Japan's bullet trains could soon be speeding across the country autonomously. The operator of the Tokaido Shinkansen line from Tokyo to Osaka has unveiled self-driving train tech that could launch in a few years.
Central Japan Railway, known as JR Tokai, performed a test of the technology for the media. The train ran at speed over an 80-kilometer route between Hamamatsu and Shizuoka stations.
The company has been testing the system since 2021. It allows an operator to simply press a button to bring the train to its destination.
There is no need for human intervention to adjust the speed.
The train arrived at Shizuoka Station only two seconds earlier than scheduled, and it stopped less than one centimeter from the designated spot.
An official of JR Tokai said that the company will work hard to build and realize an autonomous system and do its best to develop other technologies that make bullet trains better.
The company aims to begin introducing the technology from around 2028 to boost efficiency. Other Shinkansen operators are also conducting autonomous-driving bullet train tests.