Tag - shinkansen

 
 

SHINKANSEN

Kyushu Railway unveils inspection train Big Eye to the media in Kitakyushu last month.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2023
New eye-catching railway inspection train to debut in Japan
The railway operator will hold test runs of Big Eye starting this month through next March in southwestern Japan.
A smoking room aboard a Tokaido Shinkansen train
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2023
Bullet train lines to nix smoking rooms as health consciousness grows
As of next spring, the smoking rooms will be replaced with areas to store drinking water to be distributed in times of emergency.
The U.K.'s decision to cut back on its HS2 high-speed rail network runs contrary to the path taken by Japan, which stuck to a long-term infrastructure plan.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2023
U.K. effort to imitate Japan's shinkansen falls short
There is value of sticking to a long-term infrastructure plan, as Japan has done for almost 50 years with its high-speed rail system.
Firefighters arrive at Sendai Station following the report of a possible chemical leak inside a train on Monday.
JAPAN
Oct 9, 2023
Chemical leak injures four passengers on Tohoku Shinkansen
JR East staff confirmed something like smoke was rising from one of the cars and passengers were asked to evacuate.
A Hokkaido Shinkansen line bullet train travels through Hokuto, Hokkaido, in September.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 7, 2023
Japan to postpone plan to extend Hokkaido Shinkansen line by 2031
A new deadline has yet to be set, but the 212-kilometer extension also faces a labor shortage in the construction sector that is expected to worsen.
Passengers line up to board a bullet train at Tokyo Station in August.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2023
Shinkansen rail pass prices soar 70% for tourists
Even with the big increase, demand is likely to stay strong thanks to a cheaper yen and steady flow of inbound visitors.
A cross-section illustration of the second Seikan Tunnel proposed by the Japan Project-Industry Council
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Sep 25, 2023
Is the plan to build a second Seikan Tunnel realistic?
Advocates suggest shorter travel times and revitalized communities, while critics worry about the price tag.
Passengers wait to board a shinkansen at Kyoto Station.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 14, 2023
Nozomi shinkansen to halt nonreserved seats during peak periods
The restriction will apply between Dec. 28 this year and Jan. 4 as well as the Golden Week and Bon holiday periods.
Staff put up posters about the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line at JR Fukui Station on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 31, 2023
Hokuriku Shinkansen to link Kanazawa with Tsuruga from next March
The fastest travel time between Tokyo and Fukui will be two hours and 51 minutes — down 36 minutes from the time required on the current shortest route.
Shin-Osaka Station is crowded with travelers as services resume on Thursday morning.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 17, 2023
Shinkansen lines resume, but travelers may still face long delays
Central Japan Railway is urging people to refrain from using the train service until stations become less crowded.
Children hold baseball bats made with aluminum from scrapped bullet trains on Thursday in Tokyo.
BASEBALL
Aug 17, 2023
Bats made from scrapped bullet train metal to go on sale in October
The bats are scheduled to go on sale on Railway Day and come in three designs.
Travelers wait for the resumption of shinkansen services at Tokyo Station on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2023
Scores injured as Typhoon Lan passes through Japan
At least 64 people in eight prefectures in central to western Japan were reported to have sustained injuries, and 34 houses were damaged by the storm.
Passengers queue to board a shinkansen bullet train at Tokyo Station in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2023
Typhoon Lan set to crash Japan holiday week
Typhoon Lan is expected to make landfall Tuesday in central Japan, with warnings of heavy rain and flooding during the annual Bon summer holidays.
Onboard snack carts on shinkansen services between Tokyo and Osaka will end on Oct. 31, Central Japan Railway has said.
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2023
End of the line for snack carts on Tokyo-Osaka shinkansen
End of popular service comes amid a looming labor shortage and the trend of more people buying food before boarding.
Hiroyuki Fujii, a 78-year-old craftsman at Yamashita Kogyosho, explains the "3D sheet metal forming" method to create the noses of shinkansen trains, in Kudamatsu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on June 7.
BUSINESS
Jul 27, 2023
'Faces' of shinkansen still mostly work of skilled craftsmen
Utilizing a technique known as "3D sheet metal forming," individual craftsmen create three-dimensional shapes with subtly curved surfaces by stretching and shrinking the metal sheets.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2023
Shinkansen trains gearing up for driverless operations
As testing of systems progresses, the differing goals of two JR companies have become apparent, reflecting the characteristics of the routes and the level of cost-cutting targeted.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2023
Heavy rain halts some bullet train services in western Japan
On Saturday, at least 15 landslides occurred and 20 locations were impacted by overflowing rivers in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 8, 2023
Golden Week express train passengers at 94% of pre-pandemic level
All six Japan Railways Group companies saw their figures increase from the previous year, sending the total to the seventh-highest level since the start of the data in 1990.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 4, 2023
Golden Week travel sees boost amid easing of COVID protection measures
A government decision to reclassify the potentially lethal virus from next Monday, paving the way for the full normalization of social and economic activities, has added to the holiday mood.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 20, 2023
Japan Rail Pass: A steep fare hike worth the extra mile?
JR announced on April 14 that it intends to raise the cost of its Japan Rail Pass this October.

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