autoevolution
 

Japan Unveils the New Shinkansen Supreme Bullet Train

Japan will host the 2020 Summer Olympics, an event which will see the country’s capital, Tokio, use as many existing competition venues as possible. That means a lot of people will be attending and will be in need of transport to and from the capital.
Shinkansen Supreme train 2 photos
Photo: JR Central via CNN
Bullet train interior
Japan already has an exemplary system of railroads in place, on which the so-called bullet trains, or Shinkansen, as the Japanese call them, speed at 300 km/h (186 mph) from station to station.

Last week, Japanese authorities pulled the wraps off the newest generation of the Shinkansen, one that even if it doesn’t bring any increase in speed, is 11 tons lighter than the model currently in use and will thus use less energy.

Called N700S, or Supreme, the new train will make use of a special nose design to reduce the noise made when it enters tunnels. The design of the front end will also make for less wind resistance.

The Supreme will at first link Tokyo and Shin-Osaka starting 2020, but the cars will begin testing this year.

According to CNN, the interior of the carts has also been modified to allow more customization options. The Supreme will be shorter than the existing versions, as it will be made of up to 12 cars instead of 16.

The rail system based on the Shinkansen is renowned for being one of the most reliable in the world. According to data compiled in 2014, the trains had an average delay from schedule of under a minute per year.

The record was achieved in 1997, when the delay nationwide was of only 18 seconds. Usually, delays are accompanied by public apologies and at times resignations.

The obsession the Japanese have with being on time meant that last year, when a train linking Tokyo and Tsukuba came 20 seconds early into the station, the company operating it had to issue an apology as well.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories