Shinkansen: The World's Greatest High Speed Railway | Japan High Speed Rail Explained

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With 400m trains running up to every 3 minutes, at maximum speeds of over 300 km/h, Japan's high speed rail network is a marvel. Come with me as we explore this very special system!
Special thanks to JR Urbane Network & @NonstopEurotrip for helping with this video!
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Ever wondered why your city's transit just doesn't seem quite up to snuff? RMTransit is here to answer that, and help you open your eyes to all of the different public transportation systems around the world!
Reece (the RM in RMTransit) is an urbanist and public transport critic residing in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of helping the world become more connected through metros, trams, buses, high-speed trains, and all other transport modes.

[@lifterb6291]

When I lived in Tokyo with my uncle, I took Shinkansen to ski resorts. It is amazing how the trains can take you to ski resorts within 2 hours while just sitting down in a comfy chair, drinking or eating, or sleeping, and not worrying about driving home after skiing all day. I love shinkansen man, it's awesome.

[@Yamato-tp2kf]

You're going to Nagano Prefecture? I live in Yamanashi prefecture and sometimes I go to Nagano area by taking the Shinkansen, that prefecture is good (and near where I live!) to do skiing!!

[@lifterb6291]

@@Yamato-tp2kf Yes, I go to Nagano or sometimes the Joetsu area too. I love the Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort and Gala Yuzawa.

[@Desi365]

@@Yamato-tp2kf how high is Nagano ? What kind of slopes does the train has to deal with ?

[@Yamato-tp2kf]

@@Desi365 Mostly only tunnels along the path... There's not much steep slopes for the Shinkansen because Nagano City and Matsumoto are both down in a valley so they are a little high comparing with Tokyo, but not a big altitude...

[@beni206]

​@@Desi365 There's a gradient of 3% just before arriving at Karuizawa station. You go from 100 meters to 940 meters above sea level within 20 minutes.

[@kartik_sinha]

Sometimes I feel like shinkansen is basically a high speed metro on the scale of an entire country. Infact many metros have more than 3 min peak hour headway.

[@RMTransit]

It basically acts as one! Its wild!

[@spetz911]

It’s more expensive than metro, but locals may still use it for commute(if a company pays). I was blown away by seeing at most 7 mins intervals between high speed trains through the day.

[@Newspeak.]

Man it's so depressing how impossible it is to have something like this in the US. I know we gotta keep pushing for it but I have my doubts I'll ever ride on a train like this unless I visit another country. I desperately want a high speed rail line from Portland, Ore to Vancouver, BC.

[@whattheydidnttellyouwithbr2844]

Its not impossible. Just think how impossible it was for Japan or France

[@Newspeak.]

@@whattheydidnttellyouwithbr2844 The US is terminally addicted to cars and is unwilling and unable to do anything else. If it happens at all it will be because we are dragged kicking and screaming the whole way. That's not to say that anyone should just give up pushing for it but it's going to take a shift in culture and probably a lot of suffering due to climate change for it to happen.

[@simonjaz1279]

@@Newspeak. i mean, there several projects in the works right now....

[@davidbutton3500]

How does building high speed rail in the US help the Military Industrial Complex and the Oil Companies? It doesn't, that's why it is almost impossible to get built.

[@simonjaz1279]

@@davidbutton3500 lmao it actually does help the military complex

[@ichVII]

About 16:55. In contrast to Germany, where "It is very much possible to show up to a station 15 minutes AFTER scheduled departure of an intercity train, grab a ticket and then head to the platform and get on board"

[@neubro1448]

Fascinating this can be done. So simply done with just a machine paying with cash or card. I watched John Daub's Only In Japan livestream videos proving you can catch trains in a hurry. T1D Wanderer took a challenge how punctual are local trains in Kansai transferring to another train without leaving so much time in between without missing a train.

[@RMTransit]

lol

[@Schnaitheimer]

@@neubro1448 or you just use DB's Navigator app to buy your tickets, so no machine else needed. On the train, you can even use comfort check-in to not be disturbed by the train crew for ticket control. In Germany, buying tickets for public transit is being limited by at least two minutes before departure, but on long distance trains, they changed it when they abandoned on-board sales of tickets by the stewards. Since then, I think you can even buy your ticket in the app even around 10 minutes after departure. (And frankly spoken, ticket controls on long distance trains are quite rare, I had several rides across the country with no control in several trains.)

[@Damien.D]

In France you buy the tickets days if not weeks before the trip to get the lowest price, it gets canceled because of strikes, and you come the next day at the station after the scheduled departure of your TGV to painstakingly claim your money back.

[@sam39410ify]

One thing I like about Shinkansen is that non reserved ticket for some services practically function as high speed commuter rail. You don't have to have fixed schedule and the seats in non reserved cars are first come first serve basis. It makes travelling around extremely convenient. No need for advanced booking, just use applicable JR passes or buy a ticket from the ticket machine, then board the next train you want to.

[@MaharshiRay]

the downside is that in certain sections and times it's hard to find an empty seat. Also in most cases one can buy the reserved tickets even 10 mins before the departure time. So I never book in advance, just go there and look for the reserved tickets and if it isn't available just take the non-reserved option.

[@RhelrahneTheIdiot]

Honestly at this point I'm shocked they don't use a smart card system to tag on-tag off considering just how tight their schedule is, its basically a high speed rail system built to the standards and expectations of metro.

[@kyo_aki]

And the most amazing thing is that there are 16 trains in one direction per hour during the busy season. All trains are managed in units of 15 seconds.

[@averyr3173]

I live in Sapporo, recently there was an event promoting local rail and the Shinkansen extension. They set up a mini H5 Hayabusa loop toddlers could ride on, so cute 😭

[@RicciChoi1109]

IMO JR Hokkaido don't have the money to build the remaining Shinkansen section to Sapporo while maintaining services to remote parts of Hokkaido at the same time.

[@japanesetrainandtravel6168]

Iwill be back on the Shinkansen this year and will be riding all the way from Nagasaki aboard JR Kyushu’s new Shinkansen to Sendai via the Tokaido and Tohoku Shinkansen. Japanese High Speed rail is virtually unmatched when you combine efficiency, cleanliness, punctuality and frequency all into one. What makes it unique compared to Europe is that it operates on completely dedicated high speed track - operating akin to a high speed subway. You can base yourself in one city, say Nagoya, for the duration of your trip and make day trips to Osaka, Tokyo etc.

[@RMTransit]

High speed subway is absolutely a good metaphor!

[@Mew178]

Just finished my 21 day run having an Airbnb 5 minutes from Shin Osaka. Paid 66k yen for the 21 day pass. I did some calculations to see how much this would have cost. I saved 400k yen ahahahaha. Buy a JR pass folks.

[@Kishanth.J]

@@RMTransit sorry to bother you, but have you ever considered doing a video on safety on transit systems. It would be a interesting topic as it has become a growing concern in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa, as well as US and European cities.

[@andyasbestos]

That was what really struck me on a 2 week vacation in Tokyo. Whenever I got a little tired of the city, I could travel really quite far on day trips, on a whim, without worrying about missing my train home. Shinkansen service was so frequent that it often felt like a natural extension of the Tokyo metro system. And luckily for me, some stations were randomly located in surprisingly rural places. Presumably to placate local governments. Perfect for exploring some proper Japanese nature.

[@johngray8249]

No country can run railways to time like Japan. They're amazing, also so clean, and comfortable.

[@kaekae4010]

I'm from Spain and although we have a very good system, I think obviously Japan is the king of high speed. You can see the work and dedication in every detail of the system.

[@theharper1]

I rode the Spanish high speed rail and it was good, but nothing like the precision timing of the Shinkansen. I think the train was based on the German design.

[@barryrobbins7694]

It should not be seen as a completion. Japan and Spain, by all accounts, both have excellent high speed rail systems. That being said, Spain has a larger land mass, more kilometers of rail, a population less than half of Japan’s, an economy a bit larger than a third of Japan’s, and it started decades later. Kudos Spain!

[@BebebnyaHuTao]

u must be kidding me lol Saudi (with Siemens) and China (CRH) have 350km/h operational speed for YEARS The king of speed ofc is Siemens and CRH, but japan is King of train integration and facility

[@K0sm]

I didn't take the deutsche bahn so I'm early.

[@K0sm]

@Sega-16Actually, SNCF is fine compared to the mess of European railway operators.

[@heidirabenau511]

Amtrak: Hold my beer!

[@krish4134]

In India you'd come late whether u take a train or not 🤣🤣🤣

[@krish4134]

@Zaydan Alfariz yea but unfortunately that's not true for most trains in general in India

[@SmthPositive_]

Many will miss out on this great vid since their train has been canceled 3 minutes before departure

[@user-oo7dw4qw4b]

I'm always fascinated how the Hayabusa service (E5) and the Komachi (E6) couple and uncouple at Morioka. It's so exciting to see the trains separate and join.

[@Sacto1654]

Actually, they detach at Morioka Station. The Akita Shinkansen "mini" line goes from Morioka to Akita.

[@volkernock5573]

Did you mean Morioka? Coming from Tokyo, Komachi E6 is uncoupled in Morioka and travels on to Akita and back from there. As far as I'm aware only E5/H5 sets travel to Aomori and onward. But yes, never gets boring to watch.

[@user-oo7dw4qw4b]

@@volkernock5573 Ah yes Morioka HAHAHA I got confused🤣

[@RMTransit]

Something relaxing about watching trains split and combine!

[@volkernock5573]

@@RMTransit yes, probably the most famous (and most photographed) train "kiss" in the world

[@ThienNguyen-fi5lw]

I accidentally got on the Kodama instead of the Hikari 😂 boy did I stop at EVERY station from Kyoto to Tokyo

[@ryanh3799]

The Italy high speed rail was pretty awesome, but nothing compares to the Shinkansen! Riding it is a sublime experience.

[@TonboIV]

And then there's the ekiben. No other rail system in the world has anything like and its always a highlight on long trips!

[@ravenmusic6392]

The rolling stock really is something else on the network, along with the infrastructure, dozens of long tunnels and massive bridges from city to city that wouldn't look out of place in China linking massive intercity terminals connected to the metro and reigonal rail, its amazing

[@SeedemFeedemRobots]

@Zaydan Alfariz invest in boeing and MCI 🤑

[@kentakiman_gmd]

I used to enjoy seeing all the variety of rolling stock the Shinkansen offered back then, coming in all kinds of shapes and colours. Unfortunately, most of them are no longer in use, and it looks like all of the new series are just variations of the N700 series, at least in the southern corridors. It looks like they have finally develop the most efficient train model, cannot blame them.

[@RMTransit]

Yeah, the network gets attention - but, still never enough!

[@csn3333]

@@kentakiman_gmd performance aspects like top speed is more limited by the infrastructure so the current goal became providing more services and passenger comfort

[@TheMakoyou]

China? Is this video about China? But I can't see any China, I found only Japan. I am wondering if you think Japan and China are the same country or if there is a China topic somewhere that I do not understand. If you think China and Japan are the same country, then someone who thinks USA, Canada and Mexico are the same country is also correct.

[@tubz]

Just wanted to say thank you for using kilometers for all your distances and just using the metric system in general. So many English speaking KZbinrs use imperial without even thinking that the rest of the world is in metric

[@ikani1]

I spent two weeks in Japan a few years ago (Nagoya, then Tokyo, then Kyoto) and was impressed that I never once had want for a car while there. The transit was amazing! I definitely have a goal of going back and riding the Shinkansen end to end

[@reyjusuf]

And you can send your luggage to your next hotel ahead of time so you dont have to carry them onto the trains

[@travelkingdom8987]

@@reyjusuf true tho . I went there before

[@user-dh3bv1dl4t]

Don't you need buses while in Kyoto?

[@travelkingdom8987]

@@user-dh3bv1dl4t depending on where u go . If u visiting ancient shrines , some attractions can walk within minutes , but some require 20 to 30 minutes walking, if u able to walk then u can walk using the google map , if not can ride the bus from the Kyoto station or other train station in the Kyoto city area to your destination .

[@jdillon8360]

I went there about 20 years ago and took trains everywhere, from the shinkansen to slower regional services. Always clean, always on time. A couple of times we got taxis, and they were clean and comfortable as well. No complaints at all.

[@sanamiyoshiha]

日本語でごめんなさい。私の気持ちを英語で表現するには、私の英語力が足りません。 日本の「新幹線」について、とても丁寧で正確な説明をしてくださり、私は心から感謝いたします。 日本以外の国からいらした皆さんが、新幹線での旅を楽しんでいただけたら、私はとてもうれしいです。 ちなみに、私は上越新幹線の沿線に住んでいます。

[@yaksa_sutra]

I am Japanese. This video explains Japanese Shinkansen very well,and I saw a lot of effort in researching and expressing. Expressing the names of several stations in the name of famous city which is near from the station (like Hakata to Fukuoka) makes the video easy to undertsand for many people. And I was very surprised at the section of Narita Shinkansen. That proves how hard you research Shinkansen, I think. I'm glad to hear that foreign people learn about Japanese railway,as a rail fan. Thank you for posting such a nice video! I would be glad if you could explain about Japanese conventional railways sometime!

[@My.Adidas.Stripes]

There is no comparison. Shinkansen is by far the best train services. They are fast, always on time and the network is amazing. Well done Japan.

[@railrovision8293]

Originally, Tohoku Shinkansen and Tokaidou Shinkansen was planned to have through service trains. I've seen plans of JNR (National Railroad) from the 1980s for Tokyo station, and it clearly showed tracks 12(now 21), 13(now 22), 14, 15, and 16 connected to both lines, while tracks 17, 18, and 19 being for Tokaidou Shinkansen only. Another cancelled project was Jouetsu Shinkansen's Omiya-Shinjuku section. Originally, Jousetsu Shinkansen was planned to terminate at Shinjuku station. For that reason, there is still a underground space reserved for the Jousetsu Shinkansen at Shinjuku. That is why Toei Shinjuku line is so deep underground at B5F, because Jouetsu Shinkansei's Shinjuku station was planned at B3F. The reason Shinkansen use standard gauge instead of narrow gauge like the rest of Japanese trains is because, when they started planning of the bullet train way back in the 1930s the wanted a train that could eventually do though service with Chousen (Korean) Railroad (which was Japanese territory back then), and Manshu (Manchukuo) Railroad (which was under the control of the Japanese government) which both used standard gauge.

[@a00860512]

@Zaydan Alfariz in 1939 they had a prototype working to persuade the people of the tech. However WW2 started and they lost. The amazing part is they only started planning the train system again in 1957 and was build and operating before the first Tokyo Olympics in 1964. They also started research on Mag Lev 2 years before completion of the Shinkansen and is only now that it is being built and to be operational in 2027.

[@RicciChoi1109]

A through service from Kagoshima to Hokkaido is simply impossible because both 50Hz and 60Hz AC power are used in Japan. East Japan got their first AC generator from Germany so it's running at 50Hz, while West Japan got theirs from the States so it's running at 60Hz. This legacy continues to this day and results in Tokaido-Sanyo-Kyushu system running at 25kV 60Hz, while Tohoku-Hokkaido/Joetsu system running at 25kV 50Hz. The only dual-frequency powered line is Hokuriku Shinkansen. It runs with E7/W7 series EMUs which can adapt the AC supply frequency automatically.

[@Inspadave]

Your stated reasoning for the use of standard gauge on the Shinkansen is wrong. Standard is used because it allows for high speed running. Narrow gauge has less lateral stability than standard. The fastest narrow gauge trains in Japan is the Keisei Skyliner and the former Hakutaka limited express, both of which operate(d) at 160km/h. "instead of narrow gauge like the rest of Japanese trains " Not all of Japan's non-shinkansen trains run on narrow gauge.

[@Inspadave]

@Zaydan Alfariz so far ahead they still use fax machines

[@Yamato-tp2kf]

@@Inspadave That's because those who are in charge (either in politics or in corporations) are the baby boomers (from the showa era generation) that are now starting to retire and they are still stuck in the past and have trouble to get used to the new technologies

[@psprog]

Went to Japan for the first time a couple of weeks ago and loved the Shinkansen. It's all separate in the stations (2nd gateline), loads of legroom and fast and on time. One thing that wasn't mentioned was the sheer fame of the "bullet train". The normal man on the street knows about it, and I've been asked several times "did you go on the bullet train"...

[@jk-gi7sh]

In India we are developing high speed rail with the help of Japan . Soon we will also be able to experience this amazing train or something similar to it. Thanks Japan 🙂

[@adrianjorgensen3750]

I remember once taking the Shinkansen from Kagoshima at the very bottom of Kyushu to Osaka because a hurricane cancelled my flight. I actually outran the hurricane and got to experience it twice.

[@user-wx6mi5xh7w]

I didn't expect an intro to the Shinkansen! Amazing video as usual! Some corrections: - Along with the New Shuttle, the other compromise JNR made to the protestors of the Omiya to Ueno section of the Tohoku/Joetsu/Hokuriku Shinkansens was the Saikyo Line, which runs alongside the Shinkansen between Akabane and Omiya. The results of this compromise has had... There's no words for how positively impactful Saikyo Line is. - The steepest section of the Shinkansen is actually on the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Takasaki and Karuizawa, rather than on the mini-Shinkansens. In that section, the max speed is reduced to 210km/h with very little limit increases possible due to limitations of the trains' motors as well as the curviness of the section. Some additional notes: - The section between Utsunomiya and Morioka is not necessarily getting a speed limit increase because it has been incredibly difficult to run trains at 360km/h while achieving ideal noise level goals. - Along with the noise of entering and exiting tunnels, the reason Japan's Shinkansen stock has so much emphasis on aerodynamics is because the pressure (from which the noise results from) of less aerodynamic trains at high speeds entering the tunnel could adversely affect the speed inside the tunnel and durability of the trains. - On the same topic as the previous point, one of the highest source of drags on high speed trains is the pantograph. Japanese HSR stock has interesting ways to tackle this issue, some of which include the big "fins" mounted on the sides of the trains next to the pantographs.

[@user-wx6mi5xh7w]

@Zaydan Alfariz Of course not. Third rail can't reliably deliver power at above 160km/h let alone double the speed.

[@user-wx6mi5xh7w]

@Zaydan Alfariz Maglev, or magnetic **levitation**, is very different from third rail. Third rail passes electricity to trains; Maglev tracks create an opposing magnetic field to cause movement.

[@user-wx6mi5xh7w]

@Zaydan Alfariz Doesn't matter; Maglev is not third rail. Totally different technologies. For the physical definition, you're confounding two sides (electricity and magnetism) of Maxwell's equation as the same thing, when they're not.

[@barrielui]

On the speed restriction on Hokuriku Shinkansen, it is actually the downhill direction where speed is restricted to 210 km/h. This is to retain sufficient braking power in case of emergency. E7 series can do 260km/h at the uphill direct. EMU trains are generally better at handling steeper gradients and successive speed-ups and slow-downs. On increasing the speed of Tohoku Shinkansen, Fastech 360 concluded that, as long as the standard Shinkansen was coupled with the mini-Shinkansen, the noise would be beyond the legal requirement. Therefore, ALFA-X set out to find a feasible design to achieve 360km/h when it is running on its own. The experiment is still ongoing. 360km/h needed to be achieved or the Hokkaido Shinkansen business plan (Connecting Sapporo with Tokyo in 4 hours) will not stand. Actually, the fastest Hayabusa services to Hakodate do not couple with Komachi at Morioka hints the service pattern when Hokkaido Shinkansen is extended to Sapporo in the future.

[@lzh4950]

JR Central's _shinkansen_ rolling stock mount their pantographs on big humps on the car's roof & I thought its to house electrical equipment, since being a multiple unit without a locomotive, space must have been more at a premium. That was until I saw newer JR East rolling stock (E5 onwards) that did away with the hump but partially concealed the pantograph with roof-mounted fins

[@Warum_Nicht]

Incredible - there has never been a single loss of life on the Shinkansen in close to 60 years of service!!

[@shunkasyuto]

no. Fatal accidents due to system trouble have not yet occurred, but accidents resulting in injury (suicide by suicide) occur frequently.

[@spectria.limina]

Not counting suicides, there's been a number of deaths caused by the Shinkansen network: Someone got caught in a door and crushed to death. That's it. ... What? One is a number!

[@kevinbrown7219]

Brilliant summary and analysis of Japan's amazing Shinkansen network, not only has there never been a fatality on the network but this is a country famous for the frequency and magnitude of its' earthquakes. An amazing achievement.

[@rawnanle]

I don't think anyone thinks of China or France first when they think of HSR. When people say HSR, Japan automatically pops in my head.

[@gunnarherzog5538]

The Shinkansen is simply amazing! I am rather tall (2.05 meters), yet I had ample leg room in the Shinkansen (using economy class), my legs didn't even nearly touch the seat in front of me! When riding trains in Germany (my home), I need one seat to sit at and another one, where I can use the leg room. Also, the puntuality is simply out of this world. I had finished my business earlier than expected and was asking in the service center, whether I could take an earlier train. The lady told me the next one arrives in a couple of seconds (can't recall the exact number), and printed me a new ticket, I went straight to the platform, and the train pulled into the station, just as I reached the top of the escalators leading to the platform. In Germany, not only would it have taken forever to be served at the service point (where they'd probably even be unaware whether trains were running today or not), the punctuality is so unrealiable, that it'd be a long wait regardless (in Germany, a high speed train with less than six minutes counts as punctual, try being six minutes late to a job interview, and see, whether they'd accept that standard of punctuality).

[@driss3946]

Though Germans love to complain about Deutsche Bahn and its punctuality. I have lived in Germany and I hold a fair share of grudges about your country, however your train system is still really, really good compared to the rest of the world. With the 9-euro-ticket I was able to travel from Berlin to Munich and back for only 9 euros. It was a long ride as they were Nahverkehr trains, but still! For that price it was absolutely amazing! Hope you make that permanent. Here where I am (we're like 4 times bigger than Germany), even having a metro system in the 9 million capital city still sounds like a dream.

[@jan-lukas]

@@driss3946 it'll be for 49€ per month starting in May, so still much better for regular users, but not as good for one time riders

[@Skip6235]

As an American: Imagine an intercity train that is only 6 minutes late. Wow.

[@gunnarherzog5538]

@@Skip6235 Well, only 65% of trains arrived within that 6 minute margin, meaning 35% of trains arrived later than that, possibly hours later. Also, cancelled trains aren't included in this statistic.

[@XDKang]

I watched this video while riding the 5hr Nozomi from Shinagawa to Hakata (Fukuoka)! Decided to take the shinkansen instead of a flight despite the longer travel time because there's so much to see out the window to keep me from getting bored, including the magnificent Mt Fuji. I've been living in Japan for over six years now and their technological advancements in every aspect of life still never fails to impress me.

[@genso_shin]

Another key but less flashy project JR East is working on is the Fukushima Station Approach Line--currently the connecting track between the Tohoku and Yamagata Shinkansen lines at Fukushima Station is single-tracked, branching off from the northbound local track. This means southbound trains from Yamagata stop on the northbound platform, then have to cross over the northbound tracks to get back on the Tohoku line (and the southbound Tohoku train it gets coupled with also has to cross over the tracks twice), which is a big operational bottleneck for a station that has trains passing or stopping every ~2 minutes in peak periods. They're currently building a second connecting track that will pass under the existing Tohoku Shinkansen tracks and allow southbound trains to merge directly onto the local southbound track with no grade crossings. The project started construction in 2021 and is expected to finish in 2026.

[@glenmccabe3364]

Good point! The Fukushima Approach Line is important in speeding up the Yamagata Shinkansen and also removing the single track bottleneck and crossing the main line :)

[@Hollandstation]

As a person who likes to make videos about trains in the Netherlands, I really hope that we will once build a high-speed line to Germany. hsl south is not enough for my enthousiasm. maybe I'll go to Japan someday because who doesn't like bullet trains? As always, i enjoyed your video so thank you!

[@1EnZBosS1]

The thing right now is we dont have a real need for highspees rail. Our country is very small remember that. In return we do have the best bike/road infrastructure so its a trade off i will take. Would be nice to see more High speed lines going to outside places.

[@EpicThe112]

You mean building a High Speed line on Hollandstrecke Köln Duisburg/Dortmund-Mülheim Styrum Oberhausen Emmerich am Rhein Zevenaar Arnhem Utrecht International section and domestic Dutch side Spoorlijn Amsterdam Centraal Utrecht. When it comes to high-speed line towards Germany from the Netherlands these trains need to support 15kv 16.7hz Deutsche Bahn Netze 25kv 50hz Netherlands outside of the high speed line if built 1.5kv DC future 3kv DC

[@Glaggle]

@@EpicThe112 Are you driverwoods?

[@jan-lukas]

Once there was a consideration to build a line from Amsterdam to cologne I think, but it was scrapped unfortunately

[@RMTransit]

You should go, there is nothing like it!

[@integre23]

RM transit and Nonstop Eurotrip are the ultimate crossover.

[@NonstopEurotrip]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@Palanibert]

Great job on this one! You even pronounced the Japanese city names very well. So many other Norh American KZbin presenters mumble and stumble when saying foreign city names. You obviously made the effort to learn the correct names. Well done!

[@jonseilim4321]

Affordable high speed rail is the future, car centric cities are hell to live in

[@polarbear7]

6:53 man this train Comming too india 😍I'm so excited i love this design so much ! It looks so cool and reliable!

[@MagicalBread]

I got to ride Shinkansen from Nagoya to Tokyo a few years ago. What a smooth ride it was

[@nikkichan_05]

Been wanting this... My favourite High speed rail of all time. Hope to seeing the high speed rail becoming a reality in 🇮🇳. Also, can't wait for Chuo Shinkansen as well. Also, I read somewhere that America's working on getting their their own Maglev lines once the Chuo Shinkansen is operational.

[@aran145]

This channel is igniting my undiscovered obsession with high speed rails . Also excited to see the Tohoku Shinkansen run in India altho its probably going to be in 3-4 years!

[@elliotagnew9960]

In Texas US, there is a project to build a high speed rail line from Dallas to Houston, and they said that they would be using rolling stock adapted from those used on the Shinkansen. Unfortunately, that project seems to have stagnated after legal difficulties acquiring the alignment. They currently own the whole alignment, but are in great debt and there's been no update for a very long time. Edit: Or maybe they don't actually own all the land yet, but they do have the legal right to use eminent domain... after making it to the Texas Supreme Court

[@nagasako7]

3min intervals on Tokaido between Bullet trains on Golden Week is a marvel even more than speed.

[@impromark]

I rode the Hokuriku shinkansen in 2019 - days after a flood closed it and their main maintenance yard, mind you. It's an exceptional rail system and you've covered it well!

[@hintmations]

Just popped up into my notifications, already know it's gonna be good.

[@RMTransit]

I hope it was!

[@cyclonicleo]

Took one from Ueno to Omiya, just to see the JR Rail Museum. Totally worth it.

[@mdhazeldine]

Great video. An important one for the channel. Thanks for explaining the reason for the long pointy noses. I had assumed it was just due to general wind-tunnel testing, but the tunnel noise reason explains why we haven't seen designs like that in other countries.

[@peterelvery]

Thanks Reece. Well done. I laughed when you said the mini Shinkansen reminded you of bulbous British stock. As you would know, the loading gauge for most narrow gauge lines in Japan is actually wider than the restrictive clearance required on British standard gauge.

[@JustinParzik]

I actually live along where the new maglev line is going to be opened, and last I checked we'll actually have full operation between Tokyo and Nagoya starting in 4 years which is super exciting! Residents can also actually ride the test runs too which is really cool. It's on a lottery system though and it's of course very popular so it is a tad difficult to get into

[@Warum_Nicht]

Japan’s Shinkansen was the worlds first and greatest high speed rail.

[@marksman_561]

Finally, I was waiting for you to cover Shinkansen for so long.

[@RMTransit]

I hope you enjoyed!

[@GeneralLiuofBoston1911]

This was a really nice analysis! Time to watch again to take notes

[@railvlogger1439]

Just ordered our JR Pass today for our visit late August. Cant wait.

[@djmixerbox]

I loved this! The Shinkansen network is so cool

[@davidmurray8320]

You have made me positive about the future of Toronto transit in general which is a big reversal for me. I also appreciate the international context, high quality, thoughtfulness, and positivity of your content. Please keep it up!

[@silluete]

This kind of video keep me coming back. Nice video and thanks for the hard work!

[@y2an]

What isn’t mentioned is that it’s mega-reliable - the Tohoku Shinkansen averages 30 seconds lateness over a YEAR. No other country comes close. However, it is also very expensive which is why air travel even over shorter distances is still popular.

[@jmstransit]

Not to mention, the country has the population to support both options sustainably (despite being in decline)

[@Mew178]

Unless it snows... then we had the shitshow we had the last 2 weeks lol.

[@aerob1033]

Some of the Shinkansen lines just blow my mind with how different the transportation priorities are there compared to North America. Connecting all the way up to Hokkaido and all the way down to Kyushu with additional branches is mindboggling. Imagine if the Northeast Corridor in the US was true HSR and extended all the way up to Portland, Maine and all the way down to the Research Triangle in North Carolina, with additional branches to places like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Norfolk, Virginia. And even that's kind of underselling the Shinkansen given the tremendous geographical challenges in Japan.

[@johnhopper1069]

Love the videos man, keep up the great work

[@misosoppa3279]

"When you think of high-speed trains, you might think of France or Spain". No dude, everyone thinks of Japan 😉

[@iiExplosionz12]

Well explained video! It's very amazing to see how Japan's high speed railway have upped their level to compete and be way ahead of other high speed trains in other countries

[@83nitish]

Japanese Shinkansen is truly the standard for high speed trains.

[@TeiuExploreJapan]

Hey there! Hope you doing fine, Thanks for the great content and for inspiring me on creating a video explaining why Japan is INSANELLY well designed. Wish you the very best!

[@tay-lore]

Wow, what gorgeous machines on such gorgeous infrastructure

[@tomokokishi3066]

Fun fact. In the event of a big earthquake the safety system apply full brake on all operating trains BEFORE the impact. There's even a video footage of the very moment.

[@justinsimmonds5674]

Interesting video RM. Japan has a very impressive high-speed rail network that literally everywhere looks up to. Something that is very interesting is that no service runs between midnight and 6am to allow for infrastructure maintenance. Therefore, there is some odd service patterns early morning and late evenings. A very efficient system indeed. 5:40 The 500 Series rolling stock was originally used on the Tokyo-Fukuoka Nozomi services in 16-car consists from 1997 to 2010. They were cut to 8 cars and placed on all-stations Sanyo Shinkansen services. 11:53 Two reason for this. One, it is because the two networks must be separated because Japan has two separate power grids. The Tohoku/Joetsu/Hokuriku routes are on the 50 Hertz grid and Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu are on the 60 Hertz grid. Reason two: It would also cause severe capacity strain to try and run through service with the frequencies, especially during peak service where frequencies already so tight as they are. I do like your point on the fact that they are also operated by two separate companies. North and East of Tokyo is JR East and South and West of Tokyo is JR Central. 14:00 They originally wanted to link up the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen to the main network at Kurume, however Saga Prefecture denied JR Kyushu the clearance to build it, arguing that the existing Limited Express trains running on the narrow-gauge line is better than the Shinkansen. The trend in Japan is to always cancel the equivalent legacy line service to divert ridership onto the new high-speed train. Saga Prefecture essentially said that there is no justifiable benefits over the existing legacy line service that the Shinkansen could possibly bring. 14:47 The reason for the delay is that Shizuoka Prefecture denied construction clearance citing environmental concerns. Due to the extreme speeds which the Chuo Maglev will operate, they say that it will cause noise pollution along the route. At this stage, there are on-again/off-again attempts to negotiate terms to continue construction but they have not gone anywhere as of yet. There is a test track through Yamanashi Prefecture which is where they test and experiment with the technology.

[@th3thrilld3m0n]

Great vid! Love all the time, footage, and research that goes into these. Failed to mention the Texas Shinkansen project which I am excited about. It would be awesome to see a video on more monorail systems, especially the Walt Disney World Resort monorail, which used to be the most used in the world until recently.

[@ianhenderson4560]

Excellent video!

[@J4MJ4M5]

I LOVE how if I ever wanna know more ab a transit system, i can always count on reese to explain it fully 👍

[@SaturnCanuck]

That was great Reece. Excellent as always. However, as it first opened in 1964, while you never mentioned it, while these is an Earthquake warning system, I assume there is also a Godzilla warning system. He was quite prolific then and I’m sure they made some allowance for this.

[@wjj7488]

Using the Japan Rail Pass , I had taken Shinkansen for 5 min ride and also southern Hokkaido to Tokyo ( 4 hours ).

[@hamidanghaie2852]

Great video, Great content

[@DevynCairns]

Great, informative video, and you did a good job with pronunciation this time! I went to the railway museum in Saitama last month and it was very cool to see everything. I wish they had the MAX open because I never got a chance to ride on it and just like you I'm fascinated by the idea of a double-decker Shinkansen

[@oscardaone]

Oh I hope to ride it one day. Love to do a video about the Shinkansen. 🚄 🚅 Also love that it’s in its own tracks mainly elevated parts as I think that should be how most passengers trains should be separated from the level of freight trains.

[@ricktownend9144]

Very many thanks for this - I hadn't realised how much I didn't know about Japan's high-speed railways !

[@colinmathie2710]

Shinkansen videos are great.

[@spetz911]

When I rode Shinkansen north of Tokyo I didn’t know that it goes all a way to a central station, so I boarded it from Ueno which felt really slow, because I had to use metro to get there. Thanks for the video, It’s nice to see familiar places :)

[@kong3ke4xun2]

14:34 a slight mistake on the Chuō Shinkansen. It'll go through Nara and Osaka, not Kyōto.

[@TheScourge007]

I've ridden high speed rail in both Spain and Japan. I loved Spain and the Renfe is solid infrastructure, but the Shinkansen is next level! And if they get a 500 kph line working that will be astounding! I'm definitely rooting for them!

[@KillerTacos54]

Fantastic video

[@vidalso4548]

I rode the shinkansen on my trip there and it was simply amazing how puntual it was and all the options there were

[@direnius]

Accute observation about the Taipei high-speed using the same trains as these. I always felt they were very close (design-wise) to their Japanese cousins. :) A video about the recently set-up and fastly expanding high-speed network in Turkey would also be very interesting. I've lived in Turkey for many years and it's just breathtaking how fast the rail network is expanding both in cities and across the country. Thanks for these great documentaries!

[@vinhpham3792]

I first traveled to Japan back in 2019 and was absolutely impressed by the Tokaido Shinkansen when my family took it from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka Station. I'm traveling again this May and I'm buying the 2 Week Japan Rail Pass for the Tohoku/Hokkaido, Tokaido, Sanyo, and Hokuriku Shinkansens.

[@GDIdoujinmediaworks]

The Japan Rail Pass excludes Nozomi and Mizuho services. Nevertheless, it is interesting to have what is essentially a stored value ticket that saves you from having to pay one hundred bucks one way as long as you are willing to take unreserved seats (If I'm not mistaken, I read they may be upgradeable to reserved, just not on the immediate train you're on).

[@vinhpham3792]

@@GDIdoujinmediaworks Yeah, last time I was on the Nozomi service since we didn't buy the pass then but I won't mind it this time since I'm stopping in Nagoya for a night so the Hikari service will absolutely suffice. Also, the Japan Rail Pass does include free seat reservations, so there is no surcharge and you have to make the reservation at a ticket office or ticket machine after showing your pass. I also plan on upgrading my pass to use the Green Class seats since my longest planned journey will take me first from Tokyo to Shin-Hkaodate-Hokuto via the shinkansen and then a limited express train to Sapporo for a total journey time of 8 hours and 6 minutes.

[@RMTransit]

Everyone who uses it is pretty much instantly convinced!

[@GreaterJan]

I though this video was very well done. Thanks Reece!

[@RMTransit]

Thanks for watching!

[@sakurazero3641]

One of the most things i am exited about my japan vistit is the shinkansen. How else can i travel thousands of kilometers and see so much of the country

[@davideddy5877]

Nice video sir

[@riffgroove]

I was in Japan for two weeks on vacation just last year. We used public transportation the entire time and all of our inter-ciry travel was done on the Shinkansen. It's an incredible way to travel. It's such an integral part of Japanese culture now that they totally take it for granted.

[@akihikosaratani7734]

Thank you so much for sharing Japanese bullet trains!! I am quite proud of your sharing Japanese bullets trains! I think they are the best trains on the world. I am looking forward to watching your chanel regarding Japanese trains from now on!

[@Justin-fi9kj]

I would love to see you do a video on the massive transit projects in Tel Aviv, it’s construction on par with Chinese metros but in a country of just 9 million. I think it would be super interesting to explore!

[@SeanA099]

There’s also a plan to use Japanese trains on a proposed high speed line between Dallas and Houston

[@theoffice4951]

Thank You

[@futaba951]

E/W7s are the most gorgeous trains on the planet. The Gran class seats are to die for.

[@jasons8458]

Dear RMTransit, I'm very impressed by your knowledge about the Japanese Shinkansen systems. You must have spent a lot of time in researching it. All your points were spot on based on what I've learned from other Japanese railway otaku youtubers.

[@arkynkueh]

Er actually the Kyushu Shinkansen did begin service in 2004, from Shin-Yatsushiro to Kagoshima-Chuo. The 2011 date is for the full opening of the line reaching Hakata Station.

[@jasons8458]

@@arkynkueh You are absolutely right. I've edited out the "Opened in 2011" part from my comment. Thanks!

[@Schnaitheimer]

Interesting video as always! I only miss information of on board services and a bit more specific info on frequencies and timetabling. And just for fun: the recent movie "Bullet train" also plays on the Tohoku Shinkansen and is based on a Japanese novel which I highly recommend 🙂(only read the novel, didn't watch the movie yet)

[@RMTransit]

Its an excellent movie! I was thinking about including those details but, to some extent they feel like they are better suited to a separate video about the service that I can make IN Japan at some point!

[@eddiehidani3683]

Shoutout to the youtube channel Nozomi 503 if y'all want to see some really well made Japanese railfan videos, their shinkansen videos are second to none imo

[@lovecherrymobile]

thank you :D

[@SmthPositive_]

Ah amazing 20 minutes of contents thank you Reece! Will there be an updated video about the German highspeed network as well this year I think due to recent developments there’s a lot of new stuff to add :)

[@SmthPositive_]

@Zaydan Alfariz should’ve a added a “theoretical” before the “highspeed”

[@jan-lukas]

@@SmthPositive_ there are several city pairs where you won't have major problems getting a proper high speed train, and if one is delayed/canceled there'll be more trains just 10mins later or so. The best example is cologne - Frankfurt, it's amazing to travel on the railway!

[@SmthPositive_]

@@jan-lukas I think 10 minutes is a bit of a stretch especially since there’s more destinations in Germany and abroad one might want to travel to 😅

[@RMTransit]

Thats the plan!

[@SmthPositive_]

@@RMTransit sick can’t wait for all the new videos this year!

[@PraveshOnYT]

Can't wait to see Shinkansen hitting Indian tracks. 🇮🇳

[@allyreneepenny9447]

Awesome system in Japan 👍💯

[@Ruhrpottpatriot]

FINALLY! Someone mentions the linearity of Japan as a major factor in it's highspeed railway success. So many just gloss over it or flat out ignore this important fact, that makes a good highspeed rail system so much easier to plan and build. Same goes for the different gauges. People mostly only mention that "japan has a dedicated highspeed network". The economic factors and considerations of building a high-speed network are completely different if you need to build new tracks anyway and simply cannot use existing tracks, as in most of Europe (looking at you German high-speed discussion). That's not to say, that the shinkansen network isn't impressive, on the contrary.

[@j134679]

just draw lines between the major cities

[@AL5520]

Linearity is not what makes a good high speed rail system and it's a result of geography, not planning. Japan is a long and relatively narrow country and, together with the locations of its major cities a linear alignment is the most logical, as it is in Italy that has similar geography. O the other hand, in a country like Germany, France, Spain or China it makes no sense as it will not provide good connections to the major cities thus will be a horrible system.

[@Ruhrpottpatriot]

@@AL5520 I never said it makes a "good" system, I said It makes things easier. This one should be obvious, since you can connect cities with fewer lines. You can connect the biggest three cities with one line in Japan and you'll get the fastest way possible. In Germany to connect the three biggest cities, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, you need two lines: Berlin/Hamburg/Munich, and Hamburg/Munich. Adding the Cologne into the mix adds Hamburg/Cologne, Berlin/Cologne, Munich/Cologne to the mix. So a total of five lines for the three biggest cities. France still works with the system because so much is centred around Paris, making the capital a centre of a series of spokes. The same goes for Spain.

[@magical_catgirl]

74 flights on a random Tuesday between Tokyo (Haneda or Narita) and Osaka (Kansai, Itami or Kobe). 70-110 min flight + 30-60 min ground transport on each end between airport and city center. Between 2h10m and 3h50m (plus connections and airport formalities) for flight options. 220 Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka (Feb 2023 timetable). 2h30m-4h travel time (depending on Nozomi, Hikari or Kodama service). If there wasn't some benefit to getting the flight (such as it being part of an international ticket), the Shinkansen is the better option.

[@jmstransit]

Thankfully there exist a few travel vlogs that explore this idea; a video by "Paolo from Tokyo" comes to mind.

[@EmilyWatson-bv6ct]

I can see the spray all around his brother lolll. The sneeze explodes just near his brother’s ear.