Sendai-Tokyo bullet train ran with open door at 280 kph; no injuries reported
A bullet train running at a speed of 280 kilometers per hour had a door open during part of its journey from Sendai to Tokyo on Wednesday morning, but no passengers were injured, East Japan Railway Co. said. The incident lasted 40 seconds and at ...
Typhoon Krosa disrupts transportation ahead of expected Thursday landfall in Kyushu
Airlines and railway operators announced reduced services in regions near the path of Typhoon Krosa on Wednesday, despite a post-holiday transport rush, as the weather agency warned the powerful storm was set to make landfall in western Japan the following day. The Meteorological Agency said ...
Shizuoka throws wrench in the works of Tokyo-Nagoya maglev shinkansen route
The current plan for the Tokyo-Nagoya maglev route, currently under construction, calls for Central Japan Railway Co. to begin operations by around 2027. The route will slash a trip between Nagoya and Shinagawa, which takes about 90 minutes on the fastest bullet trains today, ...
Is Nara's future tied to a proposed maglev shinkansen route?
Although Nara has become a favorite of international tourists in recent years, the city, which served as the nation's ancient capital from 710 to 784, has historically been a bit off the beaten path. Heijokyo, or Heijo Palace, as Nara was then known, was the ...
Central Japan Railway unveils first battery-powered shinkansen
Central Japan Railway Co. conducted a test run for the press Wednesday of its new battery-powered shinkansen, a world for high-speed rail. JR Central said it hopes the technology will be useful in emergencies that might otherwise leave trains stranded in tunnels or on bridges ...
A year after stabbing, Japan's shinkansen wrestle with balance between safety and convenience
A year after a knife attack on a bullet train left one passenger dead and two wounded, authorities and railways are trying to take steps — especially visible ones — to prevent similar crimes. Experts are calling to start baggage inspections at train stations, though ...
Shinkansen operator JR Central eyes own cleaning 'miracle' as it competes with rival
In a move to better compete with a rival train operator's famous "7-minute miracle" for cleaning a shinkansen between its arrival and departure, Central Japan Railway Co. will shave off two minutes from its own bullet train cleaning work, beginning next spring. JR Central plans ...
Train to nowhere? California's high-speed rail plan looking more like a pipe dream
Keith Erwin was about to buy the land that his auto repair shop sits on when he was turned down because California's much awaited high-speed rail line was going to pass through the spot. Five years later, he sees no train coming anytime soon and ...
JR East shinkansen ALFA-X prototype hits 320 kph in test run in northeastern Japan
A prototype of Japan's new shinkansen conducted a trial early Thursday, reaching 320 kilometers per hour, the maximum speed for existing shinkansen models. The prototype, dubbed ALFA-X, is designed to travel at 360 kph when it is put into service by the spring of 2031, ...
Power outage between Niigata and Tokyo leaves vacationers stuck in packed bullet trains
Operations of the Joetsu Shinkansen were halted for 3½ hours on Sunday, the second day of an extended holiday period.
Hyogo police arrest man after he opened door of shinkansen train and stepped out onto tracks
A man in his 50s was arrested Sunday after he opened a door of a shinkansen train and stepped onto the tracks after the train made a sudden stop. Hyogo Prefectural Police officials said the man, who was on a Sanyo Shinkansen Line train running ...
