The best train system in the world is the Japanese Shinkansen, or Bullet Train. First conceived before World War II, it officially came into service in October of 1964, just in time for the Tokyo Olympics. What took 6 hours and 40 minutes to get from Tokyo to Osaka was reduced to 3 hours and 40 minutes by 1965.
.
There are now 1528 miles of track where trains travel at speeds up to 186 miles per hour. Noise pollution becomes a problem for speeds greater than 200 MPH, so a magnetic levitation (MagLev) system has been tested up to 361 MPH. A project is being contemplated to connect the Narita and Haneda airports with a MagLev system.
Amazingly, after 45 years and 7 billion passengers, there has been no collision or derailment fatality. There have been, however, a lot of suicides--people jumping in front of an incoming train. The average trip has been late/early by 6 seconds. The Shinkansen produces only 16% of carbon dioxide relative to cars. There have been strikes, but they are very, very rare, and nothing like in France and Italy.
Our itinerary from Tokyo to Sapporo took three trains, each lasting from 3 to 3.5 hours, for a total trip time of 9.5 hours. However, while Otaru to Akita would take all of 20 minutes by air, on Tuesday, we will need to catch 5 different trains and enjoy 7.5 hours of travel time.
.
There are now 1528 miles of track where trains travel at speeds up to 186 miles per hour. Noise pollution becomes a problem for speeds greater than 200 MPH, so a magnetic levitation (MagLev) system has been tested up to 361 MPH. A project is being contemplated to connect the Narita and Haneda airports with a MagLev system.
Amazingly, after 45 years and 7 billion passengers, there has been no collision or derailment fatality. There have been, however, a lot of suicides--people jumping in front of an incoming train. The average trip has been late/early by 6 seconds. The Shinkansen produces only 16% of carbon dioxide relative to cars. There have been strikes, but they are very, very rare, and nothing like in France and Italy.
Our itinerary from Tokyo to Sapporo took three trains, each lasting from 3 to 3.5 hours, for a total trip time of 9.5 hours. However, while Otaru to Akita would take all of 20 minutes by air, on Tuesday, we will need to catch 5 different trains and enjoy 7.5 hours of travel time.
.
But that’s the beauty of train travel: total relaxation in a secure and comfortable environment (Green Car, first class, is not much better than standard trains, but recommended nevertheless), bento with sake, view of Mount Fuji and other snow covered mountains, sakura or fall leaves or whatever is in bloom, purple fields, yellow patches and remarkable coastlines. I am reading Paul Theroux's Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, a grimy, dangerous recounting of his second train trip from Europe to the Orient. One of my next books will report on the opposite end of the enjoyment spectrum, including the Shinkansen, two Orient Expresses and VIA Rail Canada's Toronto to Vancouver environmental journey. During our entire stay in Japan this time, we will spend about 50 hours on various Japan Railway trains.
-
Cyclone Bijli continues to bedevil Bangladesh and Myanmar, orgininally predicted to make landfall and dissipate, but, instead, moving back into the Bay of Bengal and intensifying. It was only about a year ago that Cyclone Nargis slammed into Myanmar, killing up to 150,000.
-
1132-181
-
No comments:
Post a Comment