyoto - Maibara section) with N700S trainsets running at 360 km/h from mid May to mid June.

Source: https://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/_pdf/000039531.pdf


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## sacto7654

I believe that the 700 Series trainsets are to be completely phased out by 2020 anyway. Indeed, by 2020, there may be only 700A and 700S trainsets on the entire Shinkansen line between Tokyo and Hakata.


----------



## Short

JR Kyushu has released details of a new Mickey Mouse Shinkansen trainset. Fully themed with the cartoon character both inside and out, together with the seemingly mandatory merchandise for the train. It will not run to or from the Japanese Disneyland resorts, instead running in routine service between Hakata and Kagoshima on Kyushu Island.



> https://soranews24.com/2019/04/25/j...ey-mouse-shinkansen-bullet-train-this-spring/


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## zidar fr

SSCreader said:


> There is a subtle error in your design: you are using the traditional Chinese version of the kanji. See for example the 線 character. Strokes 4 & 5 are different in the Japanese version of the character. The 新 character is also slightly different, and the names on the rest of the diagram have the same problem as well - see Hokkaido for a visible example.



Thanks a lot @SSCreader for spotting this!


I have changed the typeface for all Japanese text to Noto Sans Jp.


I also made a few more upgrades:


- Diagram now fully radial 

- Thicker white lines and text 

- Squared layout 

- Faded text for future stations 

- Zoomable map on website













http://www.jugcerovic.com/maps/shinkansen-map/


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## ddes

I read that it was announced that the Shinkansen would be extended to Haneda.

I also note that the alignment of the Chuo Shinkansen seems to be extendable to Haneda. Firstly, is the maglev supposed to go across the Bay? And secondly, could we see an integrated rail-maglev-air hub eventually?


----------



## Momo1435

^^ There are no plans to extend the Shinkansen to Haneda, there's a plan for a direct regular railway line between Tokyo Station and the airport with a completion date in 2029.

The Chuo Maglev will have to make a complete u-turn from it's Shinagawa Terminus, so I don't see it extended to the airport. An extension to Narita Airport via Chiba City is more likely, but there are no plans for such a project right now.


----------



## sacto7654

Speaking of the Shinkansen, has JR East announced when they will finally show the completed 956 _ALFA-X_ test train set?


----------



## coth

What's the point of expensive Shinkansen to Haneda? It's only 13 min away from Shinagawa by Keikyu and same by monorail. How much would you save? 2 minutes, 3 minutes?


----------



## Lw25

coth said:


> What's the point of expensive Shinkansen to Haneda? It's only 13 min away from Shiagawa by Keikyu and same by Monorail. How much would you save? 2 minutes, 3 minutes?


Problably even less, because acceleration to the higher speed takes more time. 
In case of Tokyo's airports ground transport, I would rather upgrade the one to Narita. It would be probably cheaper, easier and more effective than high speed rail to the Haneda. Skyliner is already standard gauge and achives speed of 160 kph, so it would be easier to upgrade it to the e.g. 200 kph. Easier than Maglev/Shinkansen to Haneda, but probably not easy, because electrification would have to be upgraded from 1500 V DC to 3kV, so all of the rolling stock would need some modernization. But usually it is easier to change wires and some equipment in the trains than construct a new line.


----------



## sacto7654

Speaking of Shinkansen, has JR East finally announced when they will phase out the E4系 Shinkansen? That is unless the train sets built since 2000 can continue in service until 2020.


----------



## luacstjh98

Lw25 said:


> Problably even less, because acceleration to the higher speed takes more time.
> In case of Tokyo's airports ground transport, I would rather upgrade the one to Narita. It would be probably cheaper, easier and more effective than high speed rail to the Haneda. Skyliner is already standard gauge and achives speed of 160 kph, so it would be easier to upgrade it to the e.g. 200 kph. Easier than Maglev/Shinkansen to Haneda, but probably not easy, because electrification would have to be upgraded from 1500 V DC to 3kV, so all of the rolling stock would need some modernization. But usually it is easier to change wires and some equipment in the trains than construct a new line.


You can have a 200kph train without having to change the power system voltage - Keisei can literally buy 200kph trains tomorrow and put them on the line, since the Skyliner largely reuses some sections of the cancelled Narita Shinkansen which was built for 200kph.

The problem with the Skyliner is that it has to interline with the slower Hokuso Line and Narita Sky Access services, which I do not believe are capable of 160kph, let alone 200kph. There's also the issue of Nippori and Keisei Ueno being relatively inaccessible, but the Asakusa Line bypass may fix that for Keisei.


----------



## Lw25

luacstjh98 said:


> You can have a 200kph train without having to change the power system voltage - Keisei can literally buy 200kph trains tomorrow and put them on the line, since the Skyliner largely reuses some sections of the cancelled Narita Shinkansen which was built for 200kph.
> 
> The problem with the Skyliner is that it has to interline with the slower Hokuso Line and Narita Sky Access services, which I do not believe are capable of 160kph, let alone 200kph. There's also the issue of Nippori and Keisei Ueno being relatively inaccessible, but the Asakusa Line bypass may fix that for Keisei.



I'm not sure if 1.5 kV DC is powerful enough for 200 kph. French and German units have 1.5 kV DC for operations in the Netherlands and on the older sections of French network, but I'm not sure they can go faster than 160 kph under that current. I was sure about 3 kV DC, because eg. Poland and Italy uses that current for 200 kph.


----------



## luacstjh98

Momo1435 said:


> 1/3 of E7 sets are now out of service, 10 were damaged by this flood. Expect serious cutbacks when the service resumes on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
> 
> It's unclear how fast these trains will be able to put back into service. They will have to be checked first to see how extensive the damage is. Problem is that these stood at the yard where this normally would have been done. As the whole site was flooded the maintenance buildings will also have water damage. And nobody has yet been allowed to go to the area to see the extent of the damage, the whole area was evacuated including all JR East staff.


I wonder if this means the E4 retirement schedule will have to be put on hold, so those can serve the Joetsu Shinkansen and free up trainsets for the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

Work should probably be starting to pump water out of the site, as we speak?


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...ine-sustain-damage-yard-flooded/#.XaPxbyWRUSJ

*Ten Hokuriku Shinkansen Line trains worth ¥32.8 billion sustain damage after yard is flooded in Typhoon Hagibis*



> Ten trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line connecting Tokyo and Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, were affected, the company said, adding that it has no idea when operations on the line will be resumed partly because of flooding from the Chikuma River, which flows near the train yard.
> 
> The 10 trains, made up of a total of 120 carriages, represent a third of the trains on the line. Eight are owned by JR East and the other two by West Japan Railway Co. (JR West).
> 
> For the time being, JR East has decided to operate the line with the remaining trains between Tokyo and Nagano. The trains connecting Kanazawa and Toyama were operating normally Sunday, according to JR West.
> 
> Vital functions on the trains, such as brakes, transformers and air conditioning control systems, are installed underneath the train carriages.
> 
> Since the rail yard is under water, the trains will have to be moved to a different facility to be repaired.
> 
> The trains used on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line were jointly developed by the two firms. According to JR West’s securities report for the 2014 business year which ended in March 2015, the manufacturing costs for the 120 carriages totaled some ¥32.8 billion.
> 
> JR East decided to continue suspending the Yamagata Shinkansen Line all day Sunday. The company resumed services for the Tohoku Shinkansen Line on Sunday afternoon although there was some damage to it due to a landslide. It put the Joetsu Shinkansen Line back into service in the morning.
> 
> Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central), restarted the Tokaido Shinkansen Line from Sunday’s first trains after confirming the safety of facilities such as overhead power cables and signal systems. Trains on the line slowed down on some sections, however, leading to delays in 39 trains and affecting about 37,000 people.
> 
> On other lines, JR East said it suspended at least 4,900 train runs in the metropolitan area on Saturday and Sunday, affecting 3.57 million people


----------



## Momo1435

luacstjh98 said:


> I wonder if this means the E4 retirement schedule will have to be put on hold, so those can serve the Joetsu Shinkansen and free up trainsets for the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
> 
> Work should probably be starting to pump water out of the site, as we speak?


Pretty much the whole valley north of Nagano was flooded, it's more important to pump the watee out of residential areas. But waterlevels have already gone down enough in the yard, the trains are not in the water anymore. The surrounding fields are still submerged, although less then on Saturday and Sunday.

It's indeed very likely that retirements will be suspended if these trains will be out of service for a long time.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

^ looking at the hazard map of Nagano City.. most of the city and surrounding area is flood risk area

https://www.city.nagano.nagano.jp/uploaded/attachment/330476.pdf


----------



## spose

JR East May Scrap 120 Flooded Shinkansen Cars

Tokyo, Oct. 16 (Jiji Press)--East Japan Railway Co. or JR East, may be forced to scrap all of the 120 cars of its Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train services that were damaged in flooding caused by Typhoon Hagibis, which ravaged mainly central and eastern Japan over the weekend.
The 19th typhoon this year brought torrential rain, flooding a train yard in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, and inundating the 120 cars, about one-third of all those used on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line, which connects Tokyo and Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan.
JR East is expected to take some time to restore full operations of its Hokuriku Shinkansen services.
As of Wednesday afternoon, an evacuation order remained in place for the area hosting the train yard. JR East has thus yet to confirm the damage to the train cars.
Although equipment and devices installed in the undercarriages of the train cars are waterproof, it is unknown whether the cars will be able to run safely after being submerged for a long period, sources familiar with the situation said. 

Source


----------



## espewe

So... it's more economical and safe to just scrap the whole thing and make it all new


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

i guess they will have to buy more E7s as the W7s doesnt seem to be produced anymore.
2 W7s out of the 10 were flooded.


----------



## luacstjh98

Aren't they functionally identical, just that the W7s have minor differences in interior styling?


----------



## foxmulder

Couldn't they lined them on a elevated section of the line? The trains were all cancelled anyway. I think something could have been done. Maybe their predictions was saying this depot would be safe... shame..


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ Slightly simplistic. That assumes that the trains could be easily moved to a new section, that drivers were available prior to end of service to do so and that there wouldn't be a risk from flying debris etc. They probably didn't count on the depot being flooded, but then this was a 1 in 50+ year event so it was hard to predict.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

assuming the Depot is at 長野総合車両センター

then here is the location based on the hazard map I provided earlier









the left circle is Nagano Station. The right circle is where the depot is at
you can see its at a flood risk area (although some what low, but at far lower risk than Nagano station)


----------



## stingstingsting

RyukyuRhymer said:


> assuming the Depot is at 長野総合車両センター


No, I believe the depot is located way further north at JR東日本 長野新幹線車両センター It should be around Akanuma, Nagano, 381-0001, Japan 36.702523, 138.273228

The flood map you had provided doesn't cover that far up and I don't have a topographical map either.

It lies between the Asa river and the Chikuma river. There seems to be a levee to the east as well on the Chikuma river bank. 

I posit that this means in a once-a-century or once-a-half-century flood event, that area wherein the depot lies would collect the floodwaters. 

Considering traditional Japanese flood control designs, water would have backed up starting at the lower end of the levee rather than flowing in fast from the back with the torrent. So it wouldn't be at high velocity. This would have minimised flood damage which explains why the trains haven't really crashed into each other (although some did derail).

However floodwaters are probably meant to collect in that area. So inundation would be a certainty. 

I have been wondering in the past week why they had placed the depot in that area. And also if you look at the photos, the Hokuriku shinkansen line itself is quite low beside the depot.

But as usual I wonder a lot about what reasons some Shinkansen routes were chosen, like this one, and there (hopefully) was a good reason why this was chosen.

Sad, such loss. And I do hope JR East reopens the line on December 25 so people can resume their lives and also so I can travel on it next month!

:cheers:


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

stingstingsting said:


> No, I believe the depot is located way further north at JR東日本 長野新幹線車両センター It should be around Akanuma, Nagano, 381-0001, Japan 36.702523, 138.273228
> 
> The flood map you had provided doesn't cover that far up and I don't have a topographical map either.
> 
> It lies between the Asa river and the Chikuma river. There seems to be a levee to the east as well on the Chikuma river bank.


thanks! if it is at that location,
here it is on the flood map from Nagano City.
much worser vulnerability to higher levels of flood risk


----------



## luacstjh98

It's probably a land use thing - doesn't look like Japan is a very big fan of oversite development above train depots.

Case in point: the closure of Tamachi depot compared to simply decking it over, with no replacement?


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191025_13/

*Hokuriku Shinkansen resumes full service*



> The Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train almost fully resumed services on its entire route on Friday, for the first time in 13 days.
> 
> The line connects Tokyo and Kanazawa, a city on the Sea of Japan coast, via Nagano in central Japan.
> 
> Services were partially suspended after Typhoon Hagibis battered central Japan earlier this month. Around one third of the trains were inundated when the storm flooded a depot in Nagano.
> 
> The first Shinkansen bound for Tokyo left Kanazawa station at 6 a.m. on Friday.
> 
> One female passenger said she is looking forward to visiting Tokyo Disneyland with her grandchild. She said she is happy the Shinkansen service has resumed, as taking a detour would require changing trains, which could be tough for people with small children.
> 
> The operators say they will run close to 90 percent of trains for the time being.


----------



## Bhurki18

Why are the construction costs of Chuo Shinkansen so high?
At $170M/km, its probably the most expensive rail line ever constructed per unit distance.
Is it because of the tunnelling challenges or is the implementation of scmaglev track so expensive on its own accord?


----------



## Bhurki18

Error.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Bhurki18 said:


> Why are the construction costs of Chuo Shinkansen so high?
> At $170M/km, its probably the most expensive rail line ever constructed per unit distance.
> Is it because of the tunnelling challenges or is the implementation of scmaglev track so expensive on its own accord?


probably both. Its a lot of tunneling involved, and new technology and risks. neither is cheap.


----------



## Lw25

Bhurki18 said:


> Why are the construction costs of Chuo Shinkansen so high?
> At $170M/km, its probably the most expensive rail line ever constructed per unit distance.
> Is it because of the tunnelling challenges or is the implementation of scmaglev track so expensive on its own accord?


Bid rigging as well https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Japan-maglev-project-marred-by-bid-rigging-arrests


----------



## Bhurki18

RyukyuRhymer said:


> probably both. Its a lot of tunneling involved, and new technology and risks. neither is cheap.


If entire route was to be made using viaducts ( like shanghai maglev) how much difference in cost as compared to conventional hsr would it entail on average? For eg. most hsr lines in China going 250kmph cost around $30m/km.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Bhurki18 said:


> If entire route was to be made using viaducts ( like shanghai maglev) how much difference in cost as compared to conventional hsr would it entail on average? For eg. most hsr lines in China going 250kmph cost around $30m/km.


it cant be compared

Most of the Chuo Shinkansen goes through the most mountains parts of Japan.
This is what the geography looks like. Its very in elevation and very difficult terrain making a viaduct impractical. you don't want significant climbing on a high speed train (usually only monorails are used when terrains are hilly with many changes in elevation..but definitely NOT mountainous)









the Shanghai Maglev is close to the ocean and on low flat land


----------



## Bhurki18

Most of central china lines are built through the mountains. Eg. Xi'an Chengdu line costs were about $14B for 509 km of track which crossed almost all of Qinling mountains using tunnels.
Anyways, my aim is not direct comparison but understanding how capital cost differs between conventional track and scmaglev track ignoring the major infrastructure like viaducts, tunnels etc..


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Bhurki18 said:


> Most of central china lines are built through the mountains. Eg. Xi'an Chengdu line costs were about $14B for 509 km of track which crossed almost all of Qinling mountains using tunnels.
> Anyways, my aim is not direct comparison but understanding how capital cost differs between conventional track and scmaglev track ignoring the major infrastructure like viaducts, tunnels etc..


have you also taken into account the different labor costs in Japan and China?


----------



## Bhurki18

RyukyuRhymer said:


> have you also taken into account the different labor costs in Japan and China?


My aim isn't comparison of major infrastructure like viaducts and tunnels that are highly sensitive to labour costs etc.. I wish to know the difference of cost in implementation of both the technologies, EMU system vs SCmaglev, ignoring the base infrastructure cost.


----------



## stingstingsting

Source: NHK



> https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191106_37/
> 
> *Typhoon-damaged bullet trains to be scrapped*
> NOVEMBER 06, 2019
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> All 10 Shinkansen bullet trains that were damaged last month by Typhoon Hagibis in Nagano, central Japan, will be scrapped.
> 
> That represents a third of the trains that run on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to the Sea of Japan coast and the historic city of Kanazawa.
> 
> ...
> 
> The train cars have a total book value of about 135 million dollars. Some of their components may be reused.


Sigh hno:


----------



## Lw25

Which units will be scraped?


----------



## Stuu

stingstingsting said:


> Source: NHK
> 
> 
> 
> Sigh hno:


It's surprising that the whole train is going to be scrapped. I can understand that the electrics will be ruined, but the actual body shells weren't damaged, were they?


----------



## foxmulder

RyukyuRhymer said:


> have you also taken into account the different labor costs in Japan and China?


"Reasonable" prices of Chinese high speed rail lines is not due to lower labor cost but due to economies of scale.


----------



## foxmulder

Bhurki18 said:


> My aim isn't comparison of major infrastructure like viaducts and tunnels that are highly sensitive to labour costs etc.. I wish to know the difference of cost in implementation of both the technologies, EMU system vs SCmaglev, ignoring the base infrastructure cost.


I think maglev will be much more expensive. If I understood your question correctly, you want to know the price after the "hard" infrastructure part is excluded like viaducts, tunnels, electrification of the line. So what is left is rails for conventional high speed line which is "cheap" compared to electromagnets installed on the maglev line. However, even when you consider this, still the bulk of the cost will be tunneling and viaducts. Shanghai Maglev cost ~$40M/km which is not crazy compared to regular high speed lines.


----------



## SamuraiBlue

foxmulder said:


> I think maglev will be much more expensive. If I understood your question correctly, you want to know the price after the "hard" infrastructure part is excluded like viaducts, tunnels, electrification of the line. So what is left is rails for conventional high speed line which is "cheap" compared to electromagnets installed on the maglev line. However, even when you consider this, still the bulk of the cost will be tunneling and viaducts. Shanghai Maglev cost ~$40M/km which is not crazy compared to regular high speed lines.


Actually the cost for rail and guideway for maglev won't be much different.
The guideway propulsion electromagnets are just industrial grade power lines wrapped in as a coil and the levitation coils are thinner but same grade lines. the guideway walls are prefabricated concrete block similar to road blocks you might see in the US. In addition there are no wear and tear to maglev unlike rail so it requires much less maintenance.


----------



## Bhurki18

SamuraiBlue said:


> Actually the cost for rail and guideway for maglev won't be much different.
> The guideway propulsion electromagnets are just industrial grade power lines wrapped in as a coil and the levitation coils are thinner but same grade lines. the guideway walls are prefabricated concrete block similar to road blocks you might see in the US. In addition there are no wear and tear to maglev unlike rail so it requires much less maintenance.


Wouldn't each block require extensive wiring due to high impedance of coil and high power consumption? Since maglev will need much more power because it counters the entire weight of the coach above it, while conv rail just deals with breaking the rolling friction.
Maglev managed Forces-
mg (weight of vehicle) + drag ( horizontal movement)
Rail managed forces-
Pure Rolling resistance + drag (irrespective of propulsion)
Rolling resistance coefficient for steel-steel interaction is 0.0003-0.0004. 
Also are there concerns about efficient operating temperature to maintain optimal power usage levels, any cooling systems invloved?


----------



## SamuraiBlue

Bhurki18 said:


> Wouldn't each block require extensive wiring due to high impedance of coil and high power consumption? Since maglev will need much more power because it counters the entire weight of the coach above it, while conv rail just deals with breaking the rolling friction.
> Maglev managed Forces-
> mg (weight of vehicle) + drag ( horizontal movement)
> Rail managed forces-
> Pure Rolling resistance + drag (irrespective of propulsion)
> Rolling resistance coefficient for steel-steel interaction is 0.0003-0.0004.
> Also are there concerns about efficient operating temperature to maintain optimal power usage levels, any cooling systems invloved?


Weight of a maglev car is much lighter then conventional rail since there are no motors, no DC-DC converters, no boogies,etc.
The wiring are not that complex. The coil for propulsion is connected to the wall on the other side forming a zig-zag pattern while the levitation coil is all independent, prefabricated and sealed inside a plastic container.
Power consumption is lower than conventional rail.


----------



## Momo1435

The 1st part of the replacement of the 10 E7 sets that will be scrapped will be 5 E7 that were going to be used on the Joetsu Shinkansen. 

This means that the E4 double decker sets will be kept in service on the Joetsu until more replacement trains are delivered in a couple of years.


----------



## 2co2co

Bhurki18 said:


> If entire route was to be made using viaducts ( like shanghai maglev) how much difference in cost as compared to conventional hsr would it entail on average? For eg. most hsr lines in China going 250kmph cost around $30m/km.


https://company.jr-central.co.jp/chuoshinkansen/procedure/_pdf/08.pdf
Roughly 60% the cost between Maglev and conventional HSR


----------



## SamuraiBlue

2co2co said:


> https://company.jr-central.co.jp/chuoshinkansen/procedure/_pdf/08.pdf
> Roughly 60% the cost between Maglev and conventional HSR


Those figures are outdated since JR Tokai announced a simplified installment system consisting of what I had described in 2013, three years after the figures within the link you had provided.


----------



## ddes

Regarding the comparison with rail and maglev, it's not a fair comparison because within maglev the approach is different.

I was reading about the Chuo Shinkansen. For JR Central, they have chosen to build it as a skeleton infrastructure first and foremost. That's why there's this monolithic non-design thing to the system.

Anyways, Aviation Wire had published something interesting many months ago. They showed future plans for future Osaka. It envisions higashiosaka being the new downtown Osaka station. An airport express would arc from higashiOsaka to Kansai Airport, then across the bay which would, like Tokyo Bay be increasingly reclaimed and eventually filled, to Kobe Airport, and to Itami airport It mentions Nankai-Shirahama will function as LCC and space related stuff, so you can imagine this is for a very long way in the future.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191205_21/

*Anti-flood measures sought for shinkansen*



> The government has decided to ask Japan Railway to draw up plans to relocate bullet trains to safer areas if flooding is expected.
> 
> That's after Typhoon Hagibis hit central Japan in October and flooded a Shinkansen bullet train depot, leaving damaged trains that had to be scrapped.
> 
> The Transport ministry made the decision after officials conducted a survey and found that out of 28 bullet train depots, 16 are in areas susceptible to floods.
> 
> The ministry also wants JR to step up its disaster preparations.
> This includes having contingencies for suspending operations and plans to protect power supply systems from flooding.
> The ministry is also looking into the flood risks for local JR trains and for private railway services.


----------



## Bikes

https://www.maglev.net/traditional-shinkansen-vs-maglev


----------



## aquaticko

^^Why the narrower loading gauge? Minimizing tunneling costs? Does that include "track" gauge, as well? Guess it's not like the need to worry about inter-line compatibility.


----------



## Bhurki18

aquaticko said:


> ^^Why the narrower loading gauge? Minimizing tunneling costs? Does that include "track" gauge, as well? Guess it's not like the need to worry about inter-line compatibility.


Standard shinkansen sits 'on' the line, so the train body is the widest thing inside a tunnel, but Japanese maglev train sits 'inside' the track with pusher-puller bodies attached to the inner side of the track ( rather than under the track like in transrapid maglev). This makes a single track much wider than a conventional track. Hence the narrower train width.
You can see the L0 has 2+2 seating in economy.


----------



## loefet

Bhurki18 said:


> Standard shinkansen sits 'on' the line, so the train body is the widest thing inside a tunnel, but Japanese maglev train sits 'inside' the track with pusher-puller bodies attached to the inner side of the track ( rather than under the track like in transrapid maglev). This makes a single track much wider than a conventional track. Hence the narrower train width.
> You can see the L0 has 2+2 seating in economy.


Since the JR-Maglev isn't compatible, and don't have to be, with any of the normal lines then they could have made it as wide as they wanted. It could be a combination of: weight, tunnel size, aerodynamics, etc. 
Same thing with the Transrapid Maglev, it's way wider than any other train out there. 

I guess that one benefit of keeping it pretty narrow is that they now have the option to convert the current Shinkansen Lines in the future. Since the train + guide way isn't much wider than the current Shinkansen trains, and with the large amount of slab track then the conversion could be made quite simple. 
Maybe they have already thought of this and in that case then it might be the solution of the question about trains size.


----------



## 00Zy99

Converting the existing lines would be absurdly disruptive. Those lines are an economic lifeblood of the country, and taking them out of service for extended periods (which would be necessary given the immense difference in technologies) is impractical.


----------



## Momo1435

They will also use the narrower trains to offer a more luxurious product, with for example the 2+2 seating instead of the 2+3 seating in standard class and probably also 2+1 in green class. This will be reflected in the higher ticket prices for the Chuo Maglev compared to the current Shinkansen.

As the new line will never be able to match the capacity of the Tokaido Shinkansen it's only logical to turn it into a more premium product. Both Chuo and Tokaido lines will become a dual system, with the Chuo line for the passengers preferring the quickest option and the Tokaido for the passengers on a budget. And obviously there will also be plenty of people transferring in Nagoya between the 2 lines to travel to the cities not served by the Chuo line.

This concept of a dual system is also one of the reasons why existing lines won't be converted. The current lines will still be needed to serve the smaller cities that will be passed if more Maglev lines will be constructed.


----------



## Momo1435

And in conventional Shinkansen news.


JR Central has announced that special stickers will be applied to the front of the remaining 2 700 Series sets in February 2020 in advance of the Last Run of the 700 Series on the Tokaido Shinkansen which is scheduled for March 8, 2020.

The final train is now scheduled to be the Nozomi 315 from Tokyo (9:47) to Shin-Osaka (12:20). The train will only have reserved seats, which will go on sale on 02/08, all passengers will receive a special souvenir. 











source:
https://twitter.com/tetsudo_shimbun/status/1204645381486694400
http://tetsudo-shimbun.com/headline/entry-1903.html
https://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/_pdf/000040169.pdf


----------



## 00Zy99

Good grief!

I remember when the duck-bills were beyond cutting-edge.

Heck, I remember when the wedges (the 300 series) were cutting edge.

Now I feel really old.

How is it that the first generations lasted longer? The 0 series gave more than 50 years of service, if I remember correctly. Here, we're looking at less than 15.


----------



## luacstjh98

^^ To keep procurement costs down, I believe newer trains are being specified with shorter lifecycles and durability requirements.

Either way, I believe there are still 700 series operations on the Sanyo Shinkansen, replacing them on the Tokaido will allow for a general increase in line speed since all services are run by the N700.


----------



## TER200

luacstjh98 said:


> ^^ To keep procurement costs down, I believe newer trains are being specified with shorter lifecycles and durability requirements.


Also, Shinkansens are now blasting at very high speeds (much faster than the 210 km/h the original trains did) through very narrow tunnels, and this causes high stress on the carbodies.
European HSLs have wider tunnels, so using a 300 km/h TGV for 40 years is possible the very last original PSE sets retired last week).


----------



## jonathanNCJ

how old were they?


----------



## TER200

jonathanNCJ said:


> how old were they?


38 years since the opening of the first HSL in september 1981 (however many original trainsets were retired between 2012 and 2015).
They have travelled about 15 million km.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

not exactly a new video but i think many might find it informative


----------



## jp1032




----------



## luacstjh98

According to this article, there are plans by JR Hokkaido to further increase speeds on the Seikan Tunnel to 210kph:

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20200105-00050080-yom-bus_all


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

relevant for all JR lines, not just the high speed rail, but I figure people here are mostly using the pass for the Shinkansen.

https://www.tsunagujapan.com/japan-rail-pass-spring-2020-upgrades/



> *The Japan Rail Pass Is Getting Even Better in 2020: Everything You Need to Know About the New Upgrades*
> 
> No More Exchange Orders
> 
> The exchange order system that has been in place up until now added a sometimes inconvenient step for people who wanted to buy a pass. From spring 2020, Japan Rail Pass users will be able to buy their pass directly on the new website without needing to visit a travel agent or have an exchange order posted to their home address. After buying online, they can then pick the pass up at a JR ticket office once arriving in Japan.
> 
> Simplified Reserved Seat Bookings
> 
> 
> On Japanese bullet trains, there are two types of seating options: non-reserved or reserved, which comes with a surcharge. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can simply jump on non-reserved carriages without needing to book a seat. This is not a problem most of the time - in fact, the ability to catch any train gives you a lot of flexibility. However, if you're traveling during a busy period, knowing that you have your seats secured can also be worth the surcharge.
> 
> Under the current system, Japan Rail Pass customers need to go to a JR ticket window to buy a reserved seat on bullet trains. From the spring of 2020, Japan Rail Pass customers will be able to book these reserved seats online or get one from a ticket machine at bullet train stations. Some travelers to Japan don't realize that if the bullet trains are full, you may have to stand for your entire ride, split your group up into different carriages, or even wait in line at the station until a spot opens up. This easier way to reserve a seat will hopefully help people make their bookings well in advance and travel with peace of mind.
> 
> Quicker Travel with Automatic Ticket Gates
> 
> Another welcome change coming this year is the fact that Japan Rail Passes will now be able to be used at regular automatic ticket gates. Currently, users need to show their pass to a staff member at the manned station gates each time they travel. Since the Japan Rail Pass can be used on local JR trains as well as bullet trains, potentially being caught in a line at the manned gate multiple times a day can quickly get old. This new improvement will allow you to zip through the gates like a local.


----------



## Absurdity

00Zy99 said:


> Converting the existing lines would be absurdly disruptive. Those lines are an economic lifeblood of the country, and taking them out of service for extended periods (which would be necessary given the immense difference in technologies) is impractical.


Um not always disruptive as you might think. Nagano Shinkansen was taken out by flooding, and Tohoku by tsunami. That disruption wasnt fatal, additionally if something were to already happen, instead of "fixing" a standard HSR can be retrofitted with maglev if again, sizes are standard. Not all lines are that busy.


----------



## 00Zy99

Absurdity said:


> Um not always disruptive as you might think. Nagano Shinkansen was taken out by flooding, and Tohoku by tsunami. That disruption wasnt fatal, additionally if something were to already happen, instead of "fixing" a standard HSR can be retrofitted with maglev if again, sizes are standard. Not all lines are that busy.


During those two instances, the damage to the lines themselves were relatively minor, and the rest of the reason was in a crisis at the time, so the impact was relatively small. Without a disaster disrupting the region's economic activity, the Shinkansen is much more needed.

Furthermore, the existing lines could be repaired much more cheaply and quickly than converting them to maglev, which would require ripping out the entire track and electrical infrastructure for the length of the route. It would be essentially rebuilding the entire line, and would take at least a year, if not more. The Shinkansen was able to be up and running within weeks of the disruptions. 

Maglev requires new cutting-edge rolling stock and guidance/lift systems that are complex and exotic (and therefore expensive). The Shinkansen relies on much more conventional technology, which enables it to be built and repaired faster and cheaper.

The cost of maglev is so high that it only makes financial sense in the highest-demand corridors, such as Tokyo-Osaka. There is not enough demand to justify the cost of a maglev to Hokkaido or Nagano.

Because they travel slower, Shinkansen can tolerate much tighter curves than the maglev, if it is going at its proposed speed. So the curves would need to be rebuilt and massive realignments implemented.

Then there are the tunnels. Shinkansen tunnels have a much smaller diameter than the maglev tunnels. This is due to the Shinkansen being older. When it was first built, speeds were notably lower than they are now. However, as speeds increased, tunnel shock (as seen in the video below) became a problem. This would be massively exacerbated by the maglev and its higher speeds. So you would essentially need to re-bore every tunnel on the route.



RyukyuRhymer said:


> not exactly a new video but i think many might find it informative



Between the curves and the tunnels, you are looking at a large percentage of the alignment. At this point, you might as well just start from scratch-which has the additional benefit of being much less disruptive anyways.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

The Shinkansen lady meets the JR East dude


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1205412812400386048
:cheers:


----------



## Absurdity

Reply to 00Zy99 

During those two instances, the damage to the lines themselves were relatively minor, and the rest of the reason was in a crisis at the time, so the impact was relatively small. Without a disaster disrupting the region's economic activity, the Shinkansen is much more needed.

** The Tōhoku Shinkansen line was worst hit, with JR East estimating that 1,100 sections of the line, varying from collapsed station roofs to bent power pylons...Service between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori was restored by May, but at lower speeds due to ongoing restoration work; the pre-earthquake timetable was not reinstated until late September. (from wikipedia 311) For Nagano, typhoon in Oct, not reinstated fully until March. Furthermore the Tohoku Main line (non hsr) was out of commission for 4 years, finally rebuilt but huge waste of $$ and few riders, sort of meaningless. Some of that existing land alignment could have been repurposed to maglev tho would have to be tsunami resistant say by elevating parts of it.**

Furthermore, the existing lines could be repaired much more cheaply and quickly than converting them to maglev, which would require ripping out the entire track and electrical infrastructure for the length of the route. It would be essentially rebuilding the entire line, and would take at least a year, if not more. The Shinkansen was able to be up and running within weeks of the disruptions.

** Yes, but limited up and running. Rebuilding could be economic stimulus since 6% drop in GDP Q4, not accounting yet virus and tourist hit this year. Also, land acquisition not necessary, stations mostly can be reutilized** 

Maglev requires new cutting-edge rolling stock and guidance/lift systems that are complex and exotic (and therefore expensive). The Shinkansen relies on much more conventional technology, which enables it to be built and repaired faster and cheaper.

** Rolling stock, um sort of, but not totally. If rolling stock and guideway was so damn expensive Japan wouldnt offer to build it in budget conscious USA. ** 

The cost of maglev is so high that it only makes financial sense in the highest-demand corridors, such as Tokyo-Osaka. There is not enough demand to justify the cost of a maglev to Hokkaido or Nagano.

** Thats due to many reasons, tunnel direct through spine of mountain range one factor., something like 90% is Tokyo-Nagoya is tunnel, not all routes this way. Another is legislated requirement to use domestic labor during demographic crisis, will or can robots or foreign labor help? Yet another are "unmapped" tunneling routes for evacuating elites in case of natl emergency. That contingency is overlooked in cost, glossed purposely, hint hint. Tokyo-Sapporo route particularly is most busy air route in Japan among world's busiest, so demand is there if it can compete with aircraft**

Because they travel slower, Shinkansen can tolerate much tighter curves than the maglev, if it is going at its proposed speed. So the curves would need to be rebuilt and massive realignments implemented.

** True **

Then there are the tunnels. Shinkansen tunnels have a much smaller diameter than the maglev tunnels. This is due to the Shinkansen being older. When it was first built, speeds were notably lower than they are now. However, as speeds increased, tunnel shock (as seen in the video below) became a problem. This would be massively exacerbated by the maglev and its higher speeds. So you would essentially need to re-bore every tunnel on the route.

** Please cite stats and source here. Maybe 4 tokaido line as its ancient, but no point there to duplicate maglev already being built. 550 kph tohoku line could be a boon, but what to do about seikan and branch lines a barrier **


----------



## dyonisien

As was already said 


Momo1435 said:


> [...]
> As the new line will never be able to match the capacity of the Tokaido Shinkansen [...].


and Shinkansen can be served by two-level trains
so
why would you spend a lot of money, disrupt a line for years just to loose capacity ? Shinkansen are not slow and are flexible, being able to offer distinct stopping patterns (e.g. Nozomi vs. Kodoma) almost without sacrificing capacity, thanks the use of switches permitting speeds of up to 230 km/h on the deviated branch.


----------



## luacstjh98

^^ JR East is replacing their double decker E1/E4 trains with single decker E7 trains, go think about why.


----------



## Silly_Walks

^^
Why?


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

and now its made its way to CNN!








Japan debuts new bullet train that can run during an earthquake


Japan's latest record-breaking bullet train doesn't only run faster and smoother -- it also has a new feature that sends passengers to safety in the event of an earthquake.




edition.cnn.com


----------



## Vishek

^ In terms of the safety protections on Shinkansens, I believe that the trains are pressurized and have airline-style air filtration systems, though for coronavirus it's not that important because it doesn't spread like a gas but through near-contact.


----------



## M-NL

> The operating speed, however, will be capped at 285 kilometers per hour.


No CNN, it will not. 285 km/h is the max on the Tokaido Shinkansen. On the Sanyo Shinkansen it can and will run 300 km/h just like the other N700 types do...


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

リニア中央新幹線 JR東海「2027年の開業は難しい」 国と協議へ | NHKニュース


【NHK】リニア中央新幹線の工事をめぐり静岡県は3日、ＪＲ東海が着手を急ぐ準備作業の開始は認められないという見解を示しました。目標…




www3.nhk.or.jp





Translation
JR Tokai (Central) thinks its highly unlikely the Chuo Shinkansen (the maglev one) will open on time in 2027
because of issues regarding tunnel excavation and environmental conservation, and getting approvals on time

not sure if this is related to an issue with the Shizuoka governor's past rejections but I assume its directly related to it
he argues its an environmental issue
critics argue that he's trying to play hardball to get them to build a station in Shizuoka, since it goes through but doesn't stop in that prefecture.


----------



## luacstjh98

Well, building a station on the Chuo Shinkansen in said environmentally sensitive area would render his argument invalid.

Isn't it something to do with the airport and the Tokaido Shinkansen?


----------



## chaser9

I think the governor wants a station built under the Shizuoka Airport where the Tokaido Shinkansen runs under but has no station.









Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport · 3336-4 Sakaguchi, Makinohara, Shizuoka 421-0411, Japan


★★★★☆ · Airport




maps.app.goo.gl





JR Tokai has adamantly refused to do so since there are already Shinkansen stations 16km to the West at Kakegawa and 28km to the east of the airport at Shizuoka station.

The Chuo Shinkansen passes through the Northern part of Shizuoka prefecture with not much population. He's just holding the Chuo line at ransom so he can get his Airport station.

I don't think JR Tokai will build a shinkansen station under the Airport though. Their best bet of a compromise is to partner with Oigawa railway to extend their tracks from Kanaya station to the airport to connect it to the Tokaido main line. Hopefully that should allow them to gain environmental clearance to tunnel through the Shizuoka prefecture section of the Chuo Shinkansen.


----------



## Vishek

chaser9 said:


> I think the governor wants a station built under the Shizuoka Airport where the Tokaido Shinkansen runs under but has no station.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport · 3336-4 Sakaguchi, Makinohara, Shizuoka 421-0411, Japan
> 
> 
> ★★★★☆ · Airport
> 
> 
> 
> 
> maps.app.goo.gl
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JR Tokai has adamantly refused to do so since there are already Shinkansen stations 16km to the West at Kakegawa and 28km to the east of the airport at Shizuoka station.
> 
> The Chuo Shinkansen passes through the Northern part of Shizuoka prefecture with not much population. He's just holding the Chuo line at ransom so he can get his Airport station.
> 
> I don't think JR Tokai will build a shinkansen station under the Airport though. Their best bet of a compromise is to partner with Oigawa railway to extend their tracks from Kanaya station to the airport to connect it to the Tokaido main line. Hopefully that should allow them to gain environmental clearance to tunnel through the Shizuoka prefecture section of the Chuo Shinkansen.


Isn't part of the reason because the airport will have a similar travel time on the Shinkansen from Tokyo as Narita?


----------



## coth

chaser9 said:


> I think the governor wants a station built under the Shizuoka Airport where the Tokaido Shinkansen runs under but has no station.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport · 3336-4 Sakaguchi, Makinohara, Shizuoka 421-0411, Japan
> 
> 
> ★★★★☆ · Airport
> 
> 
> 
> 
> maps.app.goo.gl
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JR Tokai has adamantly refused to do so since there are already Shinkansen stations 16km to the West at Kakegawa and 28km to the east of the airport at Shizuoka station.
> 
> The Chuo Shinkansen passes through the Northern part of Shizuoka prefecture with not much population. He's just holding the Chuo line at ransom so he can get his Airport station.
> 
> I don't think JR Tokai will build a shinkansen station under the Airport though. Their best bet of a compromise is to partner with Oigawa railway to extend their tracks from Kanaya station to the airport to connect it to the Tokaido main line. Hopefully that should allow them to gain environmental clearance to tunnel through the Shizuoka prefecture section of the Chuo Shinkansen.


It's quite a long story of blackmail.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

＜新幹線長崎ルート＞国交省、財源確保に焦り　佐賀県、明確にフル規格「ノー」｜行政・社会｜佐賀新聞ニュース｜佐賀新聞LiVE


九州新幹線長崎ルートの未着工区間（新鳥栖－武雄温泉）を速やかにフル規格で整備するためのタイムリミットは７月末－。国土交通省が提案した複数の整備方式に対応する環境影響評価（アセスメント）の狙いはこのタイムリミットをしのぎ、佐賀県の理解を得るための時間的猶予を確保することだった。県は１５日の国交省との協議で改めて提案を固辞し、当面はフル規格を受け入れない明確な姿勢を貫いた。議論は一つの節目を迎える。　なぜ７月末がタイムリミットなのか。これまで整備新幹線は複数区間の建設財源を同時に確保してきた。




www.saga-s.co.jp





summary translation
There are problems in securing money for the Saga section of the Shinkansen to Nagasaki
the MLIT has less money to use since they had to use it this year to help restore the Hokuriku Shinkansen after last year's flooding
secondly Saga Prefecture also has problems meeting some of the standards which were supposed to be met by the end of this month
the solution is to postpone deadlines.


----------



## chaser9

Vishek said:


> Isn't part of the reason because the airport will have a similar travel time on the Shinkansen from Tokyo as Narita?


It currently takes roughly 1hr to go from Narita to Tokyo station using either the Keisei Narita Skyliner line or the limousine bus. It costs ¥2,664 on the Skyliner and ¥1,000 on the bus. Currently on the Shinkansen it takes 1:21 from Shizuoka station to Tokyo and 1:38 from Kakegawa station to Tokyo. It costs ¥6,470 and ¥8,000 respectively. A station at the Shizuoka airport will fall somewhere in between those 2 in both time and price. 

I bring this up because Narita is mostly a low cost carrier airport with mostly leisure customers. Since they are usually on a budget, I don't see them willing to spend an extra 20mins in travel time or more importantly 2.5X or 6.5X of what they would spend to get to Tokyo from their arrival airport. Never mind the fact that no commercial international airline will land in a tiny 2.5km runway airport 1:30mins from Tokyo even if it has Mt. Fuji in its name when they can land in Narita. Narita also has lots of unused capacity. 

For business travelers, it's always been Haneda and with the new flight path added in March of this year, it is set to accommodate more traffic. The demand there has been far greater due to its close proximity to Tokyo (26mins on the Keikyu line and 34mins on the Tokyo monorail). The Shizuoka airport was highly unnecessary to begin with as most visitors to Mt. Fuji usually visit Tokyo first before heading to the Mountain. Adding a Shinkansen station under it would add no benefit but slow down the entire Tokaido Shinkansen corridor.


----------



## chaser9

RyukyuRhymer said:


> ＜新幹線長崎ルート＞国交省、財源確保に焦り　佐賀県、明確にフル規格「ノー」｜行政・社会｜佐賀新聞ニュース｜佐賀新聞LiVE
> 
> 
> 九州新幹線長崎ルートの未着工区間（新鳥栖－武雄温泉）を速やかにフル規格で整備するためのタイムリミットは７月末－。国土交通省が提案した複数の整備方式に対応する環境影響評価（アセスメント）の狙いはこのタイムリミットをしのぎ、佐賀県の理解を得るための時間的猶予を確保することだった。県は１５日の国交省との協議で改めて提案を固辞し、当面はフル規格を受け入れない明確な姿勢を貫いた。議論は一つの節目を迎える。　なぜ７月末がタイムリミットなのか。これまで整備新幹線は複数区間の建設財源を同時に確保してきた。
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.saga-s.co.jp
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summary translation
> There are problems in securing money for the Saga section of the Shinkansen to Nagasaki
> the MLIT has less money to use since they had to use it this year to help restore the Hokuriku Shinkansen after last year's flooding
> secondly Saga Prefecture also has problems meeting some of the standards which were supposed to be met by the end of this month
> the solution is to postpone deadlines.


They'll just have keep pushing the delivery date.


----------



## chaser9

Reposting from Japan Maglev thread.

*JR Tokai Linear Chuo Shinkansen Shinagawa Station's "First Metropolitan Area Tunnel" progress is announced.*




> *JR東海、リニア中央新幹線 品川駅至近で進める「第一首都圏トンネル」進捗を公開。シールドマシン組立は9月完了、2021年度発進へ*
> JR東海（東海旅客鉄道）は、リニア中央新幹線 東京～名古屋間工事のために品川駅近くで進めているシールドマシン組み立てなどの進捗状況を公開した。
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> travel.watch.impress.co.jp


Summary

Assembly of the TBM in the Kita Shinagawa area began in April and will be completed at the end of September, then the TBM will be installed from the start point in October, and preparations will be made for commencement of boring.










^^ Lowering of the Cutter head into the 32m diameter shaft.









































^^
TBM diameter - 14.5m
TBM wieght - 3,000t
tunnelling speed 20m per day, 400m per month.





















Image source


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## RyukyuRhymer

Shinkansen service disrupted by greenhouse | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News


Service on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line was partially disrupted for six hours on Saturday after a bullet train hit a greenhouse.




www3.nhk.or.jp





Shinkansen hits a 'greenhouse'.
well a better title would be.. Shinkansen hits a tarp


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## RyukyuRhymer

新幹線で宅配便荷物を　余剰スペースの有効活用　JR九州、佐川急便と貨客混載事業で協業へ | 鉄道ニュース | 鉄道チャンネル


JR九州と佐川急便は2020年8月26日（水）、宅配便荷物を九州新幹線で運ぶ貨客混載事業の協業に関する基本合意に至ったと発表した。 集配効率を高めるために列車を使った貨客混載事業の




tetsudo-ch.com





summary translation

JR Kyushu Shinkansen trains also now being used as couriers, such as collaborating with Sagawa
so these high speed trains will be mixed passenger-freight


----------



## VITORIA MAN

i follow this thread but it doesnt appear on whats new


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## Lw25

I don't think that is technically a mixed passenger-freight train. Railway parcels are or were something pretty normal in a lot of countries. Even in Japan, back when they were still using wagons in passenger trains, there were transporting parcels in passenger trains.


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## naruciakk

Some European (at least I know about European ones) passenger rail companies provide a service that you put your package on a train and someone else can then pick this package at their station. Of course, there are some size and weight constraints but overall it is highly efficient (because it's not very expensive) and very fast, like, a courier company would probably send someone in a direct car to go from one city to another, it'd be slower and much, much more expensive.


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## RyukyuRhymer

Translated summary: the Kyushu Shinkansen portion from Nagasaki to Takeo Onsen will be completed by 2022


https://railf.jp/news/2020/09/27/190000.html


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## RyukyuRhymer

news clip of the above mentioned Kyushu Shinkansen with progress


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

JR East has a new Welcome Rail Pass








Explore Tokyo and Beyond


Travel securely with JR EAST, where your safety comes first.



www.eastjapanrailway.com





3 days, all you can ride on JR East, as well as several smaller rail company lines! Limited to eastern Japan, but includes all SHinkansen and regular trains.
its also can be used by foreigner NONE TOURISTS too.
so those exchange students, guest workers, etc can buy it

its 12,000 yen. May be of interest to you guys traveling to Japan, especially those planning to use the shinkansen as they get pricey
keep in mind 12,000 is really cheap and its unlimited use for 3 days. a trip on the shinkansen from Tokyo to Aomori, one way, is closer to 30,000!


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## M-NL

RyukyuRhymer said:


> As a result they are switching from 16 cars to 10 cars.





RyukyuRhymer said:


> There are no transfers.
> ...
> If you are Akita bound, you will be placed in the part of the Shinkansen that will go to Akita. If not, you will be in the other car.


Now I'm confused. An E5 set has 10 cars, an E6 set 6 cars, so coupled together 16 cars. AFAIK JR East does not currently operate 16 car trains.
Therefore I assumed that when you reduce train length from 16 cars to 10 cars, the easiest way to do that is to run a solo E5 on the Tohoku and have Akita passengers change to different train in Morioka, because the E5 can't run there. Did I assume wrong?
The only way to shorten from 16 cars to 10 cars AND prevent transfers is by reducing E5 sets to say 6 cars and E6 sets to say 4 cars, for a total of 10 cars when coupled, in order to continue current operations. That didn't make sense to me, hence I assumed solo E5 running.


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## RyukyuRhymer

^ when I went to Akita last month, when the changes took effect, I was simply placed in the red car.
I don't remember how many cars total was in the Akita shinkansen at that time, but I do recall it was shorter


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## luacstjh98

E6 series trains are made up of 7-car sets. What the article is more likely referring to is that the 6-car E3-0 series, formerly used on Komachi services before the introduction of the E6, are being retired (which they were in November). These E3-0 sets often acted as additional cars for Yamabiko operations; with the decrease in passenger traffic, the additional cars are no longer needed and the E3-0 are thus gone.






While it's entirely possible that E6 basically becomes a limited express stock on the zairaisen portions of the Akita route - maybe even departing from the Tazawako Line platforms downstairs at Morioka, I don't see JR East doing it. It pisses money away, and they love money.


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## RyukyuRhymer

だいぶできたぞ九州新幹線「武雄温泉～長崎」 2022年秋開業 工事の様子を動画で | 乗りものニュース


レールも敷設、駅もできてきています！




trafficnews.jp





Summary translation

Kyushu Shinkansen, Takeo-Onsen to Nagasaki, to open in fall 2022
Basically all the tunnelling and other hard structures is complete
what is remaining is completing all the track installations and building the stations

two shinkansen only stations were named. Ureshino Onsen and Shin Omura
passengers from Hakata will still need to take the Kamome express to Takeo-Onsen then transfer to complete the journey to Nagasaki


for me personally, dunno how the interior of the shinkansen for this new part will be like
but the Kamome had a much nicer and comfier interior than the current Kyushu shinkansen


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## M-NL

My guess would be to expect the first series of 8-car N700S trains, with a similar interior to the current N700s. As long as you're in 2+2 seating it doesn't look to bad to me.

The interior of a Shinkansen 800 series doesn't look to bad to me either. It completely consists of 2+2 seating.


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## RyukyuRhymer

^ the 800, which is used in Kyushu is nice.. as is the Akita shinkansen's E6 (which uses 2 + 2 rather htan the 3 + 2 of the Tohoku shinkansen9

but the Kamome's standard seating is something else. For me personally at least, it's the nicest seating and interior I've rode so far that isn't some luxury train.


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## RyukyuRhymer

九州新幹線またも名跡襲名　長崎ルートのフル規格区間は「かもめ」に決定（産経新聞） - Yahoo!ニュース


　ＪＲ九州が令和４年秋に開業予定の九州新幹線長崎ルートのフル規格区間（武雄温泉－長崎間）を走る列車名を「かもめ」に決定したと発表した。現在、博多－長崎間を結ぶ在来線特急の愛称が横滑りする。「ひかり」




news.yahoo.co.jp





summary TLDR

JR Kyushu officially names the Kyushu Shinkansen train as the Kamome (we all knew this but now it is official).
the name Kamome is currently being used by the express train from Nagasaki to Hakata station

Kamome, alongside Fuji, Sakura and Tsubame are special among Japanese trains since they were used from the pre-war era
so that's why they want to continue using the Kamome name.


----------



## Lw25

RyukyuRhymer said:


> 九州新幹線またも名跡襲名　長崎ルートのフル規格区間は「かもめ」に決定（産経新聞） - Yahoo!ニュース
> 
> 
> ＪＲ九州が令和４年秋に開業予定の九州新幹線長崎ルートのフル規格区間（武雄温泉－長崎間）を走る列車名を「かもめ」に決定したと発表した。現在、博多－長崎間を結ぶ在来線特急の愛称が横滑りする。「ひかり」
> 
> 
> 
> 
> news.yahoo.co.jp
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summary TLDR
> 
> JR Kyushu officially names the Kyushu Shinkansen train as the Kamome (we all knew this but now it is official).
> the name Kamome is currently being used by the express train from Nagasaki to Hakata station
> 
> Kamome, alongside Fuji, Sakura and Tsubame are special among Japanese trains since they were used from the pre-war era
> so that's why they want to continue using the Kamome name.


Nozomi is also pre-war. It ran between occupied Korea and Manchukuo.


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## Coccodrillo

I know that they initially planned to operate the Nagasaki line with variable gauge trains and that they dropped the idea because of technical problems, but why they decided to transfer passenger midway rather than temporarily laying narrow gauge tracks on the Takeo Onsen-Nagasaki HSL? This section is only 67 km long, so convert it to standard gauge in the future wouldn't be too difficult. And although narrow gauge trains would be slower than standard gauge HS trains, the time gained on that 67 km section due to the faster speed will be lost during transhipment. In addition, having a standard gauge line isolated from the others will be operationally more annoying (two depots, two groups of spare trainsets, two groups of maintenance vehicles...).









Kyushu Shinkansen - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org


----------



## M-NL

Would it be viable to lay dual gauge track on that 67 km section and operate it as gauntlet track using mini-Shinkansen trains if 'regular' Shinkansen trains don't fit?


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## luacstjh98

It's probably a form of political pressure to get Saga Prefecture to relent to building full shinkansen within the prefecture.

Mini shinkansen or gauntlet track would basically be a cheap win for them, but still bad service on the dedicated infrastructure.


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## Lw25

There is a lot of political pressure on Shinkansen scheme in Japan. I remind you that prefectures have to finance it and then take over local lines because JRs closes local lines along Shinkansen lines. Even not that very local one. Large chunks of Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line are now owned by four different so called "third party" in fact prefectural and municipal companies. So I'm not surprised Saga and Shizuoka (they blocked Chuo Shinkansen construction) don't want to participate in plan to construct Shinkansen lines whithout any consideration for costs or local communities. Considering modus operandi of new Shinkansen lines opened, if Tokkaido Shinkansen would be constructed today, JR Central would probably close Tokkaido Main Line from Atami to Nagoya.


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## RyukyuRhymer

Lw25 said:


> There is a lot of political pressure on Shinkansen scheme in Japan. I remind you that prefectures have to finance it and then take over local lines because JRs closes local lines along Shinkansen lines. Even not that very local one. Large chunks of Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line are now owned by four different so called "third party" in fact prefectural and municipal companies.


The correct translation is 第三セクター or 3rd sector.
Most of them tend to be in rural rail lines beyond the big 3 metro areas.
They formed because after JNR broke up into smaller JR companies.. most JR companies did not want to continue operating many of its rural routes because they usually run in the red. part of this is due to the declining demographics in Japan, especially in the rural regions where its very accelerated
They make up for this by relying on key routes that are very profitable such as the Tokaido line, or the shinkansen lines.

But despite running in the red, many cities still rely on them to provide regional cohesion and access. Thats how the third sector companies formed. Its usually a mixture of prefectural or municipal government ownership alongside the private sector.. usually local banks.

I've mentioned this before, but I worked quite often with Japanese rail companies. including JR Kyushu and JR East.
in one case i am allowed to talk about, is the Sanriku Railway reconstruction. its a classic case of national government vs local government vs JR East vs Sanriku railways. there is a lot of politics in every rail infrastructure and it takes time to get things resolved since Japanese dialogue processes tends to be very slow and they try to at least make everyone happy.
In the case of Sanriku, the local government wanted a full reconstruction, subsidized by the national government.
JR East didn't want to rebuild. if they did, they wanted to convert it to a BRT line
Sanriku wasnt satisfied with the BRT idea and also supported the local government in rebuilding the rail since they relied on customers transferring from the JR line
National government would fund the rebuild but only if it was a non-private sector rail line, so they didnt want to pay JR to rebuild. 
so it was messy. after years and years of back and forth.. JR East rebuilt the line but transferred it to Sanriku, which could then get access to the subsidies since its a 3rd sector company.


----------



## Lw25

RyukyuRhymer said:


> The correct translation is 第三セクター or 3rd sector.
> Most of them tend to be in rural rail lines beyond the big 3 metro areas.
> They formed because after JNR broke up into smaller JR companies.. most JR companies did not want to continue operating many of its rural routes because they usually run in the red. part of this is due to the declining demographics in Japan, especially in the rural regions where its very accelerated
> They make up for this by relying on key routes that are very profitable such as the Tokaido line, or the shinkansen lines.
> 
> But despite running in the red, many cities still rely on them to provide regional cohesion and access. Thats how the third sector companies formed. Its usually a mixture of prefectural or municipal government ownership alongside the private sector.. usually local banks.
> 
> I've mentioned this before, but I worked quite often with Japanese rail companies. including JR Kyushu and JR East.
> in one case i am allowed to talk about, is the Sanriku Railway reconstruction. its a classic case of national government vs local government vs JR East vs Sanriku railways. there is a lot of politics in every rail infrastructure and it takes time to get things resolved since Japanese dialogue processes tends to be very slow and they try to at least make everyone happy.
> In the case of Sanriku, the local government wanted a full reconstruction, subsidized by the national government.
> JR East didn't want to rebuild. if they did, they wanted to convert it to a BRT line
> Sanriku wasnt satisfied with the BRT idea and also supported the local government in rebuilding the rail since they relied on customers transferring from the JR line
> National government would fund the rebuild but only if it was a non-private sector rail line, so they didnt want to pay JR to rebuild.
> so it was messy. after years and years of back and forth.. JR East rebuilt the line but transferred it to Sanriku, which could then get access to the subsidies since its a 3rd sector company.


Thank you for your insider observations. But to be honest, I ment not the all 3rd sector railways, but only cases when Shinkansen line is opened and other lines get closed.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

quite a bit of damage in the Tohoku area
not just the shinkansen (but posting it here since i'm also stuck and will need to use the bus or Joban line)








Part of Tohoku Shinkansen suspended through Monday | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News


The East Japan Railway company says service on part of the Tohoku Shinkansen Line will remain suspended through Monday due to the recent earthquake.




www3.nhk.or.jp


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

pics of the damage to the Tohoku Shinkansen from various media sources
(mainly NHK and Mainichi)


























took this pic yesterday, a lot of stranded people who can't go on either the Tohoku Shinkansen OR the Joban line (due to high winds and heavy rain)









when I talked to the staff, they expected the shinkansen to be down for 10 days at most.
I had a 14 hour journey from Hakata to Morioka, since I was luckily able to get the Joban line befoer it shut down


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

a bit old news (very very old news) but something interesting i just learned. and some fun trivia info!

I just learned why Sendai's shinkansen curves













originally, the plan was for Sendai Station to be built in the orange area, which would have been a near straight line for all the incoming rail (tohoku main line, etc)
its also where the rail distribution terminal is. 
But local merchants were upset about that, so the rail station shifted left. and why there is that time consuming curve. But local businesses like that.


----------



## chaser9

Interesting. In retrospect, since all trains stop at Sendai anyways, the speed penalty for navigating those tight 600m curves is not that bad and it serves Sendai city center better. Though I do see it making the Tokyo - Sapporo trip more challenging.

Morioka and Sendai are served at city center but there are quite a few Hayabusa service station stops that are served on the outskirts.

Aomori at Shin-Aomori - 4km away
Hakodate at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto - 18km away.

Then again looking at the Nozomi station stops on the Tokaido Shinkansen not served at city center,

Yokohama at Shin-Yokohama - 7.9km away
Osaka at Shin-Osaka - 3.5km away.

A Shin-Sendai would have been only 2.6km away, much shorter than the others. Maybe Sendai should have been served by the original proposed alignment


----------



## M-NL

If those tight curves are so restricting, how about cutting them out by a tunnel from roughly Nagamachi to Sendai station?
Except for a curve directly North of the station the line seems straight enough to me. 
And how much would the other route save? 1 or 2 minutes tops? There is more to be gained by speeding up Tokyo to Omiya.
Remember that building a new station also requires that station to be connected to the rest of the network.


----------



## chaser9

At this point, it's not worth it to either tunnel or relocate Sendai station. And you're right speeding up Tokyo-Omiya will provide the most cost effective time savings.


----------



## Lw25

M-NL said:


> What I never understood about the double decker Shinkansens (E1 had it as well) is why they had 3+3 abreast seating in non-reserved standard class. No other Shinkansen model had that.
> What are the oldest Shinkansen models still in use by the five operators?


500 series in JR West and E2 and E3 in JR East. All three in service from 1997.


----------



## Stuu

M-NL said:


> What I never understood about the double decker Shinkansens (E1 had it as well) is why they had 3+3 abreast seating in non-reserved standard class. No other Shinkansen model had that.
> What are the oldest Shinkansen models still in use by the five operators?


The E1s and E4s were designed to move the maximum number of people as quickly as possible. Here in the UK we have trains which are 3+2 and are only 2.8m wide, those Shinkansen were 0.5m wider so fitting in an extra seat doesn't seem so bad. I have only travelled on the E4 in the reserved car where the space seemed normal from a European point of view. Metros and commuter trains have less space generally, which is what the E1 and E4 fundamentally were


----------



## Lw25

I wonder why they won't keep sets P51 (already withdrawn), P52, P81 and P82 for longer since those 4 were compatible with Hokuriku Shinkansen and JR (East and West) had to scrap 12 E7s (well, 10 E7s and 2 W7s). 

Btw, since Joetsu and Tohoku are connected, I'm thinking, maybe after Hokuriku is completedy, JRs should consider something like Shinkansen version of Sunrise Seto/Izumo, eg. overnight, sleeping train between Kagoshima and Sapporo. I know that JRs do manietance works on Shinkansen lines overnight but considering that Joetsu, Hokuriku and Hokkaido are not Tokkaido, schedulewise I think they should be able to keep it together and schedule everything fine.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Lw25 said:


> I wonder why they won't keep sets P51 (already withdrawn), P52, P81 and P82 for longer since those 4 were compatible with Hokuriku Shinkansen and JR (East and West) had to scrap 12 E7s (well, 10 E7s and 2 W7s).
> 
> Btw, since Joetsu and Tohoku are connected, I'm thinking, maybe after Hokuriku is completedy, JRs should consider something like Shinkansen version of Sunrise Seto/Izumo, eg. overnight, sleeping train between Kagoshima and Sapporo. I know that JRs do manietance works on Shinkansen lines overnight but considering that Joetsu, Hokuriku and Hokkaido are not Tokkaido, schedulewise I think they should be able to keep it together and schedule everything fine.


not sure what you mean by connected? Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen only share the same tracks from Tokyo to Omiya. After that they go in different directions, with Joetsu going west and Tohoku going north.

Currently from Shin-Hakodate to Kagoshima-Chuo... a Shinkansen non-stop would take about 10 hours. But reality is you need to change twice, once at Tokyo and the other at Hakata, so add in extra time.
If its going to skip the Tokaido section and instead use the Hokuriku extension... then a trip from Shin-Hakodate Hokuto would go down to Omiya, then need to go back up northwest to Kanazawa, before going back down south to Shin-Osaka.. before continuing the rest of the way to Hakata then Kagoshima-Chuo. It will certainly take much more than 10 hours.


----------



## Lw25

RyukyuRhymer said:


> not sure what you mean by connected? Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen only share the same tracks from Tokyo to Omiya. After that they go in different directions, with Joetsu going west and Tohoku going north.
> 
> Currently from Shin-Hakodate to Kagoshima-Chuo... a Shinkansen non-stop would take about 10 hours. But reality is you need to change twice, once at Tokyo and the other at Hakata, so add in extra time.
> If its going to skip the Tokaido section and instead use the Hokuriku extension... then a trip from Shin-Hakodate Hokuto would go down to Omiya, then need to go back up northwest to Kanazawa, before going back down south to Shin-Osaka.. before continuing the rest of the way to Hakata then Kagoshima-Chuo. It will certainly take much more than 10 hours.


I mean that Joetsu and Tohoku share tracks. Train could came by Tohoku from Hokkaido, change direction in Tokyo and go by Joetsu and Hokuriku. I know it would be long, this is why I suggested overnight, sleeper Shinkansen.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

E4系新幹線「Max」全2階建てゆえの弱点―引退迫るなか始まった「新たな試み」（乗りものニュース） - Yahoo!ニュース


　全車両が2階建てになったJR東日本の新幹線電車「E4系『Max』」が、2021年10月1日（金）で定期運行を終了する予定です。




news.yahoo.co.jp





with the E4 retiring soon, there are more articles in Japanese media about the type

here is an interesting one about why JR didn't like the E1 and E4s in the end.

first is the slower speed of 240km/h and the small space for luggage (due to the need to create space for a second floor)

but the second was that in-ride food/drink sales were poor. the E1 only had stairs so they couldnt sell anything, relying on vending machines instead
the E4 had a small elevator, but this severely limited what could be sold as they could only use small carts


----------



## Stuu

RyukyuRhymer said:


> but the second was that in-ride food/drink sales were poor. the E1 only had stairs so they couldnt sell anything, relying on vending machines instead
> the E4 had a small elevator, but this severely limited what could be sold as they could only use small carts


Did they really make enough money from food and drink sales to make any difference to the economics of the trains? That seems unlikely


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Stuu said:


> Did they really make enough money from food and drink sales to make any difference to the economics of the trains? That seems unlikely


that article doesn't really say its a major factor, just that it is a factor. I suspect the slower speed is a more important factor.

as for on board food sales and drinks
this article provides some interesting insights









JR九州新幹線、JR北海道在来線から車内販売が消滅……なぜ、廃止になるのか？（小林拓矢） - 個人 - Yahoo!ニュース


JR九州の新幹線とJR北海道の在来線では、車内販売を終了することになった。両社に限らず、全国的に車内販売は縮小傾向だ。利用者にとって便利な車内販売は、なぜなくなっていくのか。




news.yahoo.co.jp





to summarize, sales are only worthwhile if the routes are busy and the distances are long.
So for the Nozomi it makes sense, as it travels far and has busy segments.
But for the Kyushu shinkansen, which isnt as crowded, its one of the reasons why they've done away with it.
as do some other shinkasen routes that are too short.

that said, some private railways have found success selling food, such as some of Odakyu's special trains
Fuji-Q's line which is less than an hour long, still found success selling things during the ride


----------



## M-NL

Compare an 8 car E2 to an E4: both are 201,4m long. The E2 carries 630 passengers, the E4 817. Those 187 seats extra come with a 35 km/h lower top speed, reduced comfort in unreserved standard class because of the 3+3 seating, less space for luggage, reduced food/drink service. I also wonder if an E4 requires additional dwelling time, because the doors don't seem any wider as well. Couple that to a more complex train design of which only 26 sets have ever been built, I can imagine why they are phased out.

It is on the other hand interesting to see that compared to a TGV (377 seats), TGV Euroduplex (509 to 556) or ICE3 (441 to 460 seats) an E2 has a much larger capacity at the same length, because of the wider body, 2+3 seating in standard and 2+2 seating in premium, less premium seats and the absence of a restaurant car.


----------



## chaser9

The 1997 E2 serving the Tohoku Shinkansen was really a breakthrough trainset in terms of space efficiency and simplicity with similar characteristics it shared with the 1999 700 series serving the Tokaido Shinkanse. It's amazing because all current models are mild evolutions from those 2. The E5, E6, E8 on the Tohoku, E7 on the Hokiruku, and N700S on the Tokaido.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

sounds fishy.









北陸新幹線で「富山の魚売り」　東京へ朝どれ鮮魚を当日配送、事業化（毎日新聞） - Yahoo!ニュース


　富山県は、富山の新鮮な魚を北陸新幹線で都内の小売店に運ぶモデル事業を10月から始めることになり、参加事業者を24日まで募集している。東北新幹線などで類似の事業の実施例はあるが、県の事業としては北陸




news.yahoo.co.jp





summary: The Hokuriku Shinkansen will be experimenting with the delivery of fresh fish caught from Toyama Prefecture, promising same day delivery to Tokyo.
Such a thing is already being used in the Tohoku Shinkansen (honestly I ride the Tohoku Shinkansen almost every week, I wonder where they store all that fish?).


----------



## chaser9

RyukyuRhymer said:


> sounds fishy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 北陸新幹線で「富山の魚売り」　東京へ朝どれ鮮魚を当日配送、事業化（毎日新聞） - Yahoo!ニュース
> 
> 
> 富山県は、富山の新鮮な魚を北陸新幹線で都内の小売店に運ぶモデル事業を10月から始めることになり、参加事業者を24日まで募集している。東北新幹線などで類似の事業の実施例はあるが、県の事業としては北陸
> 
> 
> 
> 
> news.yahoo.co.jp
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summary: The Hokuriku Shinkansen will be experimenting with the delivery of fresh fish caught from Toyama Prefecture, promising same day delivery to Tokyo.
> Such a thing is already being used in the Tohoku Shinkansen (honestly I ride the Tohoku Shinkansen almost every week, I wonder where they store all that fish?).


It's no longer "Snakes on a plane", it's now "fish on a train"😂. I would like a movie about that.


----------



## Gusiluz




----------



## RyukyuRhymer

足湯付き新幹線「とれいゆつばさ」来年3月に運行終了　車両が老朽化（朝日新聞デジタル） - Yahoo!ニュース


　全国で初めての足湯付き新幹線として山形新幹線を走る「とれいゆつばさ」が、2022年3月で運行を終えることが決まった。JR東日本仙台支社が19日に発表した。車両が老朽化したためという。 　とれいゆ




news.yahoo.co.jp





Translation:

Sad news. the Toreiyu Tsubasa, the only SHinkansen that has a foot bath, will be terminated next year.
The reason is because the condition of the train is no longer good.


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## RyukyuRhymer

【JR東北新幹線】乗車人員が多い駅ランキング！　第2位は大宮駅！（ねとらぼ） - Yahoo!ニュース


　東京駅と新青森駅を結ぶJR東日本の東北新幹線は、全23の駅で構成されています。東北への旅行などに便利な移動手段として多くの人に親しまれる本路線ででは、どの駅の乗車が最も多いのでしょうか？




news.yahoo.co.jp





the most popular stations on the Tohoku Shinkansen
#1 Tokyo 24,973 daily passengers
#2 Omiya 15,278 daily passengers
#3 Sendai 12,422 daily passengers

not too surprising as these are the first three stations on the Hayabusa shinkansen


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## ArtManDoo

Question regarding the stations. I have seen in some stations where are provided active gates on the platforms the trains bypass platforms at 300 or even 320km/h, is there also available some technical data on web which states what is the max speed to bypass passenger platforms which are equipped with certain systems?


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## RyukyuRhymer

^ I dont understand, what are active gates?


----------



## ArtManDoo

Under active gates I meant the automatic gates which regulate when the passengers can go to the area of platform which is usually restricted but only allowed if train will stop in this station. This allows shinkansen trains to bypass platforms 300 or even 320km/h. But seems there is hard to find any data in web up to which bypass speed such passenger platforms can be used, this is the question for me.


----------



## M-NL

I would guess all the way up to 320 km/h:


----------



## loefet

ArtManDoo said:


> Under active gates I meant the automatic gates which regulate when the passengers can go to the area of platform which is usually restricted but only allowed if train will stop in this station. This allows shinkansen trains to bypass platforms 300 or even 320km/h. But seems there is hard to find any data in web up to which bypass speed such passenger platforms can be used, this is the question for me.


They are testing the ALFA-X(E956) at 360 km/h through stations with automatic platform doors. So I don't think that there is a specific limit, track geometry is the limiting factor in most cases.

In this video there is at least one pass through a station at 360 km/h.





But I have seen other videos on his channel, at more normal hours with people on the platforms (ie not in the middle of the night).


----------



## fieldsofdreams

RyukyuRhymer said:


> ^ I dont understand, what are active gates?





ArtManDoo said:


> Under active gates I meant the automatic gates which regulate when the passengers can go to the area of platform which is usually restricted but only allowed if train will stop in this station. This allows shinkansen trains to bypass platforms 300 or even 320km/h. But seems there is hard to find any data in web up to which bypass speed such passenger platforms can be used, this is the question for me.


I think he means those platform screen doors that are closed when a train bypasses a station, or when the train doors open once it comes to a full stop to serve the station. So yes, those platform screen gates are designed to keep passengers safe and avoid accidentally getting onto the tracks when a speeding train (at 300kph) skips the station.


----------



## ArtManDoo

Yes this is what I meant. Any other data than videos on this type of system?


----------



## TokyoImperialPalace

ArtManDoo said:


> Under active gates I meant the automatic gates which regulate when the passengers can go to the area of platform which is usually restricted but only allowed if train will stop in this station. This allows shinkansen trains to bypass platforms 300 or even 320km/h. But seems there is hard to find any data in web up to which bypass speed such passenger platforms can be used, this is the question for me.


To continue on from what the person above said as well, if you mean the platform gates (located between the platform and the train tracks), these gates always kept closed unless a train is on the platform (or some maintenance is being carried out etc...).

All platforms where the passing trains run on a track with the platform beside have said gates, otherwise the trains will run on a special passing track that has no platforms along it.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

ArtManDoo said:


> Yes this is what I meant. Any other data than videos on this type of system?


i just took this picture yesterday at Nagoya station as I was on a shinkansen. I normally use the Shinkansen about 6 times per month.
At this station, it seems that the station attendant has a control to close and open the gates.

Also please note that not every station that has a shinkansen line uses the same gate.
others have different closing systems.. and some stations don't have any barrier! This is especially true in the Tohoku area.
But for many of those stations that are small (and are skipped by more rapid lines).. usually those shinkansen passing through don't pass through the rail that is closest to the platform. They go to the middle ones, assuming there are more than 3 lines.


----------



## M-NL

The purpose and necessity of platform gates differs per station. As far as I know JR Central and JR West do not have have stations where the train directly passes a platform at high speed, they mainly use them to prevent people from falling of crowded platforms (or jumping in front of an oncoming train). JR East and JR Kyushu do have such stations, where the main purpose is to create distance to a fast passing train. I'm actually amazed at how little turbulence the passing trains actually seems to cause. I don't know about JR Hokkaido.


----------



## Stuu

M-NL said:


> The purpose and necessity of platform gates differs per station. As far as I know JR Central and JR West do not have have stations where the train directly passes a platform at high speed, they mainly use them to prevent people from falling of crowded platforms (or jumping in front of an oncoming train). JR East and JR Kyushu do have such stations, where the main purpose is to create distance to a fast passing train. I*'m actually amazed at how little turbulence the passing trains actually seems to cause*. I don't know about JR Hokkaido.


They are very smooth, so there isn't much to create turbulence. I've stood a metre or so away from a train passing at 200 km/h and there really isn't that much to notice after the initial shockwave. I've also stood a similar distance to a container train with some full and some empty wagons moving at no more than 110 km/h and that was far more turbulent and uncomfortable


----------



## M-NL

A good example of an 'Only in japan' story?:
Japan train driver sues over 49 cents in docked wages


----------



## portopia

M-NL said:


> A good example of an 'Only in japan' story?:
> Japan train driver sues over 49 cents in docked wages


The same company that in 2005 caused the most deadly railway incident in the history of Japan, ultimately attributed to "overly harsh penalties for lateness". They didn't learn their lesson apparently.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

portopia said:


> The same company that in 2005 caused the most deadly railway incident in the history of Japan, ultimately attributed to "overly harsh penalties for lateness". They didn't learn their lesson apparently.


its also the same company that punished their employees by having them sit next to a speeding shinkansen.
in my professional dealings, I havent had very positive experiences with them.. well almost all the JRs except JR Kyushu.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

starting in 2022, the Yamagata shinkansen will be all reserved seats only, phasing out non-reserved seat options. this is to combat crowding at the first stations









山形新幹線が全席指定席化へ　2022年春から自由席廃止に（さくらんぼテレビ） - Yahoo!ニュース


「不公平感」の解消に繋がるのだろうか。山形新幹線「つばさ」について、ＪＲ東日本は、2022年の春をめどに全列車を指定席にして運行すると発表した。 （ＪＲ東日本仙台支社・大川潤一郎営業部長） 「山形




news.yahoo.co.jp


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

JR East opens test run of autonomous bullet train to media


East Japan Railway Co on Wednesday invited the media to observe a test run of an autonomously operated bullet train in Niigata Prefecture as it eyes introducing trains without drivers in the future amid a labor shortage. During the test conducted in the early hours of Wednesday, the 12-car bullet…




japantoday.com


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

this was published today on Yahoo and other Japanese media..
the split between shinkansen and air users for different routes from Tokyo
a lot of it is self explanatory.. but I was surprised at how much difference there was in terms of preference from Hiroshima to Hakata. thats about an extra hour in addition


----------



## Short

RyukyuRhymer said:


> this was published today on Yahoo and other Japanese media..
> the split between shinkansen and air users for different routes from Tokyo
> a lot of it is self explanatory.. but I was surprised at how much difference there was in terms of preference from Hiroshima to Hakata. thats about an extra hour in addition


Regardless of the time requirements being so small, I wonder if the fact that Fukuoka being on Kyushu rather than Honshu was a factor. Public perception of traveling to the southern island may have an impact, they feel like a flight is justified, where as Hiroshima may seem as just as being another part of the same island.

I have seen similar travel patterns before based off silly little matters such as that. Flying across a state line, but going by bus or train to a border region within the same state.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Short said:


> Regardless of the time requirements being so small, I wonder if the fact that Fukuoka being on Kyushu rather than Honshu was a factor. Public perception of traveling to the southern island may have an impact, they feel like a flight is justified, where as Hiroshima may seem as just as being another part of the same island.
> 
> I have seen similar travel patterns before based off silly little matters such as that. Flying across a state line, but going by bus or train to a border region within the same state.


could be! for people in the Kanto region, Kyushu does seem to be a far away exotic place.

in my case.. both my wife and I are going to Kyushu for work this month.
I opted for the shinkansen because I'm stopping along several cities along the way and I prefer the views/ride.. even though it will take longer than a plane
She opted for a plane because she got a ticket for 10,000 yen and it takes an hour from Haneda (it can range from 10,000 to 20,000 yen). 
a shinkansen from Tokyo to Hakata is a consistent 23,000-ish depending which shinkansen you're taking.


----------



## M-NL

This just proves the common claims: High speed rail is perfect for trips up to 3 hours. Tokyo - Osaka or Osaka - Hakata are the perfect distance, taking about 2,5 hours, Tokyo to Hakata is just a little bit to far, making planes faster.


----------



## flierfy

Short said:


> Regardless of the time requirements being so small, I wonder if the fact that Fukuoka being on Kyushu rather than Honshu was a factor. Public perception of traveling to the southern island may have an impact, they feel like a flight is justified, where as Hiroshima may seem as just as being another part of the same island.


I don't think so. Kyushu is practically a continuation of Honshu due to several fixed transport links. The real reason why the Shinkansen perfoms considerably better to Hiroshima is the remote location of the town's airport. Fukuoka airport on the other hand is right in town and conveniently connected by a local metro line.


----------



## aquaticko

I'm curious what the split is on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Even all the way to Aomori, it looks like it's just over 4 hours; I have to wonder if speeding up the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen to 320km/h will help improve the modal share to Fukuoka; air transport's already so small on Tokyo-Osaka, it'd be great (environmentally-speaking) to see air transport disappear there.


----------



## TokyoImperialPalace

RyukyuRhymer said:


> this was published today on Yahoo and other Japanese media..
> the split between shinkansen and air users for different routes from Tokyo
> a lot of it is self explanatory.. but I was surprised at how much difference there was in terms of preference from Hiroshima to Hakata. thats about an extra hour in addition


My initial reaction was that Hiroshima probably attracts a lot of tourists, who may prefer to use the Shinkansen for the "fun/cool" aspect of riding on a train, whereas business travelers are simply looking for convenience and finances. 

I also agree with the comment above about the location of the airport. It's hard to overlook the cheapness and convenience of flying into Fukuoka vs flying into Hiroshima. A significant number of low cost airlines also fly to Fukuoka.

I'd also like to see a modal share including buses and automobiles/taxis.


----------



## M-NL

aquaticko said:


> I have to wonder if speeding up the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen to 320km/h will help...


If it were possible JR Central would have sped up the Tokaido years ago. As it stands the Tokaido is limited to 285 km/h and the requirements for capacity, speed, door placement and commonality on the Tokaido are the indirect cause of the 300 km/h limit on the Sanyo, even though any N700 variant could do 320 km/h without any problems. Who knows, a speed increase on the Sanyo may still happen (if it doesn't create to much noise pollution).


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

aquaticko said:


> I'm curious what the split is on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Even all the way to Aomori, it looks like it's just over 4 hours; I have to wonder if speeding up the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen to 320km/h will help improve the modal share to Fukuoka; air transport's already so small on Tokyo-Osaka, it'd be great (environmentally-speaking) to see air transport disappear there.


I dont know the numbers.. but I doubt many people fly into Aomori Airport
1. Its too small, there's only one flight from Tokyo that goes there
2. Also not much demand. Fukuoka on the other hand is a major city
3. Not as convenient as Fukuoka's airport.. which is connected by subway and a very short ride to Hakata station. Aomori's airport is a bit out like most airports.

perhaps a more interesting scenario would be.. how many people fly into, take the ferry, or use the shinkansen to Hakodate from TOkyo and beyond.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

^ that's a good point.
here in Japan, we do replace the model every 15-25ish years or so.
i.e
N500 series enters 1997, most retired in 2010 (although some special use ones still exist)
was already being replaced by the N700 which are now being replaced with the N700S


----------



## Jay

Stuu said:


> Yes, that is fundamentally it. Shinkansen run on exclusive tracks with very high levels of automation and signalling protection. European high speed lines link into the traditional network where there is more scope for collisions to occur.


Interesting, I thought Shinkansen trains went over level crossings as well though too, don't they?


----------



## loefet

Jay said:


> Interesting, I thought Shinkansen trains went over level crossings as well though too, don't they?


Technically only the "mini-Shinkansen" trains do (there is one at a maintenance area on the Tokaido Shinkasnen though). But on the sections with grade crossings they are running at 130 km/h, way slower than their European counterparts on similar sections.


----------



## PippO.SkaiO

Jay said:


> Those cars are shorter and have fewer wheels which is why they're lighter. That's why I specified dimensions and number of bogies.
> 
> If you compare Shinkansen to ICE or Frecciarossa (similar dimensions / number of wheels) they're about 75% of the weight.
> 
> That's what I'm asking. My guess is European trains are designed to crash and Japanese ones are not?


I've posted it bc the weight of the complete set of 11 cars AGV is not known.
European HST rarely have more than 11-12 cars, you cannot compare by "dimension" or "number of wheels" with Japanese ones which have 16 ore more cars (AGV also use Jacobs bogies)

Some reasons for heavier mass:

Multiple electric systems (1.5 kV - 3 kV - 15 kV 16.7 Hz - 25 kV 50 Hz)
Built for a great share of operations on "conventional lines" with freight trains, unfenced or unprotected tracks, etc
Aiming at non EU railway certification requirements in hope to sell (China, Russia, Turkey, even US)


----------



## dyonisien

PippO.SkaiO said:


> I've posted it bc the weight of the complete set of 11 cars AGV is not known.
> European HST rarely have more than 11-12 cars, you cannot compare by "dimension" or "number of wheels" with Japanese ones which have 16 ore more cars (AGV also use Jacobs bogies)


The best (also not perfect !)way to compare specific masses would be to compare trains of similar lengths (200m or 400m). But still many factors remain different (life/km expectancy, compatibility with different electric/signaling systems, one or two levels etc.). Gusiluz has a very interesting article about high speed trains life duration (unfortunately the distances run before being taken out of service are lacking, I guess they are difficult to come by).


----------



## TER200

PippO.SkaiO said:


> European HST rarely have more than 11-12 cars, you cannot compare by "dimension" or "number of wheels" with Japanese ones which have 16 ore more cars (AGV also use Jacobs bogies)


You can, because Japanese (and Chinese) trains are mostly 400 m long for 16 cars, which exactly matches the typical european double unit (2 times 8 cars and 200 m). Same length, same number of cars and bogies, just the width differs.


----------



## RyukyuRhymer

Jay said:


> Interesting, I thought Shinkansen trains went over level crossings as well though too, don't they?


indeed as Stuu and Loefet said..

all Shinkansens operate primarily on elevated, dedicated tracks.

the exceptions are the Akita and Yamagata shinkansens (or mini-shinkansens) which do both.

the Yamagata shinkansen attaches itself to the Yamabiko trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen, and use the same elevated tracks
They separate at Fukushima station, where the Yamabiko continues north to SEndai, while the Yamagata Shinkansen goes west, at which point it shifts to ground level

the Akita shinkansen is the same, although it connects with the Hayabusa trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen and separates at Morioka.. with the Hayabusa continuing to Aomori/Hakodate
and the Akita shinkansen going east

The history behind them is that they are basically a very compromised solution.
In the early 80s, the people who wanted these mini-shinkansens were inspired by the French TGVs and wanted high speed rail to connect to smaller regions.
Of course the government balked at this idea because the Tohoku region of Japan was already in economic and population decline, and its sparsely populated compared to the other regions operating existing shinkansen.
However the local prefectures, Yamagata Prefecture and Akita, naturally wanted it. They saw it as a way to revitalize the economy and reduce travel times.
So the compromise was to utilize existing rail infrastructure and facilities to reduce costs. hence why it looks the way it does.

I ride the akita one often due to work, but have ridden the Yamagata one as well (I've ridden all of them as I do some transportation work for the government).
they are NOT as comfortable as a "full" shinkansen. they get bumpy like a regular train.
But indeed they do cut time by a lot! these two prefectures have a lot of mountains, which while not being far, take a lot of time to go through due to the difficult terrain.
that said, its very questionable whether they revitalized the local economy either.


----------



## PippO.SkaiO

TER200 said:


> You can, because Japanese (and Chinese) trains are mostly 400 m long for 16 cars, which exactly matches the typical european double unit (2 times 8 cars and 200 m). Same length, same number of cars and bogies, just the width differs.


How do you account the extra weight of 2x electrical systems, 2x couplers or 1/2 bogies of Jacobs ones?
How do you "normalize" 10-12 cars ones like AGV, Talgo AVRIL or TGV M?


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## loefet

PippO.SkaiO said:


> How do you account the extra weight of 2x electrical systems, 2x couplers or 1/2 bogies of Jacobs ones?
> How do you "normalize" 10-12 cars ones like AGV, Talgo AVRIL or TGV M?


A 400 meter long train already have double the electrical systems compared to a 200 m long train.
But if you really want to compare them weight wise then use weight/meter or even better weight/axle.


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## Jay

loefet said:


> Technically only the "mini-Shinkansen" trains do (there is one at a maintenance area on the Tokaido Shinkasnen though). But on the sections with grade crossings they are running at 130 km/h, way slower than their European counterparts on similar sections.


I still fear what would happen if one of those hit a massive truck at a level crossing. In North America and even Europe that's not as much of a worry. 

It must have happened at some point, or maybe not if Japanese truck drivers are just that disciplined


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## TER200

PippO.SkaiO said:


> How do you account the extra weight of 2x electrical systems


You don't because they're proportional to power that depends on weight so the proportion remains the same (and Jakob bogies are not in the question, I was comparing non-articulated units). The only heavy part that is doubled is the cabins with their crash protection.
Anyway Japan also has shorter units.



PippO.SkaiO said:


> How do you "normalize" 10-12 cars ones like AGV, Talgo AVRIL


There is no need to "normalize", the key data is the length, that determines the floor space and capacity. Indeed those architectures are lighter than a classic european set like the Velaro, but not lighter than a Japanese unit proportionally.


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## TER200

Jay said:


> I still fear what would happen if one of those hit a massive truck at a level crossing. In North America and even Europe that's not as much of a worry.


Why would it be less of a worry in an ICE3, or worse in any random random regional train (especially older units from when crash protection was not really considered) ?


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## RyukyuRhymer

another timely paper
this one written by one of my former students and published today in RIETI


https://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/dp/22e060.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3I1dejtXS1uj5IN51_0SQgWKeCfWNypHr5Pnlxj_mipz4xueXItRc5qUg



the double-edge impacts of the Shinkansen on regional economies
the TLDR version is.. it benefitted some regions and not others, basically leading to greater regional gaps

I understand this section is more focused on the technical aspects of rail, while our local section focuses more on the developmental aspects of rail
but its worth a read.


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## loefet

Jay said:


> I still fear what would happen if one of those hit a massive truck at a level crossing. In North America and even Europe that's not as much of a worry.
> 
> It must have happened at some point, or maybe not if Japanese truck drivers are just that disciplined


Like everything else in Japan, their standard trucks are less massive then the ones in America/Europe. Road Bureau - MLIT Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Also due the the lower mass of the trains means that they brake more efficiently and togeather with the maximum speed of 130 km/h on those sections, means that there is less energy to dissipate in the crash. 
Heavier isn't always better in some cases.


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## Stuu

Jay said:


> I still fear what would happen if one of those hit a massive truck at a level crossing. In North America and even Europe that's not as much of a worry.
> 
> It must have happened at some point, or maybe not if Japanese truck drivers are just that disciplined


Ignore, repeated what Loefet said


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## RyukyuRhymer

普通列車とクマ衝突　秋田新幹線に遅れ


４日午前６時４５分ごろ、秋田県仙北市のＪＲ田沢湖線刺巻―神代間を走行中の田沢湖発大曲行き普通列車がクマと衝突し、一時停車した。約３０分後に運転を再開したが、同…




www.sankei.com





TLDR:
this morning, on the Akita Shinkansen, a train collided with a bear.
caused a delay but operations resumed.
certainly one of the more unusual delays.
however keep in mind, the Akita Shinkansen, is a "mini-shinkansen"
and the part from Morioka to Akita, are at grade


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## Pcoder

I'm surprised there hasn't been a post but the Nishi Kyushu (Nagasaki) Shinkansen opened today (23rd of September 2022).

Still no word on linking to the exisiting network, as Saga prefecture would be required to stump cash for a rail link that would only save around 10 minutes, would be required to lose the JR standard service and make passengers pay much more for their tickets (due to the limited express surcharge on tickets required for Shinkansen trips).









Newest Shinkansen bullet train launches in western Kyushu


The 66-kilometer long Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen line opened for service on Friday. The new train, christened “Kamome” (Seagull), departed from Nagasaki City’s Nagasaki Station for Takeo Onsen Station in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, a little after 6:00 a.m.




japannews.yomiuri.co.jp


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## OnRail123

I did not even know that it is not in operation, as the "Kamome" train was profiled in Japan Railway Journal a while back.


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## Stuu

Pcoder said:


> I'm surprised there hasn't been a post but the Nishi Kyushu (Nagasaki) Shinkansen opened today (23rd of September 2022).
> 
> Still no word on linking to the exisiting network, as Saga prefecture would be required to stump cash for a rail link that would only save around 10 minutes, would be required to lose the JR standard service and make passengers pay much more for their tickets (due to the limited express surcharge on tickets required for Shinkansen trips).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Newest Shinkansen bullet train launches in western Kyushu
> 
> 
> The 66-kilometer long Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen line opened for service on Friday. The new train, christened “Kamome” (Seagull), departed from Nagasaki City’s Nagasaki Station for Takeo Onsen Station in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, a little after 6:00 a.m.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> japannews.yomiuri.co.jp


5 stations in 66km is surprising


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## RyukyuRhymer

Pcoder said:


> I'm surprised there hasn't been a post but the Nishi Kyushu (Nagasaki) Shinkansen opened today (23rd of September 2022).
> 
> Still no word on linking to the exisiting network, as Saga prefecture would be required to stump cash for a rail link that would only save around 10 minutes, would be required to lose the JR standard service and make passengers pay much more for their tickets (due to the limited express surcharge on tickets required for Shinkansen trips).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Newest Shinkansen bullet train launches in western Kyushu
> 
> 
> The 66-kilometer long Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen line opened for service on Friday. The new train, christened “Kamome” (Seagull), departed from Nagasaki City’s Nagasaki Station for Takeo Onsen Station in Takeo City, Saga Prefecture, a little after 6:00 a.m.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> japannews.yomiuri.co.jp


while I know Kyushu, and especially Nagasaki Prefecture is excited about it
I think it was really ho-hum for everyone else. The 885 Kamome was already a nice train that gave direct connection from Hakata (Fukuoka) to Nagasaki station

and now, we need a transfer at Takeo-Onsen station. I think most people would spend a little more time on the train if they could avoid a transfer.


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## mrsmartman




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## OnRail123

YT link to the video: Riding on the Japan's NEWEST Bullet Train | Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen KAMOME (Takeo-Onsen→Nagasaki)

Nice paint job! Reserved seats are beautiful.


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## OnRail123

A very interesting episode of the Railway Journal: Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen: Half A Century Since Its Inception. It mainly talks about the economic and political issues of the latest Shinkansen line, plus some stories from local trains.


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## jrk_abcde




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