Hey folks, welcome back to the channel! This is *the* high speed rail explained you have
been waiting for, covering easily the most influential nation in the history of this
incredible mode of transportation - Japan. We don’t have time to spare so let’s get
into it.
If you’re not already, consider supporting the channel on Patreon to help me bring you
more content like this video, get direct access to exclusive transit chats, and for behind
the scenes content. You should also consider following me on Twitter and Instagram for
all the latest updates.
Japan has long had an extensive rail network but, given the difficult terrain in the country
and that it’s railway network is built using narrow gauge, unlike in many other countries
- Japan’s ventures into high speed rail were built upon the construction of brand
new lines dedicated to high speed trains using standard gauge, which is the origin of the
word “Shinkansen” which translates to “new trunk line”, electrification of all
lines is 25 Kv AC.
As discussed in my Chuo Shinkansen Demystified video which will be linked in the top right
corner, the implementation of the Shinkansen, which has come to refer to the high speed
rail system as well as the lines - was not only spurred by a desire for more speed, but
also for more capacity for the critical route between Tokyo and Osaka, the Tokaido mainline.
Of course, this was all done in the lead up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, as we often see
for transport megaprojects. As mentioned in our French high speed rail video, Japan was
certainly an influence for the TGV - but truth be told the Shinkansen has influenced every
major high speed rail network in the world, as it was truly the first modern high speed
rail system to be built, and in my eyes is probably still the best system per capita
in the world.
In fact, the system led to the origination of the term “bullet train” which is used
to casually describe high speed rail and which is noted for being inspired by the bullet
shape of the 0 series Shinkansen.
As mentioned earlier, the first line of Japan’s High Speed System to open was the Tokaido
Shinkansen, which connected Tokyo with Osaka in 1964.
The Tokaido Shinkansen currently has a maximum speed of 180 mph or 290 kph, and is operated
by JR Central.
The second Shinkansen to open was the Sanyo Shinkansen, which opened in phases in the
early 1970’s connecting Osaka to Fukuoka. The Sanyo Shinkansen currently has a top speed
of 185 mph or 300 kph, and is operated by JR West.
In 1982 the first section of the Tohoku Shinkansen opened from Morioka to Omiya north of Tokyo.
Later that same year the first portion of the Joetsu Shinkansen opened from Omiya north
to Niigata.
In 1985 the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen were extended south from Omiya to Ueno Station
in Tokyo. This left a small gap between the lines and the Tokaido Shinkansen which extended
to Tokyo Station.
Six years later in 1991, the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen were finally extended all the way
to Tokyo Station to meet with the Tokaido Shinkansen.
In 1992 services on the Yamagata Shinkansen began, this line was unique as it was a new
Mini-Shinkansen style line (stay tuned as I’ll break down what this is later). The
line connected Fukushima on the Tohoku Shinkansen with Yamagata.
In 1997 the second Mini-Shinkansen, the Akita Shinkansen opened between Morioka on the Tohoku
Shinkansen and Akita, the Akita Shinkansen has a top speed of 80 mph or 130 kph and is
operated by JR East.
In 1997 a new regular Shinkansen line opened connecting Nagano, host city for the 1998
Winter Olympics, to Tokyo via the Joetsu Shinkansen which the new line called the Hokuriku Shinkansen
meets at Takasaki Station.
Just before the turn of the millennia in late 1999 the successful Yamagata Shinkansen was
extended north to Shinjo. The Yamagata Shinkansen has a top speed of 80 mph or 130 kph and is
operated by JR East.
In 2002 the first Shinkansen expansion of the 2000’s saw the Tohoku Shinkansen extended
from Morioka to Hachinohe.
Two years later the first segment of the new Kyushu Shinkansen opened between Kagoshima
and Yatsushiro.
In 2010 the Tohoku Shinkansen gained its final extension to Aomori. The line has a top speed
of 200 mph or 320 kph but it may be upgraded for operations as fast at 225 mph or 360 kph,
and is operated by JR East.
In 2011 the Kyushu Shinkansen was finally completed all the way to Hakata, this linked
the line with the Sanyo Shinkansen. The line has a maximum speed of 160 mph or 260 kph
and is operated by JR Kyushu.
In 2015, the Hokuriku Shinkansen received its most recent extension from Nagano to Kanazawa.
This means the line is operated by JR East to the East of Joetsu and by JR West to the
West. The line has a maximum speed of 240 kph or 150 mph, however it is being upgraded
to 275 kph or 170 mph, similar to the Tokaido Shinkansen.
In 2016 the newest Shinkansen opened in the Hokkaido Shinkansen, the line connects from
Aomori on the Tohoku Shinkansen to Hakodate in southern Hokkaido via an undersea tunnel.
The line is operated by JR Hokkaido, and has a maximum speed of 260 kph and 160 mph and
of 160 kph or 100 mph in said tunnel.
Of course, the Shinkansen is still aggressively expanding to improve network connectivity,
link major cities, and improve travel times. There are a number of projects currently under
construction including:
A new route linking Nagasaki to Tosu in Western Kyushu. This route would be islanded upon
opening.
An extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen southwest to Tsuruga.
The Northern extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo.
The Chuo Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya.
There are also a number of projects which are currently in the official plans involving
three of the projects we just talked about, including:
Connecting the Western Kyushu Shinkansen to the Kyushu Shinkansen south of Hakata.
Extending the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Osaka via. Kyoto.
Extending the Chuo Shinkansen to Osaka.
Of course, there are also other long range plans for the network, but given Japan’s
declining population and the relatively long timelines for even the official plans these
remain mainly the musings of enthusiasts.
As you can see with the current network, the Shinkansen is almost completely linear with
one line working its way from Hokkaido all the way to Kyushu with branches connecting
to other major cities and destinations.
Given Japan’s long and slender shape this works fairly well, if Chile ever develops
a high Speed Rail network this would be a great model.
Interestingly, when all the officially planned expansion happens, the network will suddenly
have three routes between Osaka and Tokyo, which will be the biggest change in the network's
existence.
One of the greatest successes of the Japanese High Speed Rail System is its ridership, despite
being fundamentally a linear network the network is incredibly intensely used, especially on
trips between Tokyo and Osaka on the Tokaido Shinkansen which carries nearly twice the
passengers of any other line.
In total, the entire network now carries almost half a billion passengers every year, comparable
to the ridership of many medium sized metro systems. The cumulative ridership, which until
recently was the greatest in the world (now surpassed by China) and sits at over 10 billion.
Now I get to talk about perhaps my favorite feature of the Shinkansen, the rolling stock.
Japan has developed all of its high speed rolling stock indigenously and it is easily
the most unique and varied in the world.
Unlike France who we talked about in the last video, all of the Shinkansen rolling stock
consists of multiple units, meaning there are no locomotives.
The trains are up to 400m long and can consist of up to 16 25m cars.
Since there are essentially 2 distinct networks that make up the Shinka nsen so I’ll talk
about the rolling stock in 2 groups. If you’ve ever wondered why there seem to be multiple
variations of modern Shinkansen, this is why.
First the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen.
The original Shinkansen model was the bullet shaped 0 series introduced in 1964, capable
of up to 140 mph or 225 kph.
Next came the 100 series which entered service in 1985 and had an even more aggressive bullet
shape, and were the first rolling stock to include bilevel carriages as part of the train.
The 100 series also had a max speed of roughly 140 mph or 225 kph.
Following the 100 series came the 300 series which entered service in 1992 and had a maximum
speed of 170 mph or 270 kph. The 300 series is probably my least favorite Shinkansen and
was inarguably an aesthetic downgrade.
Next up was the 500 series, which for many (myself included) was the pinnacle of Shinkansen
design with its needle-like shape. As expected the sets were the fastest yet at up to 185
mph or 300 kph when they were introduced in 1997, you probably expected this because these
trains just LOOK fast. The series was tighter on the inside than
other models due to the tight curved profile, and was very expensive. Only 9 trains were
built.
Then there was the 700 series, which took the design direction back towards the 300
series, however now adding the iconic duckbill like nose. The 700 series was introduced in
1999 and despite that had a slower top speed when compared to the 500 series, at 175 mph
or 285 kph.
After the 700 series came the 800 series which were introduced in 2004 for operation on the
Kyushu Shinkansen. Compared to the 700 series the 800 series had a more streamlined look,
but much like the 500 series very few were built. The trains have a maximum speed of
160 mph or 260 kph.
Of course, the next model to be rolled out was the iconic N700 series, which took significant
design elements from the 700 series, but which had a more aggressive nose. The N700 is the
most produced Shinkansen model and was introduced in 2007. Like the 500 series it has a maximum
speed of 185 mph or 300 kph.
The model’s newest variant the N700S or Supreme was introduced in time for the delayed
Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The model aimed to harken back to the Shinkansen’s introduction for
the LAST Tokyo Olympics, and featured numerous technical improvements over the regular N700
model.
Second, we have the Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Hokkaido, Akita, and Yamagata Shinkansen rolling
stock.
The first model of Shinkansen used upon introduction of service on the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen
was the 200 series in 1982. This model had a maximum speed of 150 mph or 240 kph and
strongly resembles the 100 series. You may notice the small snowplow fitted on this model,
due to the possibility of significant snow on these routes.
The next model was the E1 Shinkansen which was the first full bilevel Shinkansen as was
introduced in 1994. These trains also had a top speed of 150 mph or 240 kph.
Following this we have the E2 Shinkansen which has design inspiration from the E1, but is
single decker. This model was introduced in 1997 and has a top speed of 170 mph or 275
kph.
Next up is the E4 series which I actually really like the design of, this model like
the E1 is fully double decker but takes more modern design inspiration from the E2 model.
The E4 was introduced in 1997 and has a top speed of 150 mph or 240 kph.
This model is the highest capacity high speed train model in the world when operating as
16 car trains with capacity for over 1500 passengers.
The E5 was the next shinkansen model introduced over 10 years later in 2011, with a very different
design and a maximum speed of 200 mph or 230 kph. The E5 has a very aggressive swept back
nose, and a new premium class known as Gran Class, which is a step above regular green
car service akin to business class, being roughly equivalent to first class on an airline.
This premium class features large 3 abreast seats, and better suspension than other cars
for a super smooth ride.
Following the introduction of the E5 came the E7 and W7 in 2014 and 2015 respectively,
whose 160 mph or 260 kph trains were deployed on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The models take
inspiration from the E2 Shinkansen, and like the E5 feature Gran Class.
The latest mainline Shinkansen model is the H5 series which was introduced on the Hokkaido
Shinkansen service in 2016, and which has a maximum speed of 200 mph or 320 kph.
The H5 is largely similar to the E5, and as such features Gran class and other design
improvements. Notably though, the H5 has a different exterior
color scheme with the pink stripe traded for purple.
The next class of Shinkansen model’s are those used on the Mini-Shinkansen, which operate
onto the Tohoku Shinkansen.
The original mini Shinkansen model is the 400 series, introduced in 1992 and with a
top speed of 150 mph or 240 kph. Although top speeds are notably much slower on the
mini Shinkansen portion of the route.
Superseding the 400 series is the E3 series which had an improved top speed of 160 mph
or 275 kph and was introduced in 1997, this model was more angular in design.
The most recent Mini Shinkansen model is the E6, which has the same design language as
the E5 and H5 Shinkansen. This model was introduced in 2013 and features
the same 200 mph or 320 kph top speed of the E5 and H5 series.
E6 sets are often paired with E5 or H5 sets for part of their journey.
As you can see broadly, there are a number of elements which make the Shinkansen unique,
the first and most notable is the long swept noses, these are to help reduce tunel boom
which is the loud sound created by a fast train hitting the portal of a tight single
bore tunnel, common in Japan.
You’ll probably also notice the relatively small isolated windows not unlike an airliner,
which exist for much the same reason; windows need to be made very strong to resist the
high pressure created entering tunnels at high speed.
Finally, there are the skirts which if you watched my MTR video, you may recognize, and
exist for much the same reason. Many Shinksansen routes travel on viaducts and through densely
populated areas and substantial pushback has developed around noise over time, which has
led to such noise mitigating design features.
One area where Japan has been notably less successful with its high speed rail is in
exporting the technology abroad. To be clear, Japan has exported Shinkansen
technology, but not nearly as extensively as a country like Germany.
Taiwan High Speed Rail is the first and only system to fully adopt Shinkansen design standards
and uses a modified 700 series Shinkansen design for its rolling stock.
CRH from China based the design of the CRH2 on the E2 Shinkansen.
and various Hitachi rolling stock deployed in the United Kingdom, such as the Class 395
and 800 features technology developed originally for the Shinkansen.
Japan is also exporting its Shinkansen technology and high speed rail expertise to India for
what will likely be the most challenging export project yet, given the number of adaptations
needed to suit the climate in India.
A 12 station line on India’s West Coast is being constructed and the line will use
E5 series train sets with maximum speeds in excess of 200 mph or 320 kph.
Of course, Japan is also working to export the technology to other countries, and perhaps
most notably the United States, Texas Central Railway connecting Houston and Dallas is largely
bankrolled by Japan, and will use 8 car N700S Shinkansen with a more spacious interior seating
layout for rolling stock.
As usual, I want to close out the video with mention of the various unique and notable
aspects of the Shinkansen. Given Japan’s role in originating high speed rail, and its
unique geography Japan has had to develop a number of unique technologies and engineering
approaches to build its high speed rail network.
The first thing I want to mention are the Mini Shinkansen, you may have been asking
yourself, besides the low top speeds, why are they called mini?
The Mini Shinkansen were created by regauging narrow gauge lines, to standard gauge so that
trains could through operate from the Shinkansen onto the lines.
That being said the loading gauge or train profile was not changed which is why you may
notice that the Mini Shinkansen profile widens out just below the passenger compartment.
While the regular Shinkansen lines do not feature mixed traffic with the national rail
network or level crossings both exist on the Mini Shinkansen, which shares dual gauge track
with some other services.
Japan’s high speed rail also has to deal with environmental factors that are not super
common in other high speed rail systems. Japan is well known to suffer from frequent strong
earthquakes, and so the Shinkansen is directly linked to the country’s earthquake early
warning system, which detects the P-Waves of an earthquake up to a few minutes before
the noticeable and damaging S-Waves. Shinkansen trains automatically slow or come to a stop
based on information from this system.
Another environmental consideration most people probably don’t think about initially is
the heavy snow which is a problem in various parts of the network. Due to this, newer Shinkansen
use concrete slab track, and quite interestingly feature sprinklers which spray out hot water
to melt snow, which would otherwise accumulate, as well as to reduce blowing snow.
Because the Shinkansen is an almost entirely isolated network, and because the whole network
operates rolling stock capable of quite rapid acceleration. The average train is not behind
schedule by more than 30 seconds. Despite hundreds of services operating each day.
One interesting feature you may have not picked up on is that the Shinkansen is discontinuous.
You won’t see an E5 Shinkansen on the Tokaido Shinkansen or a N700 on the Tohoku, this is
because the network is actually split at Tokyo Station, with separate platforms for the Tokaido
and Tohoku Shinkansen placed directly adjacent.
Notably, trains on each side operate at different power frequencies, of either 50 or 60hz. Fortunately,
unlike in some European cases like Paris, all Shinkansen in Tokyo are easy to transfer
between, but the lack of a circumferential route around the city is somewhat unusual.
One of the most underappreciated features of the Shinkansen is not necessarily something
that belongs to the Shinkansen at all, the Seikan tunnel.
This tunnel is the world's longest tunnel with a section passing under the ocean at
33 miles or 53 kilometers.
Unique to the Shinkansen network, non Shinkansen trains primarily freight also use the tunnel
which is equipped with dual gauge track. This sharing limits speeds of high speed trains
to 100 mph or 160 kph when passing through the tunnel, as faster speeds could have an
impact on passing freight trains.
Plans exist to increase speeds for Shinkansen while still allowing freight to operate on
the opposing tracks and are part of the larger project to increase train speeds across the
Tohoku Shinkansen to shorten travel times between Tokyo and Sapporo to around four hours.
As mentioned in our Chuo Shinkansen Demystified video, the Shinkansen network is evolving
to use maglev technology with its newest line. This will make the Japanese network the world's
first high speed rail network to incorporate a maglev service.
From the world's first high speed rail network to the world's most intensively used high
speed rail network, Japan continues to lead the way with regard to high speed rail services,
innovation, and technology. I hope you enjoyed this latest episode of High Speed Rail Explained
- don’t forget to subscribe for many more!Hey folks, welcome back to the channel! This is
*the* high speed rail explained you have been waiting for, covering easily the most influential
nation in the history of this incredible mode of transportation - Japan. We don’t have
time to spare so let’s get into it.
If you’re not already, consider supporting the channel on Patreon to help me bring you
more content like this video, get direct access to exclusive transit chats, and for behind
the scenes content. You should also consider following me on Twitter and Instagram for
all the latest updates.
Japan has long had an extensive rail network but, given the difficult terrain in the country
and that it’s railway network is built using narrow gauge, unlike in many other countries
- Japan’s ventures into high speed rail were built upon the construction of brand
new lines dedicated to high speed trains using standard gauge, which is the origin of the
word “Shinkansen” which translates to “new trunk line”, electrification of all
lines is 25 Kv AC.
As discussed in my Chuo Shinkansen Demystified video which will be linked in the top right
corner, the implementation of the Shinkansen, which has come to refer to the high speed
rail system as well as the lines - was not only spurred by a desire for more speed, but
also for more capacity for the critical route between Tokyo and Osaka, the Tokaido mainline.
Of course, this was all done in the lead up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, as we often see
for transport megaprojects. As mentioned in our French high speed rail video, Japan was
certainly an influence for the TGV - but truth be told the Shinkansen has influenced every
major high speed rail network in the world, as it was truly the first modern high speed
rail system to be built, and in my eyes is probably still the best system per capita
in the world.
In fact, the system led to the origination of the term “bullet train” which is used
to casually describe high speed rail and which is noted for being inspired by the bullet
shape of the 0 series Shinkansen.
As mentioned earlier, the first line of Japan’s High Speed System to open was the Tokaido
Shinkansen, which connected Tokyo with Osaka in 1964.
The Tokaido Shinkansen currently has a maximum speed of 180 mph or 290 kph, and is operated
by JR Central.
The second Shinkansen to open was the Sanyo Shinkansen, which opened in phases in the
early 1970’s connecting Osaka to Fukuoka. The Sanyo Shinkansen currently has a top speed
of 185 mph or 300 kph, and is operated by JR West.
In 1982 the first section of the Tohoku Shinkansen opened from Morioka to Omiya north of Tokyo.
Later that same year the first portion of the Joetsu Shinkansen opened from Omiya north
to Niigata.
In 1985 the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen were extended south from Omiya to Ueno Station
in Tokyo. This left a small gap between the lines and the Tokaido Shinkansen which extended
to Tokyo Station.
Six years later in 1991, the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen were finally extended all the way
to Tokyo Station to meet with the Tokaido Shinkansen.
In 1992 services on the Yamagata Shinkansen began, this line was unique as it was a new
Mini-Shinkansen style line (stay tuned as I’ll break down what this is later). The
line connected Fukushima on the Tohoku Shinkansen with Yamagata.
In 1997 the second Mini-Shinkansen, the Akita Shinkansen opened between Morioka on the Tohoku
Shinkansen and Akita, the Akita Shinkansen has a top speed of 80 mph or 130 kph and is
operated by JR East.
In 1997 a new regular Shinkansen line opened connecting Nagano, host city for the 1998
Winter Olympics, to Tokyo via the Joetsu Shinkansen which the new line called the Hokuriku Shinkansen
meets at Takasaki Station.
Just before the turn of the millennia in late 1999 the successful Yamagata Shinkansen was
extended north to Shinjo. The Yamagata Shinkansen has a top speed of 80 mph or 130 kph and is
operated by JR East.
In 2002 the first Shinkansen expansion of the 2000’s saw the Tohoku Shinkansen extended
from Morioka to Hachinohe.
Two years later the first segment of the new Kyushu Shinkansen opened between Kagoshima
and Yatsushiro.
In 2010 the Tohoku Shinkansen gained its final extension to Aomori. The line has a top speed
of 200 mph or 320 kph but it may be upgraded for operations as fast at 225 mph or 360 kph,
and is operated by JR East.
In 2011 the Kyushu Shinkansen was finally completed all the way to Hakata, this linked
the line with the Sanyo Shinkansen. The line has a maximum speed of 160 mph or 260 kph
and is operated by JR Kyushu.
In 2015, the Hokuriku Shinkansen received its most recent extension from Nagano to Kanazawa.
This means the line is operated by JR East to the East of Joetsu and by JR West to the
West. The line has a maximum speed of 240 kph or 150 mph, however it is being upgraded
to 275 kph or 170 mph, similar to the Tokaido Shinkansen.
In 2016 the newest Shinkansen opened in the Hokkaido Shinkansen, the line connects from
Aomori on the Tohoku Shinkansen to Hakodate in southern Hokkaido via an undersea tunnel.
The line is operated by JR Hokkaido, and has a maximum speed of 260 kph and 160 mph and
of 160 kph or 100 mph in said tunnel.
Of course, the Shinkansen is still aggressively expanding to improve network connectivity,
link major cities, and improve travel times. There are a number of projects currently under
construction including:
A new route linking Nagasaki to Tosu in Western Kyushu. This route would be islanded upon
opening.
An extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen southwest to Tsuruga.
The Northern extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo.
The Chuo Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya.
There are also a number of projects which are currently in the official plans involving
three of the projects we just talked about, including:
Connecting the Western Kyushu Shinkansen to the Kyushu Shinkansen south of Hakata.
Extending the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Osaka via. Kyoto.
Extending the Chuo Shinkansen to Osaka.
Of course, there are also other long range plans for the network, but given Japan’s
declining population and the relatively long timelines for even the official plans these
remain mainly the musings of enthusiasts.
As you can see with the current network, the Shinkansen is almost completely linear with
one line working its way from Hokkaido all the way to Kyushu with branches connecting
to other major cities and destinations.
Given Japan’s long and slender shape this works fairly well, if Chile ever develops
a high Speed Rail network this would be a great model.
Interestingly, when all the officially planned expansion happens, the network will suddenly
have three routes between Osaka and Tokyo, which will be the biggest change in the network's
existence.
One of the greatest successes of the Japanese High Speed Rail System is its ridership, despite
being fundamentally a linear network the network is incredibly intensely used, especially on
trips between Tokyo and Osaka on the Tokaido Shinkansen which carries nearly twice the
passengers of any other line.
In total, the entire network now carries almost half a billion passengers every year, comparable
to the ridership of many medium sized metro systems. The cumulative ridership, which until
recently was the greatest in the world (now surpassed by China) and sits at over 10 billion.
Now I get to talk about perhaps my favorite feature of the Shinkansen, the rolling stock.
Japan has developed all of its high speed rolling stock indigenously and it is easily
the most unique and varied in the world.
Unlike France who we talked about in the last video, all of the Shinkansen rolling stock
consists of multiple units, meaning there are no locomotives.
The trains are up to 400m long and can consist of up to 16 25m cars.
Since there are essentially 2 distinct networks that make up the Shinka nsen so I’ll talk
about the rolling stock in 2 groups. If you’ve ever wondered why there seem to be multiple
variations of modern Shinkansen, this is why.
First the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen.
The original Shinkansen model was the bullet shaped 0 series introduced in 1964, capable
of up to 140 mph or 225 kph.
Next came the 100 series which entered service in 1985 and had an even more aggressive bullet
shape, and were the first rolling stock to include bilevel carriages as part of the train.
The 100 series also had a max speed of roughly 140 mph or 225 kph.
Following the 100 series came the 300 series which entered service in 1992 and had a maximum
speed of 170 mph or 270 kph. The 300 series is probably my least favorite Shinkansen and
was inarguably an aesthetic downgrade.
Next up was the 500 series, which for many (myself included) was the pinnacle of Shinkansen
design with its needle-like shape. As expected the sets were the fastest yet at up to 185
mph or 300 kph when they were introduced in 1997, you probably expected this because these
trains just LOOK fast. The series was tighter on the inside than
other models due to the tight curved profile, and was very expensive. Only 9 trains were
built.
Then there was the 700 series, which took the design direction back towards the 300
series, however now adding the iconic duckbill like nose. The 700 series was introduced in
1999 and despite that had a slower top speed when compared to the 500 series, at 175 mph
or 285 kph.
After the 700 series came the 800 series which were introduced in 2004 for operation on the
Kyushu Shinkansen. Compared to the 700 series the 800 series had a more streamlined look,
but much like the 500 series very few were built. The trains have a maximum speed of
160 mph or 260 kph.
Of course, the next model to be rolled out was the iconic N700 series, which took significant
design elements from the 700 series, but which had a more aggressive nose. The N700 is the
most produced Shinkansen model and was introduced in 2007. Like the 500 series it has a maximum
speed of 185 mph or 300 kph.
The model’s newest variant the N700S or Supreme was introduced in time for the delayed
Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The model aimed to harken back to the Shinkansen’s introduction for
the LAST Tokyo Olympics, and featured numerous technical improvements over the regular N700
model.
Second, we have the Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Hokkaido, Akita, and Yamagata Shinkansen rolling
stock.
The first model of Shinkansen used upon introduction of service on the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen
was the 200 series in 1982. This model had a maximum speed of 150 mph or 240 kph and
strongly resembles the 100 series. You may notice the small snowplow fitted on this model,
due to the possibility of significant snow on these routes.
The next model was the E1 Shinkansen which was the first full bilevel Shinkansen as was
introduced in 1994. These trains also had a top speed of 150 mph or 240 kph.
Following this we have the E2 Shinkansen which has design inspiration from the E1, but is
single decker. This model was introduced in 1997 and has a top speed of 170 mph or 275
kph.
Next up is the E4 series which I actually really like the design of, this model like
the E1 is fully double decker but takes more modern design inspiration from the E2 model.
The E4 was introduced in 1997 and has a top speed of 150 mph or 240 kph.
This model is the highest capacity high speed train model in the world when operating as
16 car trains with capacity for over 1500 passengers.
The E5 was the next shinkansen model introduced over 10 years later in 2011, with a very different
design and a maximum speed of 200 mph or 230 kph. The E5 has a very aggressive swept back
nose, and a new premium class known as Gran Class, which is a step above regular green
car service akin to business class, being roughly equivalent to first class on an airline.
This premium class features large 3 abreast seats, and better suspension than other cars
for a super smooth ride.
Following the introduction of the E5 came the E7 and W7 in 2014 and 2015 respectively,
whose 160 mph or 260 kph trains were deployed on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The models take
inspiration from the E2 Shinkansen, and like the E5 feature Gran Class.
The latest mainline Shinkansen model is the H5 series which was introduced on the Hokkaido
Shinkansen service in 2016, and which has a maximum speed of 200 mph or 320 kph.
The H5 is largely similar to the E5, and as such features Gran class and other design
improvements. Notably though, the H5 has a different exterior
color scheme with the pink stripe traded for purple.
The next class of Shinkansen model’s are those used on the Mini-Shinkansen, which operate
onto the Tohoku Shinkansen.
The original mini Shinkansen model is the 400 series, introduced in 1992 and with a
top speed of 150 mph or 240 kph. Although top speeds are notably much slower on the
mini Shinkansen portion of the route.
Superseding the 400 series is the E3 series which had an improved top speed of 160 mph
or 275 kph and was introduced in 1997, this model was more angular in design.
The most recent Mini Shinkansen model is the E6, which has the same design language as
the E5 and H5 Shinkansen. This model was introduced in 2013 and features
the same 200 mph or 320 kph top speed of the E5 and H5 series.
E6 sets are often paired with E5 or H5 sets for part of their journey.
As you can see broadly, there are a number of elements which make the Shinkansen unique,
the first and most notable is the long swept noses, these are to help reduce tunel boom
which is the loud sound created by a fast train hitting the portal of a tight single
bore tunnel, common in Japan.
You’ll probably also notice the relatively small isolated windows not unlike an airliner,
which exist for much the same reason; windows need to be made very strong to resist the
high pressure created entering tunnels at high speed.
Finally, there are the skirts which if you watched my MTR video, you may recognize, and
exist for much the same reason. Many Shinksansen routes travel on viaducts and through densely
populated areas and substantial pushback has developed around noise over time, which has
led to such noise mitigating design features.
One area where Japan has been notably less successful with its high speed rail is in
exporting the technology abroad. To be clear, Japan has exported Shinkansen
technology, but not nearly as extensively as a country like Germany.
Taiwan High Speed Rail is the first and only system to fully adopt Shinkansen design standards
and uses a modified 700 series Shinkansen design for its rolling stock.
CRH from China based the design of the CRH2 on the E2 Shinkansen.
and various Hitachi rolling stock deployed in the United Kingdom, such as the Class 395
and 800 features technology developed originally for the Shinkansen.
Japan is also exporting its Shinkansen technology and high speed rail expertise to India for
what will likely be the most challenging export project yet, given the number of adaptations
needed to suit the climate in India.
A 12 station line on India’s West Coast is being constructed and the line will use
E5 series train sets with maximum speeds in excess of 200 mph or 320 kph.
Of course, Japan is also working to export the technology to other countries, and perhaps
most notably the United States, Texas Central Railway connecting Houston and Dallas is largely
bankrolled by Japan, and will use 8 car N700S Shinkansen with a more spacious interior seating
layout for rolling stock.
As usual, I want to close out the video with mention of the various unique and notable
aspects of the Shinkansen. Given Japan’s role in originating high speed rail, and its
unique geography Japan has had to develop a number of unique technologies and engineering
approaches to build its high speed rail network.
The first thing I want to mention are the Mini Shinkansen, you may have been asking
yourself, besides the low top speeds, why are they called mini?
The Mini Shinkansen were created by regauging narrow gauge lines, to standard gauge so that
trains could through operate from the Shinkansen onto the lines.
That being said the loading gauge or train profile was not changed which is why you may
notice that the Mini Shinkansen profile widens out just below the passenger compartment.
While the regular Shinkansen lines do not feature mixed traffic with the national rail
network or level crossings both exist on the Mini Shinkansen, which shares dual gauge track
with some other services.
Japan’s high speed rail also has to deal with environmental factors that are not super
common in other high speed rail systems. Japan is well known to suffer from frequent strong
earthquakes, and so the Shinkansen is directly linked to the country’s earthquake early
warning system, which detects the P-Waves of an earthquake up to a few minutes before
the noticeable and damaging S-Waves. Shinkansen trains automatically slow or come to a stop
based on information from this system.
Another environmental consideration most people probably don’t think about initially is
the heavy snow which is a problem in various parts of the network. Due to this, newer Shinkansen
use concrete slab track, and quite interestingly feature sprinklers which spray out hot water
to melt snow, which would otherwise accumulate, as well as to reduce blowing snow.
Because the Shinkansen is an almost entirely isolated network, and because the whole network
operates rolling stock capable of quite rapid acceleration. The average train is not behind
schedule by more than 30 seconds. Despite hundreds of services operating each day.
One interesting feature you may have not picked up on is that the Shinkansen is discontinuous.
You won’t see an E5 Shinkansen on the Tokaido Shinkansen or a N700 on the Tohoku, this is
because the network is actually split at Tokyo Station, with separate platforms for the Tokaido
and Tohoku Shinkansen placed directly adjacent.
Notably, trains on each side operate at different power frequencies, of either 50 or 60hz. Fortunately,
unlike in some European cases like Paris, all Shinkansen in Tokyo are easy to transfer
between, but the lack of a circumferential route around the city is somewhat unusual.
One of the most underappreciated features of the Shinkansen is not necessarily something
that belongs to the Shinkansen at all, the Seikan tunnel.
This tunnel is the world's longest tunnel with a section passing under the ocean at
33 miles or 53 kilometers.
Unique to the Shinkansen network, non Shinkansen trains primarily freight also use the tunnel
which is equipped with dual gauge track. This sharing limits speeds of high speed trains
to 100 mph or 160 kph when passing through the tunnel, as faster speeds could have an
impact on passing freight trains.
Plans exist to increase speeds for Shinkansen while still allowing freight to operate on
the opposing tracks and are part of the larger project to increase train speeds across the
Tohoku Shinkansen to shorten travel times between Tokyo and Sapporo to around four hours.
As mentioned in our Chuo Shinkansen Demystified video, the Shinkansen network is evolving
to use maglev technology with its newest line. This will make the Japanese network the world's
first high speed rail network to incorporate a maglev service.
From the world's first high speed rail network to the world's most intensively used high
speed rail network, Japan continues to lead the way with regard to high speed rail services,
innovation, and technology. I hope you enjoyed this latest episode of High Speed Rail Explained
- don’t forget to subscribe for many more!