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Here's all you need to know about the technology that drives Japan's famous Bullet Trains as India plans it's own high-speed Shinkansen network between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. |
When I first visited Japan, taking a ride on the Shinkansen
- popularly known as the Bullet Train - was on the top of my list of
things to do in the land of the rising sun. I travelled a distance of
340 Kms from the capital city of Tokyo to the capital of Japan’s Aichi
Prefecture, Nagoya. It took me a little less than 1.5 Hrs to reach my
destination at top speeds of up to 350 Km/h.
If described in a single sentence, the experience was
both dizzying and exciting at the same time. Dizzying, because looking
out the window of a train travelling at such high speeds makes the
outside world appear like a complete blur, and exciting, because the
Shinkansen is nothing but a wonder of technology, used by Japan since
1964.
When Japan got its first bullet train called the
Tokaido Shinkansen, the high speed rail network was only 515 Kms long
and trains travelled at maximum speeds of 200 Km/h. With the growing
pace of technology, these trains can now run at speeds of 500 Km/h,
while the upcoming Maglev trains promise top speeds of 603 Km/h.
Now, this super-fast rail network is headed to
Gujarat, India thanks to the country’s neighbourly relationship with
Japan. The first Bullet Train line in india is being built to traverse a
distance of 500 Kms from the heart of Gujarat to the maximum city;
Ahmedabad to Mumbai. The route will consist of 12 stations for
the 12 stops the Bullet Train will be making, completing the entire
journey in three hours, as opposed to the current travel time of eight
hours.
Like in Japan, the Shinkansen will travel at speeds of
350 Km/h while it has a potential of hitting world record setting top
speeds of 500 Km/h. Yes, it is less than half the speed a potential Hyperloop system which boasts of top speeds of 1,200 Km/h, but it is technology that has existed, tried and tested over decades and it works beautifully.
Over the Bullet Train’s 50 year long history in Japan, it has ferried
nearly 10 billion passengers. There has only been one derailment
incident in the history of the Shinkansen, which happened in 2004 and
was caused by severe earthquakes in the Niigata Prefecture. There were
no reported fatalities during the incident, but after it, the Japan
Railway Company developed a special metal fitting called an L-shaped
guide, attached to the outside of the wheel, preventing it from
deviating from the rails by controlling the lateral displacement of the
cars. As earthquakes are common in Japan, the Bullet Train also uses an Urgent Earthquake Detection and Alarm System,
wherein seismometers are installed in areas with high chances of
experiencing earthquakes. When there is an indication of a potential
earthquake, the system kicks into place and cuts the power supply to the
train to avoid any accidents.
Inside Shinkansen 800 series
Did
You Know? Japanese crews clean an entire Bullet Train in flat 7 minutes
as the train only stops for 8 minutes at each station
To
achieve its high speeds, the Bullet Train network is designed to have
no obstacles in its path, besides the regulatory stop signals. The train
is not affected by slower locals or freight trains and the network has
been built sans any road crossings. In Japan, there are heavy penalties
imposed for trespassing on the Bullet Train track.
Even the route that the super fast train takes is
different from what normal trains would follow. It travels
through tunnels and viaducts to go through the obstacles rather than
going around them, considerably reducing travel time. In India, the Bullet Train route will mostly be an elevated route, with the exception of a 7 Km long undersea tunnel.
The
Bullet Train uses electrified lines with 25 kV AC overhead power supply
as opposed to the existing broad-gauge and narrow-gauge systems used
predominantly in India. To reduce the pressure of dragging the entire
train on the lead car, the power in the Bullet Train is distributed
along the axles under each car. All axles in the Bullet Train are
motored, which results in higher than usual acceleration. This is also
the reason why the train does not loose much time even while stopping
frequently.
Did You Know? The Annual average delay is of Bullet Trains is 54 second per train.
For
Safety and navigation, an Automatic Train Control (ATC) system runs the
entire network. The system warns the train driver with speed
indications and audible warnings in case the train passes its prescribed
speed. In Japan, the Shinkansen is not allowed to go above speeds of
320 Km/h - 350 Km/h. The Automatic Train Control system will deploy the
brakes of the train if the driver does not pay heed to warnings
generated by the system.
In India, the 750-seat Bullet Train, along with its network
infrastructure, is expected to cost $17 billion (nearly Rs 110,000 Cr),
loaned from Japan. However, India will not get Japan’s latest Maglev Bullet Trains called the Chuo Shinkansen. Japan itself is struggling with huge infrastructure and cost issues with its Maglev train project between Tokyo and Nagoya. Maglev trains can travel at speeds of 603 Km/h,
higher than the current fastest Shanghai Maglev trains of China. Maglev
trains use magnetic levitation over guideways and move without making
any contact with the ground. This allows for very high speed travel by
reducing friction and creating both lift and propulsion. Japan’s Chuo Shinkansen can levitate at 10cm compared to Shanghai maglev’s 1cm levitation.
The traditional bullet trains travelling between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will launch sometime in 2022, if all goes as planned. The current fastest train in India is the Rajdhani Express which travels at a speed of 160 Km/h. So
yes, we are long due for some major improvements in our railway
technology and the Shinkansen is a step in the right direction.
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