How fast do trains travel in Japan. Anything that makes our life easier. Why do you need a maglev

The high-speed rail network in Japan is exactly what I dreamed of seeing with my own eyes. These bullet trains are fired from the platforms of Japanese train stations every three minutes. Their average speed on the route 270 km / h, it’s not worth mentioning the maximum - the next records are beaten too often.

Under the cut, a very small post about the main competitor to air travel and the most punctual passenger transport on the planet - the Shinkansen.

The long-awaited acquaintance with the "Japanese miracle" took place at the Odawara train station, from where our journey through Japan is laid. Hikari #503 promised to take us to Kyoto in just an hour and a half.
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"Shinkansen" (Shinkansen) in literal translation from Japanese - "new trunk line" - this is the general name of high-speed railways connecting the most important cities in Japan. This road was called the “New Line” because the Japanese builders for the first time when laying the Shinkansen moved away from the practice of narrow gauge railways - the standard gauge became 1435 mm. Prior to this, the entire Japanese railway network was narrow-gauge (gauge - 1067 mm).

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The first section of the Shinkansen Tokyo-Osaka (Tokaido Shinkansen), 515 km long, was opened in 1964, on the eve of the opening of the 18th Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The first trains developed a speed of 220-230 km/h.

The high-speed line network is controlled by the Japan Railways Group. JR Group is the backbone of Japan's railway network (controls 20,135 out of 27,268 km of roads, which is ~ 74% of all highways). It accounts for a large share of intercity and suburban rail traffic. Initially, the Shinkansen lines carried freight and passenger traffic day and night. Now they serve only passengers, and in the period from midnight to 6 am, traffic stops for maintenance work. There are very few night trains left in Japan, and all of them still run on the old railway, the tracks of which were laid parallel to the tracks of the "bullet train" and connect big cities countries.

There are three categories of high-speed trains in use in Japan today: nozomi, hikari, and kodama. The nozomi express is the fastest. The 500 series trains running on these lines, with their appearance, and a particularly elongated 15 m long nose, which creates the necessary aerodynamics, resemble spaceships. Their introduction to Japan's railroads completely changed the standard for high-speed rail. In some areas, "nozomi" develops speeds up to 300 km / h and stops only in large settlements. "Hikari", the second fastest, makes stops at intermediate stations, and "kodomi" - at all stations. However, the speed of "kodomi" exceeds 200 km / h, although when passing through some areas and settlements The Shinkansen's speed is limited to 110 km/h.

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Despite the high speeds, the Shinkansen in Japan has proven to be an exceptionally reliable mode of transport: over the years of operation, since 1964, not a single fatal accident (excluding suicides) has been recorded. The "punctuality" of Japanese high-speed trains is also exceptionally high: the average annual delay is less than a minute, and even at peak loads it is no more than 3-4 minutes. Becoming comfortable and accessible view transport, "Shinkansen" is in many cases today the most optimal way to travel around Japan. At the same time, the traffic interval in the morning and evening peak hours is 5-6 minutes!

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Now high-speed trains are the same symbol of modern Japan, as well as high-quality electronics, reliable and durable cars.

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High-speed trains here are much more popular than air travel within the country, since for a trip to the Shinkansen there is no need to spend time on the road to the airport, go through registration, and so on. Shinkansen saves time in everything!
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These high-speed trains are also called bullet trains.
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A little higher, I already noted that these trains compete with airplanes only by saving time. Comfort and price are about the same! Yes, riding Shinkansen trains is not cheap - a short trip can cost a decent amount. What should a tourist do?

The most economical way to travel in Japan is the Japan Rail Pass. Such a ticket is simply necessary for an independent traveler.

The Japan Rail Pass entitles you to unlimited travel on JR roads, buses, and ferries (not valid on the Nozomi Super Express). Such a ticket is valid for 7, 14 or 21 days and can be purchased only outside Japan.

8.

JR Pass can only be purchased by foreigners, and only before coming to Japan. The prices for the regular JR Pass Ordinary "adult" JR Pass are $237,438 and $562 for 7, 14 and 21 days respectively. Naturally, the thieves' JR Pass Green 1st Class will be more expensive - by about $150.

So if you are going to ride around Japan a lot, I advise you to purchase such a travel card in advance.

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On the platform, no one goes beyond the yellow line.
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The N700 trains reach speeds of up to 300 km/h, while the tilt capability allows them to maintain speeds of up to 270 km/h on curves up to 2,500 m in radius, where speeds of up to 255 km/h were previously allowed. Another feature of the N700 is that it accelerates faster than other Shinkansen trains, with an acceleration of 0.722 m/s², which allows it to reach 270 km/h in just 3 minutes.
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Now in Japan, magnetic trains are being tested to the fullest. In April 2015, a maglev maglev train broke its own speed record by accelerating to 603 km/h during a test near Fujiyama. JR Central, which owns these trains, intends to launch them on the Tokyo-Nagoya route by 2027. The distance of 280 kilometers is planned to be overcome in just 40 minutes.

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I did not take photos inside the train. I will only note very comfortable seats, personal sockets and airtight smoking capsule rooms. Country for the people!
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N700. Each such train has 16 carriages and 1323 comfortable passenger seats.
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And here is another video about the passage of the N700 series Shinkansen:

If you want to know everything about the Shinkansen trains, then Varlamov is your place.

Japanese railway miracle "Shinkansen"

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Exactly 50 years ago, in October 1964, Japan launched the world's first bullet-train, the Shinkansen (aka bullet-train), capable of reaching speeds of up to 210 km/h and forever becoming one of the symbols of the "new" Japan and its growing economic power. The first line connected the two largest Japanese cities - Tokyo and Osaka, reducing the minimum travel time between them from 7.5 to 4 hours.

For the opportunity to visit different parts of Japan, I express my deep gratitude Representative Office of the National Tourism Office of Japan in Vladivostok and S7 Airlines.

More stuff from the trip:

There are also many thermal springs in the vicinity of Hakone - it is not for nothing that this town near Tokyo has been one of the most popular resorts in Japan since time immemorial. Today, more than a dozen hot springs operate in this region, feeding the hot springs of many hotels and ryokans in Hakone. About everything in order under the cut.

Finally, the time has come to write reports on the results of a trip to beautiful Japan. The first point of my journey, of course, was the huge metropolis and capital of Japan - Tokyo. Under the cut, I propose to see pictures about my two days in the most modern metropolis in the world.

On April 28, S7 Airlines' route network was replenished with a new direction - a direct regular flight connected Vladivostok and the Japanese city of Osaka. I was among the first passengers of this flight.

Flights to Osaka are now operated weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays. From Knevichi Airport, the plane departs at 13:30, and arrives in Osaka at 14:40 local time, that is, two hours in the air - and you are in Japan. The plane departs back to Vladivostok from Osaka Kansai Airport at 15:45 and arrives at the destination at 19:05. Flights on the new flight are carried out on Airbus A320 liners equipped with economy and business class cabins. Under the cut, a little about the airport and the new flight of the green grasshopper aircraft of the S7 airline.

Japan for Residents Far East for obvious reasons has always been one of the most popular foreign destinations for business and leisure travel. This year, due to the significant easing of the visa regime, interest in this country should grow significantly. Well, it's time for me to visit.

Yes, it turns out there is still a Far East who has not been to Japan :))

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-Text description of objects used from open sources

Maglev or Maglev (from the English magnetic levitation) is a train on a magnetic suspension, driven and controlled by magnetic forces. Such a train, unlike traditional trains, does not touch the rail surface during movement. Since there is a gap between the train and the running surface, friction is eliminated and the only braking force is the drag force.

The speed achievable by a maglev is comparable to the speed of an aircraft and makes it possible to compete with air communications at short (for aviation) distances (up to 1000 km). Although the very idea of ​​such transport is not new, economic and technical limitations did not allow it to be fully deployed: the technology was implemented for public use only a few times. Currently, Maglev cannot use the existing transport infrastructure, although there are projects with the location of magnetic road elements between the rails of a conventional railway or under the roadbed.

On this moment There are 3 main technologies for magnetic suspension of trains:

1. On superconducting magnets (electrodynamic suspension, EDS).

The “railroad of the future” created in Germany has caused protests from the residents of Shanghai before. But this time the authorities, frightened by demonstrations threatening to turn into major unrest, promised to deal with the trains. In order to stop demonstrations in time, officials even hung video cameras in places where mass protests most often take place. The Chinese crowd is very organized and mobile, it can gather in a matter of seconds and turn into a demonstration with slogans.

It is the largest public demonstration in Shanghai since the anti-Japanese marches in 2005. This is not the first protest caused by Chinese concerns about the deteriorating environment. Last summer Crowds of thousands of demonstrators forced the government to postpone the construction of a chemical complex.

Asia and Europe are complete opposites. It is very difficult for a European to understand how an Asian builds his life, what he thinks about, what rules he obeys. But still, the eastern countries attract tourists with their beauty and originality, besides, many Asian states can boast high level life and new technologies introduced into the everyday life of ordinary people. Japan is especially interesting in this regard. Those who had the pleasure of traveling through the Land of the Rising Sun will never be able to forget the Japanese trains, which cover many kilometers in just a matter of minutes.

Japan is a country of high technologies and patriarchal traditions

Japan is located in East Asia and occupies almost seven thousand islands. This geographical feature affects the whole way of life of the locals. The country's population of 127 million lives in large cities. Only less than five percent of all Japanese can afford to live outside the metropolis, and this division is very conditional. Indeed, in Japan it is difficult to find an area that would not be used for the benefit of the state. The Japanese are trying to build up every millimeter of land with various buildings, as a result, only coastal strips remain free, subjected to periodic flooding.

But the Japanese have learned to deal with this misfortune, for many years they have been moving deeper into Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, creating artificial islands. A severe shortage of free land has forced Japan to develop a high-tech water settlement program that has performed very well over the past decades.

The peculiarities of Japanese life force the population to constantly move around the country. Every day, several thousand people travel from the suburbs to work in their offices located in Tokyo or Osaka. The Japanese high-speed train helps to avoid crowds during rush hours and save time.

Shinkansen - high-speed rail

For Russians, traveling by rail can hardly be called comfortable and fast. The average resident of our country, going on vacation, tries to choose air Transport. But in the Land of the Rising Sun, all records in terms of popularity and demand are beaten by Japanese trains. This is a very special type of transport that can cover a distance of 600 kilometers in just a couple of hours.

High-speed trains and railways in Japan are called "Shinkansen". Literally, this name can be translated as "new trunk line". Indeed, during the construction of this highway, the Japanese used a lot of new technologies and for the first time moved away from the traditional type of railway adopted at that time.

Now the Shinkansen connects almost all the cities of Japan with each other, the length of the line is more than 27 thousand kilometers. Moreover, 75 percent of the railway track belongs to the largest company in Japan - Japan Railwais Group.

Japanese Bullet Train: First Run

The need for new railway lines appeared in Japan before the eighteenth summer Olympics. The fact is that until that time the railway track was a narrow-gauge railway. This fact did not meet international standards and significantly slowed down the development of the industry. Therefore, in 1964, the first Shinkansen line was launched, connecting Tokyo and Osaka. The length of the railway was just over 500 kilometers.

It is not known how the future of Japanese high-speed trains will turn out, but one thing is certain right now - they will be the fastest and most comfortable in the world. Otherwise, in Japan they simply do not know how.

High-speed trains are an amazing and very convenient way to travel around Japan. In our daily movements, the main means of transportation was rail transport, and I cannot help but dwell on the topic of Shinkansen (新幹線, Shinkansen), devoting a separate article to it. At first, as usual, I gasp and admire what I saw and felt, and then I turn to history. Say what nonsense, rode the train and rejoices. Yes it is!

The Shinkansen is the first train of this class, it is convenient to travel, moving on it does not feel any shaking and vibration. The feeling is similar to that in an airplane, it seems like you are flying, but it seems like you are standing still. I found a photo on the Internet that when the Shinkansen moves, a 500 yen coin does not fall, I am 100% sure that this is not a montage. Because the movement of 300 kilometers per hour is not felt inside the train. High-speed trains

But when two handsome Shinkansen meet at this very speed, you can feel the force with which the train is thrown to the side. What should be the force (of what? attraction?) so that the train does not derail. I'm not a technician, I don't know how to say it right :).

The speed is felt only when you look out the window at the lightning-fast changing landscape, and how quickly the drops dry on the glass, the rain still did not stop.

Traveling on trains of this class is expensive, a Japanese ride from Tokyo to Osaka will cost 19,300 yen, at the rate of $ 177, and this is only one way. Therefore, what a blessing that for foreign tourists they came up with such a miracle as JR PASS, our ticket was valid for 7 days and bought it for $ 230 (if I'm not mistaken). Definitely, we repeatedly paid for it when we moved towards Osaka. Because there we only had time to travel between cities.

A ticket voucher can only be bought outside of Japan and only for foreigners with a tourist visa, that is, you need to take care of it in advance, I wrote in more detail. Then, already in Japan, the voucher is exchanged for a ticket.

Shinkansen is Japanese for new highway. Indeed, they began to develop a new type of highway back in 1940, and even then they planned to launch trains with a speed of up to 200 kilometers per hour using a new, standard width gauge. In Japan, the main length of the railway (22,231 km) is the so-called narrow-gauge railway, the width of which is 1067 mm. For Shinkansen, a highway with a standard European gauge of 1435 mm was required.

During the war, work on the construction of a new highway was suspended, and since 1943 it was completely stopped. In the post-war period, due to the gradual restoration of the country's industry and economy, the lack of available transport was more and more acutely felt. The Japanese government was in no hurry to develop rail transport, as under the influence of American ideology, it leaned towards the position that railroads would be replaced by highways and air travel.

But the passenger traffic grew, it was necessary to transport more and more goods to different points countries and the existing railways and train fleet could not cope with this flow. In 1957, they started talking about the revival of the new highway project, and the great merit in this belongs to the fourth president of the Japanese national roads Shinji Sogu.

In order to obtain government support, Shinji Sog developed a plan that ensured the participation and impossibility of rejecting the project of the Japanese government.

• Despite much resistance, he insisted on building a standard 1435 mm gauge, arguing that this would improve the quality of the roads.
• He also stated that the maximum speed of trains would be 200 km/h (rather than mind-blowing 300), so as not to focus on this issue.
• He convinced everyone that this was not a new construction and a new highway, but an improvement on the existing one.
• Declared the required budget significantly underestimated from the required one, while a loan of $ 80 million was received to pay for part of the project from International Bank reconstruction and development.

Shinji Sog consciously went for these "tricks", realizing that if he had declared the real cost of the project, he would not have received any approval for the construction of a new expressway, no money. As soon as the money was allocated, then with exclusive presidential powers, Shinji Sog began to divert funds from other JNR projects for the construction of the expressway.

Of course, the declared funds were not enough exactly twice, but the main work was mastered, the direction was set. On the horizon loomed the 1964 Olympic Games, which were to be held in Tokyo. The project had to be completed by that date. The project cost 400 billion yen. Japan was the first country to build dedicated rail lines for high-speed trains.

In 1963, taking full responsibility for the situation, Shinji Sog resigned. But his merits in the construction of high-speed trains in Japan are immortalized by a memorial tablet at the Tokyo station.

A week, or rather 9 days, before the Summer Olympic Games, which took place from October 10 to October 24, 1964, the first high-speed highway between Tokyo and Osaka was opened, 515 km long, with seventeen stations.

The Shinkansen is called the Bullet Train and lives up to its name. The first Shinkansen developed a speed of 210-220 km / h, today the maximum speed of trains is 320 km / h, this is certainly not a Chinese maglev, which reaches speeds of up to 500 km / h, but also a very impressive speed. In addition, the Japanese are working on their own version of the maglev, which reaches speeds of up to 603 km / h, for the first time such a speed was recorded on April 21, 2015 and is a world record.

The emergence of high-speed highways has changed the business life of Japan. The country's two largest metropolitan areas, Tokyo and Osaka, are "three hours away". One-day business trips could now be made. On the Shinkansen Nozomi, which travels faster than usual, this journey will be 2.5 hours.

In addition to speed, I would like to note the convenience of movement and being in bullet trains. The chairs are very comfortable, the distance between the seats both in the row itself and between the rows is such that they do not create inconvenience to the neighbors. In Shinkansen, unlike buses, planes, and other trains, it is very comfortable to go about your business, while you are going to work or meeting in another city, you can prepare the necessary information, work using a computer, there is power in all rows. Often in Shinkansen they have breakfast, lunch, dinner. Then they must take all the bags with them and throw them away when leaving the train at the station, which always has several types of garbage sorting containers. And of course, it is very comfortable to sleep in the Shinkansen.

If you are traveling in a large group, then the seats in front can be deployed so that people sit facing each other.

A few figures in the history of the development of high-speed trains in Japan:

1. Construction of the first section of the new expressway began in April 1959, with the first Shinkansen launched on October 1, 1964.
2. The length of high-speed rail lines has increased from 515.4 km in 1964 to 2764.6 km in 2015.
3. On July 13, 1967, a mark of 100 million passengers using the services of a high-speed train was recorded, in 1976 - 1 billion.
4. The maximum speed of the Shinkansen is 320 km / h, on the section of the road between Tokyo and Aomori, speeds up to 360 km / h are possible.
5. Japan's busiest railway line Tokyo-Osaka carries 151 million passengers a year.
6. The entire line of high-speed trains in Japan transports 353 million people a year.
7. During peak hours, the Shinkansen runs at three-minute intervals, with up to 13 trains with 16 cars running in each direction. Each car has 1323 comfortable passenger seats.
8. The length of each car is 25 meters, except for the head car. Total train length 400 meters
9. During the construction of the Tokyo-Osaka line, 3,000 bridges and 67 tunnels were built, with a length of 108 km.
10. In traveling up to 800 kilometers, the Japanese prefer the Shinkansen over air travel. Because ticket prices are comparable, while traveling by train is more comfortable, and given the procedure for registering and boarding an airplane, as well as the fact that airports are far from cities, it is certainly more convenient to arrive at the train departure and get off at the desired station near the center of the city.

On March 26, 2016, a high-speed line connected the skeletons of Honshu and Hokkaido. Construction of the railway began in May 2005 in Aomori (North of Honshu) and ended 11 years later in Hakodate (North of Hokkaido). The railway runs at a depth of 240 meters, 100 meters below the seabed. The unique Seikan Tunnel, which connects the two islands, is the deepest tunnel in the world and the second longest. The length of Seikan is 53.85 km, its underwater part is 23.3 km.

The Shinkansen speed on this stretch of road is 360 km/h. From Tokyo to Sapporo can be reached in 3 hours 57 minutes.

Shinkansen is so precise and punctual that any deviation from the schedule is regarded as an emergency. In 2014, the average train delay was 54 seconds. In 2017, the statistics should have changed for the worse, since personally our train, on which we had to go to Matsumoto due to the October typhoon Lan, was delayed for 3 hours, as a fallen tree damaged the highway. But by the way, that an hour later the trains went on as usual and boarding another, not our own train, we drove on.

Shinkansen is a safe mode of transport , despite frequent earthquakes and typhoons, in its more than 50-year history, there has not been a single fatality as a result of a collision or. Cases of settling the score with life are not taken into account. Everyone remembers the sensational story in 2015, when a Shinkansen passenger on the Tokyo-Osaka route set himself on fire on a train carrying 1,000 passengers. As a result of this incident, 80 people were injured (slightly, mainly from smoke) and two cases of clinical death were announced.

In Japan, 6% of suicides occur on railway lines. On average, 2,000 people jump under a train every year, due to the seeming simplicity of settling accounts with life. Often, railway companies sue relatives for damages caused by downtime. In turn, measures are being taken to reduce such cases: stations are equipped with blue illuminating LEDs, trains are painted in bright colors. green color(which, in principle, I have not often seen) - this should calm the jumpers. But the most effective thing is that barriers are installed at the stations that do not allow approaching the railway track, and only at the moment the Shinkansen stops do the doors open for passage to the train.

At stations in the Kyoto and Osaka areas, namely on expressways, there are such barriers almost everywhere, so I assume that now barriers are being installed everywhere. Of course, it is not so beautiful to look at the incoming and outgoing trains, but it is safe for people.

A little more about security.

Two crashes of high-speed trains have been officially recorded. The first occurred on October 23, 2004 in Chuetsu, in Niigata Prefecture, during a massive 6.6 magnitude earthquake. The Shinkansen passed close to the epicenter at a speed of 210 km/h and derailed. Emergency braking was completed within seventy seconds with a stopping distance of 1.6 km. There were 155 passengers on the train, none of them were injured.

The second incident occurred on March 2, 2013 on the northern stretch of road in Akita Prefecture. At this time, a record amount of snow fell. The train was traveling at a minimum speed of 20 mph due to heavy snowfall, and the driver, having heard a loud uncharacteristic sound, began to brake the train. Traffic in the area was immediately stopped. Considering that the train was far from the tracks, the passengers of the train, who were 130 people, had to wait for help and evacuation for six hours until the bus arrived. All this time, electricity and heating were turned on in the pastures. None of the passengers were hurt. The crash happened on Saturday, traffic on this section of the road was restored only on Monday.

Japan's high-speed roads that Shinkansen travel on are completely separate from the regular highways that regular trains run on. At each metro station, you need to find signs indicating the direction to the exit to the platform to Shinkansen. Ticket offices for these trains are also located separately. Having a JR Pass in hand, we tried several times to book a seat at such ticket offices, but there were always a dozen or more people in line, and as usual we were in a hurry to catch the train. Therefore, we rushed to the train and sat on empty seats in the car. Considering that our movement took place mainly during the day, there were no special problems, that is, it is not at all necessary to book seats on a passing train. By the way, in Shinkansen quite often controllers pass through the car and check tickets from passengers.

The railroads themselves for high-speed trains also pass separately from the usual ones, which allows the Shinkensen to move without any delays. Shinkansen carry only passengers and do not carry cargo, operating hours from six in the morning until midnight.

In addition to speed, cleanliness, comfort and convenience, I was struck by the fact that high-speed trains in Japan are so popular, despite the high cost of tickets. The bulk of the passengers are people, mostly men, in business suits. Therefore, the conclusion suggests itself that they go to work, on a business trip, and so on to neighboring cities and regions. Children also meet school age already in smaller numbers. And on the line passing through Osaka, Kyoto, there are many foreign tourists with huge backpacks. The Japanese on the road prefer suitcases and business briefcases.

On the platforms waiting for the train, the Japanese line up and do not crowd in front of the supposed carriage door. If the location of the doors (if there is no special fence) and the car number are drawn on the platform on the floor, then it is in this place that the door will be located when the train stops, everything is as usual accurate and punctual.

I have not seen the terrible pictures that are on the Internet about the endless flow of passengers in the subway, but eyewitnesses say that this is really true. This happens on especially busy lines during rush hour.

• Friends, Olga Tanaka, in the comments to this article, wrote a voluminous, lively information that seemed very interesting to me. Olga lives in Japan and knows not only the pros, but also the cons of high-speed trains. So that her information is not lost in the comments section, I, with the consent of the author, transfer it to the main part of the article, and my answer will be posted in the comments section.

Congratulations on a new interesting and rich article! Of course, having considerable experience of riding in shinkansen, I have some comments:

(1) Personally, I can't sleep in the shinkansen. The reason for this is the frequent travel of passengers. The Shinkansen car is not a reserved seat, much less a compartment, but rows of seats like in an Aeroexpress. When traveling alone, fellow travelers change quite often. And the Japanese also have a bad habit of taking with them not only the most necessary, but also what can come in handy. Because of this, they always have a lot of luggage with them. They prefer to put this luggage at their feet. It's probably more reliable that way. Therefore, it is better to sit by the window: you will not have to miss them. And there is one more thing - station announcements in the cars are given in Japanese and English, so they are quite long and loud. It also does not promote sleep. But, probably, this is the prevention of the passage of your station

(2) Happy is he who did not ride the shinkansen to O-bon. If you've ever read posts about what it's like to ride trains in China to Chinese New Year, so this is practically it. Of course, there are no fake tickets and battles for a place in Japanese shinkansen. However, the frenzied crowds of people, luggage racks stuffed to capacity and passengers stuffed like herrings in a barrel, filling all the aisles and vestibules (yes, standing places !!!) Through the work of my husband, I was always provided with an armored seat, and sedately watched the poor fellows who, having bought a standing ticket for the price of a seated one, traveled in terrible conditions. In general, I was outraged that the railway workers did not drop the price of standing places, thereby enriching themselves exorbitantly. But my husband objected that the people themselves were to blame for not taking care of the ticket in advance. In addition, by allowing standing trips, they have a chance to leave for their native prefecture. Otherwise, this chance would not exist at all.

(3) The real "Japanese" shinkansen is not only in Japan, but, for example, in Taiwan. They bought the technology from the Japanese. But the Chinese only imitate the Japanese and they have no legal rights to call their high-speed trains Shinkansen.

(4) Personally, I like to eat in shinkansen. At the station you buy their signature lunch in a box - bento. Always fresh, beautiful. The design of the cardboard box itself creates the perfect travel mood. But coffee with ice cream can already be bought from the conductor right in the car. Ice cream, mostly only one kind - vanilla, expensive, but so tasty that you lick your fingers.

In Russia, for subjective reasons, I really dislike trains, but Japanese trains made me look at railway transport a little differently.

And now a little about bento (lunch packed in a special box). As Olga wrote above, bento is part of the Shinkansen journey.

Bento prepared for consumption while traveling by train has a special name - ekiben. This is a single serving lunch box. Ekiben boxes can be ceramic, plastic or wooden. The bento comes with chopsticks and, if necessary, spoons. Lunch can be purchased at the railway station or on the train itself.

Girls (I wonder what they are officially called) regularly carry a cart around the car with bento, drinks, dry snacks, ice cream and various goodies and unobtrusively offer passengers to buy what they need. I did not see that in our car they often purchased goods from a train employee. Most likely it happens more at lunchtime.

But here is what many people eat on the train, I noticed this. Basically, on two grounds, leaving the train with passengers in the hands of bags of garbage that are thrown out at the station. And sometimes, when you sit on the seat, you can inadvertently "get into trouble", not very neat "riders" leave scattered rice behind them.

The first railroad bento was sold at Utsunomiya Station on July 16, 1885. The bento consisted of two balls of rice and pickled radish, packaged in a bamboo box. But at least seven more railway stations claim the role of the "original creator" of the ekiben. In the future, ekiben became more and more popular and each prefecture tried to diversify the menu and bring local flavor to the dishes. Now the trend is also continuing that the ingredients of ekibena consist of local products inherent in this area.

The golden age for ekiben was the 80s, when trains did not run so fast and the passenger, being on the road for a long time, felt the need to refresh himself on the road. Today, the procedure for eating on the train is not widespread.

More than two hundred years have passed since the moment when mankind invented the first steam locomotives. However, until now, rail ground transport, carrying passengers and heavy loads using the power of electricity and diesel fuel, is quite common.

It is worth saying that all these years, engineers-inventors have been actively working to create alternative ways movement. The result of their work was trains on magnetic cushions.

History of appearance

The very idea of ​​creating trains on magnetic cushions was actively developed at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, it was not possible to realize this project at that time for a number of reasons. The manufacture of such a train began only in 1969. It was then that in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany they began to lay a magnetic track along which a new vehicle, which was later named as follows: maglev train. It was launched in 1971. The first maglev train, which was called Transrapid-02, passed along the magnetic track.

An interesting fact is that German engineers made an alternative vehicle based on the records left by the scientist Hermann Kemper, who received a patent back in 1934, confirming the invention of the magnetic plane.

"Transrapid-02" can hardly be called very fast. He could move at a maximum speed of 90 kilometers per hour. Its capacity was also low - only four people.

In 1979, a more advanced maglev model was created. This train, called "Transrapid-05", could already carry sixty-eight passengers. He moved along the line located in the city of Hamburg, the length of which was 908 meters. The maximum speed that this train developed was equal to seventy-five kilometers per hour.

In the same 1979, another maglev model was released in Japan. She was called "ML-500". The Japanese train on a magnetic cushion developed a speed of up to five hundred and seventeen kilometers per hour.

Competitiveness

The speed that trains on magnetic cushions can develop can be compared with the speed of airplanes. In this regard, this type of transport can become a serious competitor to those air routes that operate at a distance of up to a thousand kilometers. The widespread use of maglevs is hindered by the fact that they cannot move on traditional railway surfaces. Trains on magnetic cushions need to build special highways. And this requires a large investment of capital. It is also believed that the magnetic field created for maglevs can negatively affect the human body, which will adversely affect the health of the driver and residents of regions located near such a route.

Principle of operation

Trains on magnetic cushions are a special kind of transport. During movement, the maglev seems to hover over the railroad tracks without touching it. This is due to the fact that the vehicle is controlled by the force of an artificially created magnetic field. During the movement of the maglev, there is no friction. The braking force is aerodynamic drag.

How does it work? Each of us knows about the basic properties of magnets from sixth grade physics lessons. If two magnets are brought close to each other north poles, then they will repel. A so-called magnetic cushion is created. When connecting different poles, the magnets will be attracted to each other. This rather simple principle underlies the movement of a maglev train, which literally glides through the air at an insignificant distance from the rails.

At present, two technologies have already been developed, with the help of which a magnetic cushion or suspension is activated. The third is experimental and exists only on paper.

Electromagnetic suspension

This technology is called EMS. It is based on the strength of the electromagnetic field, which changes over time. It causes levitation (rise in the air) of the maglev. For the movement of the train in this case, T-shaped rails are required, which are made of a conductor (usually metal). This makes the system work like normal railway. However, in the train, instead of wheel pairs, support and guide magnets are installed. They are placed parallel to the ferromagnetic stators located along the edge of the T-shaped web.

The main disadvantage of EMS technology is the need to control the distance between the stator and the magnets. And this despite the fact that it depends on many factors, including the unstable nature of the electromagnetic interaction. In order to avoid a sudden stop of the train, special batteries are installed on it. They are able to recharge the linear generators built into the reference magnets, and thus maintain the levitation process for a long time.

Braking of trains based on EMS technology is carried out by a low-acceleration synchronous linear motor. It is represented by supporting magnets, as well as the roadway, over which the maglev hovers. The speed and thrust of the composition can be adjusted by changing the frequency and strength of the generated alternating current. To slow down, it is enough to change the direction of the magnetic waves.

Electrodynamic suspension

There is a technology in which the movement of the maglev occurs when two fields interact. One of them is created in the highway canvas, and the second one is created on board the train. This technology is called EDS. On its basis, a Japanese train on a magnetic cushion JR-Maglev was built.

Such a system has some differences from EMS, where ordinary magnets are used, to which electricity only when power is applied.

EDS technology implies a constant supply of electricity. This occurs even if the power supply is turned off. Cryogenic cooling is installed in the coils of such a system, which saves significant amounts of electricity.

Advantages and disadvantages of EDS technology

The positive side of a system operating on an electrodynamic suspension is its stability. Even a slight reduction or increase in the distance between the magnets and the canvas is regulated by the forces of repulsion and attraction. This allows the system to be in an unaltered state. With this technology, there is no need to install control electronics. Devices for adjusting the distance between the canvas and the magnets are not needed either.

EDS technology has some disadvantages. Thus, the force sufficient to levitate the composition can only arise at high speed. That is why maglevs are equipped with wheels. They provide their movement at speeds up to one hundred kilometers per hour. Another disadvantage of this technology is the frictional force that occurs in the back and front of the repulsive magnets at a low speed.

Due to the strong magnetic field in the section intended for passengers, it is necessary to install special protection. Otherwise, a person with a pacemaker is not allowed to travel. Protection is also needed for magnetic storage media (credit cards and HDD).

Technology under development

The third system, which currently exists only on paper, is the use of the EDS variant. permanent magnets, which do not require energy to activate. Until recently, it was believed that this was impossible. The researchers believed that permanent magnets did not have such a force that could cause the train to levitate. However, this problem was avoided. To solve it, the magnets were placed in the Halbach array. Such an arrangement leads to the creation of a magnetic field not under the array, but above it. This helps to maintain the levitation of the composition even at a speed of about five kilometers per hour.

This project has not yet received practical implementation. This is due to the high cost of arrays made of permanent magnets.

Advantages of maglevs

The most attractive side of maglev trains is the prospect of achieving high speeds that will allow maglevs to compete even with jet aircraft in the future. This type of transport is quite economical in terms of electricity consumption. The costs for its operation are also low. This becomes possible due to the absence of friction. The low noise of maglevs is also pleasing, which will positively affect the environmental situation.

Flaws

The negative side of maglevs is the too large amount required to create them. Expenses for track maintenance are also high. In addition, the considered mode of transport requires a complex system of tracks and ultra-precise instruments that control the distance between the track and the magnets.

Project implementation in Berlin

In the capital of Germany in 1980, the opening of the first maglev type system called the M-Bahn took place. The length of the canvas was 1.6 km. A maglev train ran between three metro stations on weekends. Travel for passengers was free. After the fall Berlin Wall The city's population has almost doubled. It required the creation of transport networks with the ability to provide high passenger traffic. That is why in 1991 the magnetic canvas was dismantled, and the construction of the metro began in its place.

Birmingham

In this German city, a low-speed maglev connected from 1984 to 1995. airport and railway station. The length of the magnetic path was only 600 m.

The road worked for ten years and was closed due to numerous complaints from passengers about the existing inconvenience. Subsequently, monorail transport replaced the maglev in this section.

Shanghai

The first magnetic road in Berlin was built by the German company Transrapid. The failure of the project did not deter the developers. They continued their research and received an order from the Chinese government, which decided to build a maglev track in the country. Shanghai and Pudong Airport were connected by this high-speed (up to 450 km/h) route.

The 30 km long road was opened in 2002. Future plans include its extension to 175 km.

Japan

In this country in 2005 the exhibition Expo-2005 was held. By its opening, a magnetic track 9 km long was put into operation. There are nine stations on the line. Maglev serves the area adjacent to the exhibition venue.

Maglevs are considered the transport of the future. Already in 2025, it is planned to open a new superhighway in a country like Japan. The maglev train will carry passengers from Tokyo to one of the districts of the central part of the island. Its speed will be 500 km/h. About forty-five billion dollars will be needed to implement the project.

Av. Lyudmila Frolova January 19, 2015 http://fb.ru/article/165360/po...

Japanese Magnetoplane train breaks speed record again

The train will cover a distance of 280 kilometers in just 40 minutes

A Japanese maglev train broke its own speed record by hitting 603 km/h in a test near Fujiyama.

The previous record - 590 km / h - was set by him last week.

JR Central, which owns these trains, intends to launch them on the Tokyo-Nagoya route by 2027.

The train will cover a distance of 280 kilometers in just 40 minutes.

At the same time, according to the company's management, they will not carry passengers at maximum speed: it will accelerate "only" to 505 km / h. But even this is noticeably higher than the speed of Japan's fastest Shinkansen train to date, covering a distance of 320 km in an hour.

Passengers will not be shown speed records, but more than 500 km / h will be enough for them

The cost of building the expressway to Nagoya will be almost $100 billion, due to the fact that more than 80% of the route will run through tunnels.

Maglev trains are expected to cover the distance from Tokyo to Osaka in just an hour by 2045, cutting travel time in half.

About 200 enthusiasts gathered to watch the tests of the bullet train.

"I'm getting goosebumps, I really want to ride this train as soon as possible," one viewer told NHK. "It's like a new page in history has been opened for me."

"The faster the train moves, the more stable it is, so the ride quality has improved in my opinion," said Yasukazu Endo, head of research at JR Central.

New trains to be launched on Tokyo-Nagoya route by 2027

Japan has long had a network of high-speed roads on steel rails called Shinkansen. However, by investing in new maglev train technology, the Japanese hope to be able to export it overseas.

During his visit to the US, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to offer assistance in building a high-speed highway between New York and Washington.

For other posts in the "Perspective High-Speed ​​Transport" and "Perspective Local Transport" series, see:

Supersonic vacuum "train" - Hyperloop. From the series "Perspective high-speed transport."

Series "Perspective local transport". New electric train EP2D

Video bonus