1964

Bullet Train

Hideo Shima (1901–1998)

In the United States, a typical Amtrak passenger train travels at speeds below 100 mph. Meanwhile, the bullet trains, or Shinkansen, in Japan routinely run at 200 mph. Hideo Shima was the chief engineer in charge of the first bullet train, the Tokaido Shinkansen, which was launched by Tokyo National Railways in 1964. Other engineers working for the Railway Technology Research Institute also contributed to its design.

How did these engineers take train technology to speeds like that? To understand the differences, it is helpful to look at typical train track. The track bed is gravel (also known as ballast). Wooden crossties underpin the steel rails, which are held in place with railroad spikes and clips. The tracks frequently cross highways and roads at grade with crossing arms trying to keep cars off the tracks when trains go by. Two or more diesel locomotives pull the trains, and train cars have conical steel wheels on solid steel axles.

For high-speed trains, all of this changes. Track improvements smooth out the ride. High-speed track uses continuously welded steel rails. The rails attach to crossties upgraded from wood to concrete, and often the ballast is upgraded to concrete as well. At-grade crossings with highways and roads are eliminated to prevent interactions with cars because high-speed trains can take two to three miles to stop. All sharp turns are eliminated, favoring long smooth curves with radii up to five miles. Instead of diesel engines, high-speed train systems use overhead electric wires to supply electricity. Instead of an engine, the motors that power the train are spread out to wheels on all of the cars. This helps to improve acceleration and braking. The front car is still unique, however, because it has an aerodynamic shape to cut down on drag and also holds the operator’s cabin.

When engineers combine all of these features together successfully, trains can run at 200 mph and passengers will have a smooth, comfortable ride. Engineers make the ride so smooth that passengers become unaware of the tremendous speed.

SEE ALSO Diesel Locomotive (1897), Magnetically Levitated Train (1937), Vactrains (c. 2020).

Mount Fuji in Japan, with a Shinkansen (bullet train) approaching in the foreground.