Heralding the Age of High-Speed Rail Transport Network Expands East and West High-Tech Operation Systems Supporting Exacting Operation Assuring Safety and Comfort

Shinkansen high-speed rail service started 36 years ago, attracting attention from around the world. Since then, the network has been extended both east and west, the cars have been significantly improved, and major advances have been achieved in diverse areas from traffic control, safety and service, to environmental performance. In this article, we examine the course of these innovations and the large-scale, high-tech systems behind the acclaimed Shinkansen network.

Heralding the Age of High-Speed Rail Transport

The steam locomotive helped power England's Industrial Revolution, labeling the 19th century as the "Age of the Railroad." But the 20th century, which has seen railroads around the world stake national prestige on a race to gain world speed records, may well become known as "The Age of the High-Speed Railroad." Differences in geography have meant that the difficulty of building high-speed rail networks was not equal for everyone. The high-speed networks of Europe were largely built on straight lines through vast rural areas situated on stable continental bedrock; in contrast, Japan's Shinkansen had to curve along the unstable foundation of a crescent-shaped archipelago, requiring a large number of tunnels and bridges, and having to pass through densely populated areas. The Shinkansen does more than fulfill the requirements of a transport system for speed, safety, and capacity. It has faced one technical challenge after another —such as the need to minimize noise and vibration. Today's Shinkansen embodies many new technologies and original solutions.