Japan at full speed

Launched in 1964 for the first Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Shinkansen, the emblematic high-speed train, was operated by the national company until the end of the 1980s. Privatised in 1987, Japan Railways is now divided into geographical zones, managed by six independent companies, all called JR. Among these, Central Japan Railways, in charge of the Tokyo/Nagoya/Osaka line, is going to invest 23 billion yen, or nearly 170 million euros, to build a new line and an even more efficient train. The aim is to use "super-conductivity" or "Maglev" technology, the magnetic levitation invented in the United States. The Maglev, which the Japanese are already calling the "Linea", will be a monorail capable of reaching effective peak speeds of 500 km/h, whereas the Shinkansen reaches "only" 285 km/h. The first section, Tokyo/Nagoya, should be operational from 2027. But why build a new line to serve the same cities? "Because the route will not be the same, but also because the Shinkansen line stops 17 times along the way, notably in Kyoto, which will not be served by the Maglev, and finally because the Maglev will take 40 minutes, compared with 1h40 today, to travel from Tokyo to Nagoya, and then only 27 minutes, compared with 45, to finally reach Osaka."explains Teruyoshi Nagashima, spokesman for Central JR. The Maglev will only make 10 stops in total, including two in common with the Shinkansen. "It will be a mode of transport that is almost as fast as air travel, but more environmentally friendly."he continues.

When it comes to safety, we can also imagine a perfect record. Like the Shinkansen, which has had zero fatalities and zero injuries for over 50 years. "These records are unique in the world, as are those for punctuality, with an average delay of 36 seconds per train."explains the spokesman. Since 1964, 560 billion passengers have travelled by Shinkansen. Maglev undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of it.