Japan's railway is the safest in the world
Evolution of Japan's Railways
For a long time, Japan's railways were far from international standards; they were narrow-line (1067 mm). Trains were cheaper for them in production and maintenance, it was easier to lay the road along the bends of the local terrain. However, the savings were doubtful, because such trains could not develop high speed and had a low load capacity. Therefore, the expediency of such a decision has long been in question.
At the beginning of the XX century, there were many supporters of the restructuring of existing railways to international standards. A special project was developed, and even money was allocated for its implementation. However, at the last moment it was decided to expand the network of the existing narrow-line railway. So the railway became on the one hand more convenient, more precisely more accessible, because it was possible to get to almost any corner of Japan, and on the other hand, comfort was not added, which did not please the locals at all.
The situation was reversed in the 30s of the twentieth century, when a railway was laid between the cities of Dalian and Changchun, corresponding in width to world standards. The "Asia Express" train carrying passengers on this route has become legendary. It could reach speeds of up to 130 km/h. And this is not its only feature. The Asia Express had the first air-conditioned cars in the world, and there was a refrigerator in the restaurant car. There was also a special carriage, which was more like a viewing platform, glazed around the perimeter. Inside, you could sit on comfortable leather armchairs and read an interesting book taken from the bookshelf here.
Inspired by this success, the Japanese government approved a project to build a train capable of reaching even higher speeds of up to 200 km/h. Such trains were supposed to run not only in Japan, but also to China and Korea. Construction has already begun, but the war prevented it. The political positions of the country deteriorated and the project was curtailed. In 1943, "Asia Express" stopped going on the route.
The hard times were followed by the heyday of Japan. In the 1950s, the demand for passenger and freight transportation by rail increased dramatically. At the same time, air transport and bus services were actively developing, which created fierce competition for trains. However, the Kodama Business Express, which plied the Tokyo-Osaka Route, helped to get out of the situation. Here we must pay tribute to managers who are familiar with the subtleties of the Japanese mentality. In this country, they are used to holding business meetings in person. And «Kodama» in this regard was an absolutely winning option due to the fact that he made one-day business trips possible. Thus, even opponents of high-speed trains soon became their supporters.
«Shinkansen» – symbol of a new era
A year after the launch of Kodama, a project was approved for the construction of a Shinkansen train capable of speeds up to 210 km/h. The project is very ambitious and very expensive. There was not enough money catastrophically. The project budget was significantly underestimated, otherwise the government would never have approved it. They were afraid to even speak out loud about the actual amount required. It was decided to take a loan from the World Bank, but this amount did not cover half of the costs. The missing amount was obtained thanks to the profits from the Olympic Games in Japan. The train was still completed, the total amount exceeded the initial 2.5 times.
A special platform was also built for the Shinkansen. It was from her that on the morning of October 1, 1964, a high-speed train set off on its first trip, which will undoubtedly become a symbol of Japan's prosperity and economic growth. The ceremony was held pompously. And even though it was early at 5 a.m., thousands of Japanese gathered on the platform. The train, moving away from the platform, tore beautiful red and white ribbons. And a huge paper ball "kusudama", which is also part of the scenery, opened, and fifty white pigeons fluttered out of it. Thus began a new era for Japan, and subsequently for the whole world.
Despite the fabulous costs, "Shinkansen" quickly paid for itself. After 3 years, it began to make a profit. Soon the second line was opened. The loan was repaid ahead of schedule. It seemed that it would be possible to stop there and enjoy success, but no. The Shinkansen is still being upgraded. Modern trains can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h. Now the line on which the Shinkansen runs is the main transport artery of the country. Its length is 2,000 km . And you can overcome this distance in just 11 hours.
The company serving transportation on this line pays attention not only to making a profit and expanding the network. When several residents of the city of Nagoya filed a lawsuit against the management of the "Shinkansen" because of the strong noise and vibrations in the houses adjacent to the railway, developments were introduced to make the movement of trains almost silent.
It seemed that this was already the speed limit for trains. But no, a new generation project called Alfa-X is being developed now. It will be able to accelerate to an unthinkable 400 km/h. Its operation should begin in 2030. Many who have seen the project are surprised by the very long shape of the nose of the train - 22 meters. However, such design features are due to the local terrain. There are many railway tunnels in Japan. When the composition enters them, it has to overcome huge air resistance. The train also has three types of brakes - mechanical, magnetic and air.
You will be surprised, but that's not all. The Maglev train is being developed, which will levitate over the track without touching it. It will accelerate to 505 km by reducing the friction force. For its movement, it will be necessary to create separate lines, but this does not stop the Japanese. The launch of the first such train is scheduled for 2027. And in this matter, the Japanese lost the championship to China, where such a train already exists.
Interesting facts about Japan Railway
- There are a lot of features in the land of the Rising Sun, including in the field of transportation. For example, railways are managed not by a single operator, as in Russia, but by a whole network of companies. The division took place in 1987, since then many cities and prefectures have their own private operators.
- The ticket is purchased from point A to point B, but the passenger has the right to change seats as many times as it is convenient for him. The number of stops is not regulated. However, the ticket has an expiration date, after which the travel document is canceled.
- There is no single card that all operators would accept. The most common card is "Suiku", but not everyone accepts it either. But she knows how to count tariff zones, because to understand the cost of trips in Japan is still a puzzle. And with a map «Suiku» it is convenient. You can buy it at any major station. A deposit is required for the trip, but the money can be returned at any time if the trip is canceled. The railway network is so closely intertwined with the local transport infrastructure that the station where the train stops may also be a metro or commuter train station. Trains of the same route can run on different routes.
- The cars are divided into 2 classes - regular and green (analogous to business class). There is a separate room for smoking. During the trip, passengers are asked to turn off the sound on their phones so as not to cause discomfort to other people. The platforms have car navigation, so you can get to the right place in advance, and not run after the train. Canopies are arranged from the passengers' exit point to the door so that people do not get wet in the rain.
- The Japanese pay maximum attention to punctuality. Even if the train is delayed for only 2 minutes, the driver is obliged to apologize to the passengers and give them a certificate for employers about the reason for the delay. Each driver has a personal chronometer, so it will not work to refer to a suddenly stopped clock.
- Once Japanese machinists refused to ride the Queen of Great Britain. All 1100 people. So they protested until the demands of the trade union were met. That's the unanimity. The goals were achieved, the requirements were met, and the queen took a ride on the Shinkansen, however, due to bad weather, the train was 2 minutes late, which made the Japanese very upset.
Railway safety
It would seem that in a country with such an unstable seismic situation, where volcanoes erupt every now and then, natural disasters occur - earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, what kind of security can we talk about at all. However, over the past 50 years, Japan has not recorded a single incident on the railways that resulted in serious injury or death of a passenger. No other country in the world can boast of such results. The doors of high-speed trains are hermetically sealed, so traveling by train is not only safe, but also comfortable. At the entrance to the tunnel, the pressure drop does not hit the ears of passengers. These are the amazing railways in Japan. Russian is still far from them.
