The Tohoku Shinkansen: Full Speed Ahead

This is the ALFA-X, JR East's test vehicle, which was introduced in 2019.

This vehicle is being used to research and develop the next-generation Shinkansen bullet train.

It's currently running tests and collecting data on the 714 km Tohoku Shinkansen line

that runs between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations.

The goal is to realize a commercial operation with a maximum speed of 360 km/h.

That's 40 km/h faster than the current Shinkansen.

To increase the speed of the Tohoku Shinkansen,

JR East is working on developing new trains and improving facilities.

In today's program, we check in on current developments and take a look at the challenges of speeding up the Tohoku Shinkansen.

In 1964, the so-called "dream super-express" Tokaido Shinkansen, began running between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.

The Tohoku Shinkansen began service in 1982.

At the time, its maximum speed was 210 km/h.

With the privatization of Japanese National Railways,

the Tohoku Shinkansen fell under the jurisdiction of JR East.

The maximum operating speed on the line,

which runs between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations, is 320 km/h.

Currently, JR East operates five Shinkansen lines:

the Tohoku Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen, and Akita Shinkansen.

The section beyond Shin-Aomori station is operated by JR Hokkaido.

Partially opened in 2016, the Hokkaido Shinkansen connects directly to the Tohoku Shinkansen,

running to Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Station.

The Hokkaido Shinkansen line is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2031.

Once finished, the line will extend all the way to Sapporo,

spanning more than a thousand kilometers from its starting point in Tokyo.

People are more likely to travel by plane the longer the distance.

The challenge is for the Shinkansen to travel the same distance as a plane but in less time.

To do that, it's necessary to increase the speed of the Tohoku Shinkansen.

The current maximum speed varies depending on the section, environmental factors, and condition of the line.

The maximum speed between Tokyo and Ueno is 110 km/h.

130 km/h between Ueno and Omiya, 275 km/h between Omiya and Utsunomiya,

320 km/h between Utsunomiya and Morioka, and 260 km/h between Morioka and Shin-Aomori.

The fastest Shinkansen runs between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori in 2 hours and 58 minutes.

JR East is now working on developing high-speed technology

with the aim of increasing the maximum speed of the Tohoku Shinkansen to 360 km/h.

This is the Research and Development Center of JR East Group located in Saitama Prefecture.

Established in 2001, the institute conducts railway-related R&D.

Within the department, the Advanced Railway System Development Center is focused specifically on the high-speed Tohoku Shinkansen line.

This center focuses on innovations
in railway mobility,

specifically the development of rolling stock; as well as
transportation and signaling systems.

One of our main concerns is how to reduce
travel times by increasing train speeds.

The ALFA-X, which was introduced in 2019 to test the next-generation Shinkansen,

was developed based on research conducted at this center.

ALFA-X is a purpose-built vehicle designed
to test various technologies.

The vehicle is packed with technical instruments and
testing equipment so it's not open to the public.

For now, we are working on achieving
a target speed of 360 km/h.

The first thing that catches the eye on the 10-car "ALFA-X" is the two different noses of Car 1 and Car 10,

which extend out from the passenger section of the two cars.

The two different shapes were designed to compare air resistance and impact noise caused by

pressure waves generated when entering and exiting tunnels.

Car 1, with a nose length of 16 meters, is a modified version of the current E5 series.

It was designed to reduce pressure waves when travelling through tunnels,

while providing more interior space at the same time.

Car 10 has an even longer nose of 22 meters.

It was designed to minimize noise.

The window shape can affect the amount of noise generated by air resistance,

so they are testing different windows on each of the cars.

And to produce high output, all 10 cars are equipped with drive motors.

In an effort to further reduce aerodynamic noise,

they are now testing and comparing two new types of pantograph.

The ALFA-X currently undertakes approximately 70 test runs per year.

Speed tests are conducted at night when no other trains are running.

So far, a maximum speed of 380 km/h has been recorded on a long straight section of the line.

To ensure the stability of the
operation at 360km/h,

the test vehicle should be able to run stably
at around 10% faster than the target speed.

That would be about 400km/h.

Tests are also run during the day, between regularly scheduled trains,

to collect data mainly on noise and environmental measures.

JR East will analyze this data to develop next generation high-speed Shinkansen trains.

Since this is a test vehicle, we have
taken on a number of challenges.

Some went as expected, while others
haven't gone so well.

We are currently working to
resolve those issues.

But I'm afraid I can't talk about that because it goes
to the core of our technological development.

A lot of information about the ALFA-X is not disclosed to the public yet.

Which makes it a very mysterious vehicle,

but it was interesting to see just how hard JR East is working right now to create a faster and better shinkansen.

Yes indeed.

And there are lots of improvements JR East is intending to do by doing all these experiments,

but out of those the most important is as you said, increasing the speed.

And the reason why people want to increase the speed of the highspeed trains

is simply because it'll give them the competitiveness especially against the airlines.

And, once trains run faster, I think that more people would decide to shift from air to rail.

That will make it greener as well.

Yes indeed.

And also that'll give the railway operators more income.

And also shorter travel time could mean that more trains can be run

using the same size of fleet and that's also a very good news for the railway operator.

So once the shinkansen does go faster, what problems can we encounter then?

Well, there are various issues that arise from increasing the speed,

but out of those, the most important in my opinion would be the noise.

In fact, unless we are successful in reducing the noise,

we can't get a faster shinkansen.

Okay. Reducing the noise - let's find out how JR East is doing that.

The JR East's Research and Development Center has been experimenting with ways

to reduce noise using a full-scale model of the elevated Shinkansen tracks.

Previously, noise levels were measured outside by the shinkansen line.

Here, speakers replicate the running noise made by the shinkansen.

The amount of noise outside the model-track is then measured and adjustments are made,

changing the height and material of the walls.

One obstacle in the way of attaining higher speeds is
environmental performance, by which we mean noise.

We are working on various ways to reduce and
contain the noise generated by the vehicle.

The most efficient and effective way is to
improve the track infrastructure.

This is the Joetsu Shinkansen that connects Tokyo and Niigata.

It benefited from the implementation of noise-reduction measures ahead of the Tohoku Shinkansen.

The result saw the maximum speed increase from 240 km/h to 275 km/h,

shortening travel time by up to 7 minutes.

This is due to soundproofing improvements to the track wall, which began in 2019.

The noise produced by the shinkansen can be reduced in three different ways.

The first step is to install sound-absorbing panels on the track walls.

In the past, sound-absorbing panels would absorb water whenever it rained or snowed,

greatly reducing their effectiveness.

Now, a new all-weather, sound-absorbing material has been developed.

Steel cases are arranged along the
inside of the track wall.

These cases contain a special
polyester material

that's been designed to absorb sound.

Unlike older sound-absorbing materials,
this material is water-repellent.

The outer-layer is also made from a water-repellent
material, making it much more weather resistant.

The second step is to raise the height of the walls by adding soundproofing.

One-meter-high polycarbonate panels are added to the tops of the existing concrete walls.

And in locations where overpasses and other structures amplify noise,

triangular devices called "NIDES" are installed on the tops of the walls to counteract any escaping sound.

NIDES is made up of a series of partitions.

Sound waves enter the partitions where
they are reflected back on themselves.

This effectively cancels out the sound.

By implementing these environmental measures,
the shinkansen can increase speed,

while maintaining acceptable noise levels.

The noise reduction measures implemented on the Joetsu Shinkansen

have also been implemented on a section of the Tohoku Shinkansen.

These measures were implemented between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture.

This section, which runs through an urban area,

sees around 15 trains per hour during the day,

and around 30 trains per hour during peak times.

Because of this, the maximum speed was limited to 110 km/h.

However, making the same upgrades as the Joetsu Shinkansen, JR East was able to reduce noise,

enabling the Shinkansen to increase its maximum speed to 130 km/h between Ueno and Omiya starting in March 2022.

The next area where noise reduction measures are being implemented is the section between

Morioka station in Iwate Prefecture and Shin-Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture.

Once construction is completed, the current maximum speed of 260 km/h could increase to 320 km/h.

Before a direct service can run between Tokyo and Sapporo, certain issues need to be resolved.

One of these is the snow.

When snow gets under the floor of a train car, it causes a reduction in speed.

For Shinkansen running in areas with heavy snowfall,

measures need to be taken to prevent the build-up of snow.

To that end, the ALFA-X has incorporated a structure that

changes the flow of air beneath the subfloor preventing snow from settling.

An even bigger problem is the Seikan Tunnel, which connects Honshu and Hokkaido.

The 82-km section, including the 54-km Seikan Tunnel,

is shared by both the Shinkansen and conventional lines.

This section is the first case in Japan where three rails have been laid to accommodate two different car widths,

the Shinkansen and conventional trains.

The majority of the conventional trains running here are freight trains,

and their maximum speed is 110 km/h.

The 82-km shared section doesn't allow overtaking,

so the shinkansen isn't able to operate at high speeds.

Also, if a Shinkansen train ran through the tunnel at speed,

the resulting wind pressure could derail a passing freight train or cause it to load shift.

For this reason, the speed of the Shinkansen is limited to 160 km/h.

If the Hokkaido Shinkansen were extended to Sapporo under these conditions,

the travel time between Tokyo and Sapporo would be close to 5 hours.

One immediate solution that's currently being implemented on a trial basis

is to separate the running times of the Shinkansen and freight trains.

This will increase the maximum speed of the Shinkansen from 160 km/h to 210 km/h,

moving up the arrival time by 3 minutes.

However, this is only a temporary measure.

When the line eventually extends to Sapporo and the number of trains increase,

further efforts to increase speed will be necessary.

It's interesting to see just how many efforts are being made

to increase the speed of the shinkansen and decrease the noise.

Yes indeed.

And actually, before 1964 which was when the Tokaido shinkansen opened,

few engineers in my opinion even thought that noise would become such an issue as it is now.

But it did after the opening of the shinkansen.

So since then the history of increasing the speed on the shinkansen was basically

how we can tackle and reduce the noise that is generated by the running of the shinkansen.

I am so excited about the full opening of the Hokkaido shinkansen,

because it'll take me and all the passengers from Tokyo all the way to Sapporo without any transfers.

And on the trains you would probably see some of the techniques that has been either develop or tested on the ALFA-X.

So I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm also excited about going 360km/h - that feeling:

It's faster than German autobahn!

Certainly.

Next is "Tourist Trains in Style" where we introduce wonderful tourist trains from all around Japan.

This is Karuizawa Station in Nagano Prefecture.

It's both a stop for the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and Shinano Railway which originates here.

Shinano Railway is a third sector company in Nagano Prefecture that's made up of 2 lines.

This wooden station building was originally built in 1910 for the JR line,

however, it was demolished when the Shinkansen started service.

Rebuilt by Shinano Railway, it was moved here.

Inside the old-fashioned station building there's a waiting lounge.

And on the other side of the ticket gate, there is a play area for children.

This is where Shinano Railway's tourist train "Rokumon" departs.

This chic looking train is Rokumon.

The name Rokumon comes from the coat of arms of the Japanese feudal lord who ruled the area in the 17th century.

On the platform, the sound of a conch shell,

traditionally used in battle, signals that it's time to board the train.

They depart Karuizawa Station.

Rokumon travels 75 km to Nagano Station, moving to the JR line along the way.

The calm wooden interior creates a relaxed atmosphere.

Each car features a different type of wood from Nagano Prefecture.

Car 1, which is made of larch, has two and four-person box seats as well as sofa seats.

In the center, there is a wooden ball pool where children can play.

Car 2 is made of cedar.

Here, counter seats face outward so that passengers can enjoy the view from the train windows.

Car 3 is made of cypress.

It has 10 private two-person rooms, separated by shoji paper screens.

Onboard, passengers can enjoy a course menu prepared by a famous chef from a restaurant along the line.

The dishes are prepared in the onboard kitchen and served by the train's attendants.

This morning's course is Italian, served with plenty of local ingredients.

The red wine braised beef is wonderful!

The interior is beautiful and the food is delicious.

The train makes two 15-minute stops at stations along the way.

Passengers get off and take commemorative photos on the platform.

Rokumon operates mainly on weekends and Mondays.

In addition to the Western-style menu,

there's a Japanese-style menu and an evening menu featuring locally-produced wine.

Approximately 2 hours after departing Karuizawa Station, Rokumon arrives at Nagano Station.

With wonderful meals and fantastic scenery, everyone enjoyed a relaxing train journey.

The food was great and I enjoyed
talking with the staff.

Shinano Railway is an entertaining line, with
relaxing hot springs and great wine.

It truly is a fantastic railway!

This train really lets passengers enjoy Nagano Prefecture's local food and nature,

and, I think the use of local wood as well inside the train,

adds to giving the interior a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

And the design was done by Mr. Mitooka Eiji.

You know him.

And that's the person behind many different tourist trains and passenger trains across Japan.

And if you are fan of Mr. Mitooka's designs,

then the Rokumon is certainly yet another vehicle you can enjoy.

And also the Rokumon is a refurbished version of Series 115 unit,

which was designed and manufactured in the days of Japanese National Railways.

They are old of course, but,

the fact that they're running and still in service is a very great thing in itself.

I can't wait to ride the Rokumon myself.