Japan is well known for one of the most advanced and reliable railway technologies. High-speed train "Shinkansen", crazy punctuality of the system, and more to be listed...
But how about present day; are Japanese trains still at top tier? Are we hearing more and more rail technologies from another country ? (not to be mentioned)
Is Japan's rail technology fading out of spotlight?
But every answer has a reason behind. Today, I would like to discuss about current status of Japan's rail technology, including the current situation of Japan itself...
"FASTEST" is not always the answer.
Shinkansen, the world's first high-speed train, rolled out in 1964 just 10 days prior to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The operating speed was initially 210 km/h and gradually increased over time. Today, Some countries HST operates up to 350 km/h, while Shinkansen only tops up 320 km/h. Some Shinkansen lines are only limited between 260 and 275 km/h. In fact, The current model "N700S" of Tokaido Shinkansen can easily reach 360km/h, and the test-trains from the 1990s could fly at 420 km/h. But it never hits 350 km/h in commercial operation.
Faster train is always a challenge to engineers. With great speed, comes great responsibilities. More noise pullution, more vibration, and higher maintenance costs on both track and train.