Japan's bullet trains are already renowned for their safety, but Central Japan Railway (JR Central) is looking to improve that record by making more frequent checks at a lower cost through special inspection equipment it has installed on in-service trains.
While the most famous name in Japanese bullet train safety is "Dr. Yellow" — a yellow high-speed diagnostic train that travels on an unpublicized schedule — the new technology is allowing JR Central to make checks more quickly. Now, the company is even developing an image-recognition system to replace in-person inspections by workers.
According to JR Central, two Dr. Yellow trains currently run the length of the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines stretching from Tokyo Station to Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture.