Automatically operated shinkansen trains could be right around the bend.
Central Japan Railway and East Japan Railway aim to commercialize driverless systems in around 2028 for the Tokaido Shinkansen and the mid-2030s for the Joetsu Shinkansen, respectively.
But as testing of the systems progresses, the differing goals of the two JR companies have become apparent, reflecting the characteristics of the routes and the level of cost-cutting targeted.