Shinkansen vs TGV - Is One Better Than the Other?

brilliant.org/CuriousDroid
The Japanese shinkansen or bullet train and the TGV from France are the original high-speed rail trains and although they provide a similar service they are quite distinct in their own right and yet they have a common starting point but is possible to say if one better than the other.
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Presented by
Paul Shillito
Written & Researched
By Paul Shillito
Images and footage : NHK, Alstom, SNCF, EZ30tRutH6, Greg Peterson, JR Tokai,
ula
Music from the KZbin library
The Void by White Hex
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Connection by Wayne Jones
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Strange Stuff by Matt Harris
Subterranean Howl by ELPHNT
Bubble Walk bu Aaron Lieberman
Stuck in the air by The Tower of Light
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[@yuukih134]

I am Japanese. I'm very honored to be compared in this way to the TGV, the French bullet train. Cheers to the technology in both countries!

[@yuukih134]

こんにちは！ 僕はまだ高校生なので英語が拙いかもしれません。読みづらかったらすみません Hello! I'm still a high school student, so I'm not good at English, I'm sorry.

[@tanbarua242]

Japanese railway is the most efficient railway system in the world.

[@NPJGlobal]

Arigato Yuuki H! I'm glad about the mutual respect and admiration in both our countries. Much love from northern France!

[@misosupe]

僕も日本人です。

[@hrk9209]

Same for me, I am Japanese but I am mostly native from the State of Alaska in the United States and I live in Alaska. But still I like Japanese.

[@attackhelicopter3860]

Meanwhile in Romania there's a news article that says: ''Last year the total delay time of trains summed up to 8 years''

[@VersusARCH]

Still, you made electric locomotives of your own during Ceauscescu years at Electroputere Craiova - not an insignificant achievment. Some are still running including here in Serbia.

[@nottoday3817]

@@VersusARCH 'Made'. Important notice. I fear, the most ridiculous reason why we don't have high speed trains though is that the tracks would get stolen. :))) That and the ticket price. I mean even for the 'fast trains' at an average speed of around 70kph from Bucharest to my town (60kms) in around 40 minutes to an hour we pay quite a lot in our money. Around 3 euros per ticket. If you plan to commute that's 6 euros per day. Train passes are a great options, but still not very cheap. And last, but not least reason is the incentive to build such a line. Here, in the last decades, the country has divided into a few major centers. Bucharest, Constanta, Iasi, Suceava, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca and Craiova. Frankly speaking, they are at the ends of the country except Bucharest and Cluj, which are more central. Being economic centers and quite far apart there is not such need for small business men to travel between them and the big ones can just pick a plane from the airports as we have some decent low-cost companies. Basically, the only people that would travel between those centers are students. Or tourists. But they usually travel only in summer or winter.This reminds me about a thing regarding the price. Here, a few years ago, students received free pass on the trains. (quite a smart move). Now they want to take that away after which people started to insult us saying those passes would be used just for getting drunk at the seaside. This prompted me to calculate how much would train fares actually cost for such a trip. I realised something quite surprising. If we were to travel on the inter-city trains (as you would expect on a normal european country), it would be much cheaper (and time efficient, perhaps the only country where one could say that) to travel by plane. TO FUCKING ROME. So no old lady. If you will take away my train pass, I won't get drunk at the sea, since it would be much cheaper to get drunk in a European capital. What you take away is the possibility to get a decent summer job

[@user-vh1wg1ns2b]

@Orlando Rotundo that is, if the trains are not getting cancelled

[@tekkenfan01]

USA always on time

[@PhilippeLarcher]

try sicily XD

[@noy1009]

as a french person i can say for a fact france and japan always have admired each other, and i can tell u thats still the case nowadays, the tgv and the shinkansen are both amazing trains and to be honest i couldnt tell which one is better! Cheers from france and hi to all the japanese ppl ^^

[@michelveraliot]

Ils sont tout les 2 mangnifique et avec le nouveau tgv on aura peux être notre shinkansen :)

[@ogamiitto8627]

Je suis Français et pour avoir emprunté le Shinkansen, il faut bien avouer qu'il est encore plus impressionnant que notre TGV. Plus confortable, plus de place, plus modulable (les sièges se retournent à destination pour permettre au train de repartir très vite dans l'autre sens) ponctualité à la seconde près, fréquence, propreté, qualité de service à bord et dans les gares... Extraordinaire.

[@lieutenant6894]

How much french like indians 😃

[@Yep6803]

don't forget Frecciarossa 1000

[@MrMaximino92]

As mentioned in the video, none of them is better than the other.

[@microdubber]

Shinkansen has a perfect safety record since the early 1960s. This is a source of great pride for the Japanese.

[@michaelbujaki2462]

Nearly perfect. One of them derailed in an earthquake and the other derailed for reasons not mentioned.

[@andropahsa3904]

@@michaelbujaki2462 still, Zero fatality

[@mazda_CX-30]

I am very happy as a Japanese! Thank you!

[@lzh4950]

@@andropahsa3904 One passenger was killed by a closing door I heard but I believe the operator was cleared of blame

[@Windows98R]

Zhi Han Lee I guess it’s 0 fatality in terms of live operations (IE: derailing, fire, blowing up etc)

[@uglyduckling81]

You forgot to mention Australia's high speed trains. Huge flat country. Melbourne to Sydney is around 720km, each city approx 5m people. Our trains make this journey in only 11hrs. An extraordinary average speed of 65km/hr. Plus is only costs about 1.5x more than the 1hr flight. Unforgivable oversight really.

[@tepidtuna7450]

Maaaate, but wait there's more. With every passing review of HST viability you get a free set of political parties and an election.

[@rocketman4315]

😂

[@del7723]

I guess the Australians dont give a fck about our environment. There is nothing more harmful then travelling by plane.

[@johnfrancisdoe1563]

Del Try steam locomotives with coal boilers.

[@Tiger351]

If you're talking about the XPT it's not terribly impressive compared to these things, highest top speed it hit was 182 km/h and that was on a closed newly rebuilt section of track between Dubbo and Orange NSW when it was new in 1982. Given how bad the rail network is after privatisation and how old they are now you'll never see those sorts of speeds out of the old girls ever again.

[@Chrischi3TutorialLPs]

France: Builds automated trains that go at 300+ km/h on regular duty Japan: Building Maglev trains that'll go 500+ km/h and be in regular service by 2027 Germany: Changes definition of delay to increase punctuality rates

[@Yep6803]

Italy: we built the same thing of France e nobody know it!

[@unepintade]

@@Yep6803 I mean you're using french trains

[@d00mch1ld]

The French really know how to build a train. But man... The Japanese ones look like spaceships.

[@chrissmith7259]

The Japanese know how to run them. Always on time.

[@BJBorah3]

The Japanese are the best in everything

[@Rentta]

@@BJBorah3 Especially denying war crimes

[@BJBorah3]

@@Rentta Really??? Tell me one crime that Modern Japan did. For your kind information, everyone knows that Imperial Japan committed horrible crimes and that country is nowhere available in any modern Map.

[@bobduvar]

@@BJBorah3 Even in killing whales !!!

[@kevinkim271]

Having experienced both, I'm going to say the shinkansen beats out the TGV. We don't even need to discuss the technological systems of either trains. Just the Japanese standard of service and punctuality alone is unmatched.

[@jonpetter8921]

Like the video said no one is better. The TGV is good for french need while the Shinkansens is good for japanese need.

[@cat5636]

I've been on both as well and I must say I prefer the TGV because of it's interior. I find it more comfortable, cosier and more beautiful than the Shinkansen. But that's just my opinion of course 😊 But indeed, in terms of service and punctuality nothing beats the Shinkansen

[@josfitz]

I agree with Jon. That said, the point of this video is around speed. I believe the French have mastered speed with their AGV but I could be wrong. Actually, l may have been wrong. Someone informed me of a newer Japanese Maglev train that is 600 KM per hour. That's really fast.

[@G1NZOU]

@狐猫 very true, France has the advantage of space, although not all of France is flat there's still enough room to route rail lines with speed in mind, Japan's narrower geography and dense cities mean it's harder to put down a route without slopes or demolishing important buildings. I think Japan's accomplishment is astounding.

[@Brtt4849]

@@jonpetter8921 true we all have our traits yes and we like them

[@NiPaVou]

Thanks for using the metric system. Makes things so much easier to understand

[@Tomek1001]

kph ? Kilo per hour = 1000 per hour. 1000 of what, bananas, apples? THE UNIT IS METER!!! Km/h is the corect writing: Allways remember to write what unit your are using!

[@DrWhom]

quarter pounder with cheese

[@youliahadzhidimova5260]

@@Tomek1001 It's Kelvins per hour.

[@Delibro]

@@Tomek1001 Yes, its km/h - why the hell this is so difficult to understand? Why randomly create new abbreviations, if there is an existing one that the whole world uses since many decades and that fit in a system that is much larger than only velocity.

[@TheEgg185]

Nooooooooo. 🇺🇸

[@tarikja]

5:29 Damn dude, get behind the railing! 😰

[@serviamserviam4618]

no fatal accident indeed :P

[@Vamp898]

@@serviamserviam4618 #Skills

[@---iv5gj]

@@solarsatan9000 you don't say

[@_yourfavoritedad3874]

@@solarsatan9000 r/woooosh

[@k4rtus1k]

@Brain Strain ye no shit

[@RFGfotografie]

I've been on the TGV once. And it's so freaking stable/comfy. I could even photograph the sunset in northern France while it was going 300 kph (if not faster) without any effort at all.

[@davidarundel6187]

Once at speed, it seems effortless, reaching those speeds, listen to the electric motors powering up - even a subway, has the power up noise plus inertial force, as it speeds up, or, slows down.

[@PaliAha]

What a genius comment as if that couldn't be done on others.

[@metalblind95]

@@PaliAhayou again! What a mean little person you are, jealousy is ugly

[@BobSayG]

I am Japanese and what I love about Shinkansen is the whole experience. Going to station, get regional Bento lunch box and sweets etc and get on the train and enjoy the view in comfort. Caught some trains in Europe as well but it felt it’s just a way to get point A to point B. Sure, there are faster trains than Shinkansen but I don’t think Shinkansen needs to compete with others with speed because it already exists as Shinkansen experience package.

[@josfitz]

If you are going to talk food, I prefer Chinese trains where you can order from the very best restaurants and have it delivered directly to the train.

[@M_Julian_TSP]

The aim of the TGV is to transport the people, not to stroll and amuse the rich.

[@josfitz]

I think Chinese trains are just as fast if not faster. Please excuse me for being a wealthy United States WASP. I like AGV when in France and I like the bullet train in Japan. See Bob's comment above. I love a good bento box as well. The last time I ate in the Ritz Paris the bill was close to $500 per person and worth every penny. Comparisons are odious. What you may opine is highly subjective and matters not a whit to me when you're rude and haughty. Have a nice day.

[@duckmeat4674]

@@josfitz chinese trains are faster....but the delays means it doesnt matter how fast they are

[@jonaskemper5348]

Yes, you are right.

[@CuriousDroid]

Apologies for the re-upload, this was due to an error which I hadn't noticed until after it was live.

[@kylebishop6233]

What was the error?

[@Eric_the_Hiking]

Oh my TVG one five, oh oh, TVG one five

[@dogownrpenna]

Carry on good sir

[@cobeer1768]

Hey, It doesnt matter. I love your content. Its too good to not click when I see your notifications. Its an instant click. I hope you find the backing to send more to us. I *might* be biased but your work is great.

[@amphibiousone7972]

Your content is of very high quality.

[@Obiterarbiter]

The Japanese shinkansen is in a league of its own. It's impeccable timetable, aesthetic and courtesy of staff make it the best HSR network in the world.

[@Baamthe25th]

You're comparing staff/customer service here, not the train themselves

[@DirtyRobot]

They have aircon smoking rooms and vending machines. I even went on one Shinkansen that had a meeting room. Like huge central table surrounded by 20 executive chairs with the previous carriage having ridiculous leather train seats that would blow away most 1st class airline facilities.

[@KyrilPG]

@@DirtyRobot TGV and ICE have AC too. Don't know for the ICE but TGVs have meeting rooms too on select destinations but they are smaller.

[@KyrilPG]

As for the service I prefer the ICE, for the machine itself I prefer TGV and for timetable reliability it's Shinkansen.

[@lucastaiano2836]

Like he said two different trains for different geographical areas and purposes, i think that the TGV looks a lot Better and the japanese counterpart Is a hell of a lot caster

[@danielarias9047]

Why compare ? The reason why in France we choose the TGV is we want a train that can use classic rails and not only TGV rails. So the TGV can go in high speed on TGV rails, but also slower on classic existing rail network. The context of the technolgy choice its important. France had a huge train network before TGV.

[@mogaman28]

Son of spanish inmigrants? I always thought that it was ironic that one of the most famous french person of the world is also of spanish origins, Jean Reno. Also shinkansen is more sexy than the tgv or ave trains. I rode in all of them.

[@danielarias9047]

@Pedro DLR Now its all business. Our classic trains are retarder for 5 to 10 hours sometimes for a travel of 4 hours when all runs good. Its the magic of capitalism destroy all where they invest.

[@snorktorsk3434]

The Shinkansen can travel only on its own network because it's standard gauge, while the rest of the network is narrow gauge. Intermixing the traffic was never an option.

[@DrWhom]

TERGV!

[@louplibre9734]

@@danielarias9047 Il ne faut pas exagéré et ne pas blâmer le capitalisme à tout-va.

[@CozminVasile]

Here, in Romania, speed trains date back in the roman empire era and we use the same machinery still!! So not only you get a historical ride, with no more than 50 km/h, in straight line, downhill, but you also experience how our ancestors used to commute, in the very same conditions! It's an unique way of torture nevertheless!

[@hemprope4326]

Trains were invented in the 1800s. Rome was long gone by then

[@optimusmagnetar5012]

@@hemprope4326 r/Woooosh

[@person.X.]

@@hemprope4326 I rather enjoy Cozmin Vasile's sense of humour.

[@khalid6050ify]

@@hemprope4326 only Donkey cart🤣He is right.

[@CozminVasile]

One can't be sarcastic anymore...

[@nbarrett100]

The actual experience of being a passenger on the Shinkansen is incredible. In terms of comfort, space, frequency and efficiency it's a million miles ahead of everything

[@AlohaBiatch]

100% agreed. I've ridden both the TGV and Shinkansen over 6 times each and the Shinkansen is miles ahead in most aspects: -leg room is massive (on TGV a lot of the cars make you face strangers and play footsie with them) -Being able to rotate seats to the direction it's heading helps immensely with comfort even if you're not prone to motion sickness -Ride is a lot smoother , I wouldn't want to leave an open bottle on the table in a TGV -trains are a lot cleaner inside -loads of toilets and sinks onboard -very little delays because of the dedicated tracks The main disadvantage of the Shinkansen is that it rides on dedicated tracks only so going to smaller cities with it is difficult. But that's also what makes it so reliable and means it can have a high operating speed and safety .

[@georgew2014]

Agreed. I've ridden the Tokyo-Kyoto route.

[@socks_cat356]

The recent Shinkansen is scheduled to depart every five minutes.The next generation of Shinkansen will be operational at 360km/h.

[@rizkyfajarfarhansyah3847]

How about noise? Is it loud in shinkansen?

[@socks_cat356]

It is a speed improvement test run of 360km / h of shinkansen of the form that exists. It's almost the same as before, and it doesn't seem to feel much shaking or sound. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGjHoa1soNJ5opI This new Shinkansen is said to be a test run at 400(390)km/h. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oauolJuembWarqM

[@fosterfuchs]

The Shinkansen isn't just amazing with regards to the train technology. It's also the frequency of service. These trains run every 15-20 minutes. It's like a municipal commuter train network, except long distance at a high rate of speed.

[@user-eg1ug3oe2q]

In addition, the Tokaido Shinkansen runs every 3~7min in the daytime...

[@jwalster9412]

Comes more often than my city bus! yeesh.

[@hamanakohamaneko7028]

Even if it's frequent, every 3 minutes, the peak season will always be a nightmare. (Very crowded)

[@hamanakohamaneko7028]

Isamu Dyson true, but I use Kodama haha

[@theTHwa3tes11]

@@IsamuDyson The Nozomi Shinkansen is the only Shinkansen that doesn't accept JR Pass.

[@DJAYPAZ]

For those of us who ridden the "Shinkansen" it reaaly is in a class of it's own. I rode the Nozomi Super Express from Tokyo to Hiroshima and back again. 300+ Km/hr makes the journey relatively quick and very comfortable. I note that the train accelerated up to cruising speed quite quickly.

[@RS-nq8xk]

The N700 family has a launch acceleration comparable to Japanese commuter trains. (2.6km/h/s for the N700 family) Others are almost always below 2

[@josfitz]

@@RS-nq8xk So the NYC Subway.

[@wertrocks123]

For me, that original orange TGV is the sexiest of the lot. Man, what a beautiful machine

[@kefsound]

Nothing compared to the Shinkansen

[@unemusiqueunjour]

@@kefsound TGV beat maglev Shinkansen. Not on regularity but on every technological aspects.

[@juryota1174]

@@unemusiqueunjour idk man i think the shinkansen is better

[@NPJGlobal]

@@juryota1174 that's like, your opinion dude

[@FoxMonkey-xw5yf]

I agree it just looks amazing!

[@rollingwithjoe7562]

I’m an engineer at Eurostar, and I can tell you that the french TMST is an amazing train. Considering it’s age (although been refurbished) is still going strong! It’s really weird working on such old technology then working on the new train, being the E320 Velaro.

[@noth606]

RollingWithJoe maybe but European high speed trains are completely irrelevant, no one I know has ever even seen one, and I live in Europe. But I have seen and traveled on the Shinkansen in Japan. So you are an engineer at something no one uses or gives a shit about except maybe the useless European Union authoritarian assholes.

[@aminboumerdassi2334]

@@noth606 Eurostar's hub is in London and has only a select number of routes. That's probably why you've never seen it

[@philv3941]

@@noth606 pure stupid trolling. Hi speed european trains are just the more exported in the world, far more than shinkansen. And if you come to france, germany and italy, fast train are everywhere. You are just coming from a shithole and judging the rest of the continent from there. Phil, Bordeaux. TGV line "atlantic". 320kmh. About ten departure a day to Paris.

[@asicdathens]

@@noth606 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZvHk5dppKqsaKs UK-> Netherlands via the Channel Tunnel . It seems you have a very small number of acquaintances that do not travel because millions use TGV trains annually. And TGV is the fastest non magnetic levitation train

[@jacobnathanielzpayag3885]

@@philv3941 That is correct. European high speed trains are found everywhere. In fact, Alstom has the most market share for global high speed trains. The TGV has been exported to Morocco, and the US. Siemen's Velaro is in use in Russia and China. However, the Japanese Shinkansen has only been exported to Taiwan and China.

[@uss_04]

I’d got for the Shinkansen just for the scenery. The TGV is fine but travels over a lot of flat farmland. Japan has those mountains and rolling hills when you break out of the urban centers, and once you get near Hakone, Mt. Fuji makes a great backdrop. Plus the engineering challenge for building in densely populated, mountainous, natural disaster prone geography is interesting in its own right.

[@micbenner]

As if Mt Fuji wouldn't be covered in clouds...

[@fetchstixRHD]

I'm torn personally, I can't really speak from that much experience of either, but I prefer the design of the TGV and AGV trains. In terms of which is the better system though, you'd probably have to give that to Japan...

[@tomf3150]

In France there aren't many tunnels on tgv lines and the trains simply slow down to 250 kph before. In Japan it makes sense to design the train to reduce the piston effect.

[@uss_04]

MichaelBenner First time though yes it was covered in clouds but sometimes you luck out

[@KyrilPG]

@@tomf3150 there are quite a few tunnels on the exit of Paris and other places but they are wider than in Japan and many of them have "progressive entries" or pressure relief shafts at both ends to avoid piston effect. They can and actually run at full speed in those tunnels. Also most of the full speed tunnel ends in France or Germany are further away from residential areas than in Japan. For all those reasons the Japanese "duck face" is less needed for full tunnel speed on TGVs or ICEs. However it is present on some of the Spanish AVEs.

[@HC-nj3bs]

You can recognize any great nation by its ability to accomplish long term project for the benefits of its people

[@dinil5566]

Yup here in India we have many long term projects. For example changing the broken door of a train. Takes more than 20 yrs. Great nation.

[@diontan829]

@@dinil5566 at face value your comment is funny but a bit later i realized it's really sad

[@dinil5566]

@@diontan829 it is what it is... Hope it might change👍

[@neetuchauhan636]

@@dinil5566 according to your comment it would have taken us 2 million years to build Worlds 3d largest railway network in world. Dont be so stupid while typing comments , you are defaming your country very badly. Peace out......

[@dinil5566]

@@neetuchauhan636why not 1st? Compared to China and usa, our land area is tiny and full of people. ever thought of that? Is our trains on time? Do they serve good quality service? Before calling me stupid, take a time to travel outside your country and compare how far they have gone compared to us. Defaming country? I'm defaming the system and government u idiot. It's not my fault that your can't even find out the difference.

[@RedSnake714]

The reason why Shinkansen is the best HSR in the world is because of the amount they invest in the system since there is so much demand for it. I travel for business between Tokyo and Osaka at least once a month, and in a train based society like Japan, riding the HSR is more convenient than flying in my opinion.

[@danielhoffmann67]

That's the point: Japan is a country with a train based society. Therefore japanese train systems are the best and safest in the world. (My opinion :-) )

[@josfitz]

@@danielhoffmann67 I'm laughing at this. To me its silly. One cannot take a Shinkansen in France and one cannot take a TGV or AGV in Japan so why all the contention.

[@7667neko]

Boarding an aircraft (for a domestic flight) you have to go through check-in (if you have any larger baggage), security check and wait in a queue to board. Then flight, deplaning, taking baggage and going to the final destination by public transport/rented car/taxi/with a friend that picks you up/whatever. Boarding a train is just buying a ticket (if it hasn't been bought online or in advance), boarding, riding, deboarding and you're in the city centre/downtown or, at least, near it. And it's possible to take larger bags/suitcases without being charged for 1 mm oversize nor 0.1 kg overweight.

[@jimelliott8931]

that safety records is incredible

[@NPJGlobal]

The TGV also has a spotless safety record

[@uwu_senpai]

@@NPJGlobal Train is probably the safest mean of transportation anyway just in front of planes.

[@bonfiresgt]

@@NPJGlobal Not saying that TGV is dangerous or anything (statistically it's one of the safest transports), but the accident in 2015 did involve a derailment and 11 dead.

[@allan2k195]

Bonfire Sgt That train was not in public service, they were testing it

[@bonfiresgt]

​@@allan2k195 Depends on the definition of "immaculate safety record", but given that commission trials (unlike extreme performance trials) are expected to replicate service conditions and limits, the accident is probably not an exempt from the overall safety statistic. There are many train systems that have shown immaculate safety throughout testing, trials and service. TGV may have "immaculate in-service safety record" though.

[@dorykbum]

I got to enjoy the Shinkansen when I went to Japan in May/June and I tell ya it is the smoothest and quietest system ever, even better than the 787 Dreamliner and the Tesla Model Y

[@MrJimheeren]

dorkybum are you comparing a high speed train to an aircraft and an automobile? Interesting comparison

[@dorykbum]

In terms of ride comfort and audibleness yes I am

[@kfl16]

dorkybum well it’s an airplane of course it’s gonna be better than an airplane in noisiness but in the 787 there are touchscreens

[@dorykbum]

@@kfl16 yes yes there is and it's awesome, luv the 787

[@dorykbum]

But my point was that inside the train it's alot quieter, tho the 787 is pretty quiet inside too

[@flxdrv5020]

one thing to take into account is that a trip with the Shinkansen is quite a bit more expensive than in the TGV. A trip in the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka does 500km in 2hours cost you around 100€ second class and 200€ for the first class. Whereas a trip in TGV from Paris to Lyon does 465km in 1H50 cost you around 50€ second class and 60€ to 70€ for the first class (tho price varies a lot for the TGV you can often see tickers for those prices). so even tho the TGV is often not on time, it (imo) balances out with the cheaper price compared to the shinkansen.

[@SmokeyBCN]

TGV has a great record for safety, reliability and comfort. But it cannot be compared to the Shinkansen, which is in a league of its own in terms of punctuality and sheer number of services. At peak times they run every few minutes, more like a super fast metro.

[@Clery75019]

There are 13 TGV per hour between Paris and Lyon at peak times. It will be expanded to 16 trains per hour by 2024.

[@volkhen0]

Love Shinkansen with the Rail Pass in Japan when you can use it as much as you want :) there is no better way to see Japan.

[@halonothing1]

Must be nice. I'd love to visit Japan some day. And compared to North American rates, a JR Pass is dirt cheap. Costs more for a bus pass in some places.

[@adimasguntur]

Agreed XD Im using more than 20 trains in 3 days with that pass. Travelling edge to edge

[@loodwich]

But you can not use the Nozomi, only the Hikaru or the Tamago.

[@adimasguntur]

@@loodwich that is not a problem actually. Hikari and kodama covers all of the station. Just a bit slower and u have to make a transit, which is a good opportunity to go sightseeing

[@loodwich]

@@adimasguntur For me is not a problem... The JR Pass is a good option to visit Japan as a tourist, I only wanted to clarify trouble that a lot of tourists had taken that line. I never took the Kodama, but I like the Hikaru.

[@uss_04]

Its funny that people still call the Shinkansen “Bullet Trains” even though current models looks more like a flatten platypus. Goes to show how iconic those first designs were.

[@Trucidek]

Wasn't it named like this because of the line concept before the actual train was built?

[@pakde8002]

It's also kinda crazy they were designed by the same guy who made the Kamikaze plane bombs.

[@Gribbo9999]

Maybe "The Platypus Train" doesn't give quite the right impression. He he..

[@Gribbo9999]

Meanwhile on British Railways.....

[@THETRIVIALTHINGS]

And how conditioning is a hard thing to break.

[@alexandregoudard5641]

French here: We are glad to have the TGV here and i think that the two trains have quite similar performances. But man TGV (and trains here) have always delays or reason to be canceled at the last minute. So Japan for the win (Cheers to all japenese, we love you guys)

[@lucrolland7489]

I have ridden all the French TGVs on all routes since 1986 and I was always pleased by its comfort. The French TGVs are kore comfortable as they have more ergonomic seats (something that even the recent Hitachis delivered in the UK do not seem to understand). I have taken the TGV at Aix-en-Provence and 3h30 hours later I was entering the Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, a distance of 750 km and I could have a good price in first class where the seats are large and very ergonomic. I have never seen sych a pleasant ride. Even by plane you cannot beat that.

[@Sergecalifornia]

The British were using steam train up to 1970..

[@TheYawun]

We invented the damn things we’ll use them as we see fit!!

[@G1NZOU]

True but we still hold the Steam and Diesel speed records.

[@aabb-zz9uw]

They still use it on subway. You can see the video

[@chickenpommes19]

Most countries did tho.

[@TankEngine75]

@@BruhThisMoment Steam Still Exists On Heritage Railways For Tourists And Steam Enthusiasts(I Mean Everyone)

[@rollstuhlmeister]

Meanwhile in the UK... 1960's: "We don't need trains, we need motorways" 2019: "We don't need high-speed rail, waste o' money" and "It will ruin my view"

[@alexverdigris9939]

You need to promise your British public that the HS2 and HS3 will run only steam trains, then nobody will oppose the new lines being built. Then start operations with steam trains, say they're dirty and pollute, then gradually introduce 21st century HSR rolling stock. That's the only way to bypass the nimbys

[@pierrepinson2906]

😂😂😂👎. Your train are old fashionable, not reliable, small inside. You need speed train. Cars and trucks polluted more your country.

[@BronyumHexofloride]

living on the route of HS1 is no sunshine and rainbows.. honestly the Hitachi class 395 is a great train with squandered potential "hmm lets use our state of the art trains to run services to areas where theyl be trashed in an instant".... *slow clap*

[@richardwills-woodward5340]

@@pierrepinson2906 Different loading gauges. European railways were built for military purposes. UK railways were built for profit. The difference opened up there. The train will always be slightly smaller on the UK only network.

[@lzh4950]

@@alexverdigris9939 If cost is of such significant concern then I imagine a cheaper solution would be to install cab signalling on the West Coast Main Line? Then the existing _Pendelinos_ can hit their maximum speed

[@oniwakamarukumano8328]

お互いに意識し合って速い、安全、快適な列車を作ってくれたら嬉しいよね❗️

[@user-hu7tj8su5r]

いいえ

[@fobbitoperator3620]

Nah, I have to disagree on that point Mr Akihiro. Hexagonal wheels not only create substantially more coefficient drag & metal-on-metal friction, but also make for a torturously bumpy ride. There'd be some serious lawsuits due to unfathomably expensive spilled Saki, & sushi sticking to the ceiling. Nevermind random individuals getting accidentally impaled by flying designer titanium chop sticks. Perhaps dosing a rickshaw puller with a PCP, medical grade ephedrine cocktail, & a half gallon of Red Bull for a spritzer, would prove a more economical choice for the speed obsessed future. HAI

[@lazuardifirdaus1698]

Shinkansen is super on-time train and have zero fatalities on major accident. That's Japanese Technology at finest

[@duckmeat4674]

You dont consider derailment a major accident?

[@espakol21]

@@duckmeat4674 there is no derailment incident in any part of history in Japanese Shinkansen.. And there is only one fatality recorded on its history, an old woman that had a heart attack inside and went out dead in the 80s... That means its only fatality is for medical reasons and not because of an accident...

[@duckmeat4674]

@@espakol21 shinkansen has had 2 derailments en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Derailment_of_Joetsu_Shinkansen

[@Kodnnkmpohn]

@@duckmeat4674 bro. Did you know wiki can edit??? 🤣🤣🤣

[@TMthe33rd]

Hey... at least no one died during the accident

[@Hunnars]

Maybe the biggest difference between the two of them is that Shinkansen arrives and departs on time.

[@pedrofigueiredo5548]

yep , its ridiculous the delays in France , mostly announced last minute lol

[@jeanfonssedeporte3158]

It depends on the line. I took the LGV East for 2 years, average of 5 time per months, and I only got like one or two big delays, and four or five 5 to 15 minutes delay. And well, most of the time, the SNCF (company operating the TGV) can barely do anything : criminal fire on the rails, suicide or a freight train blocked on the rail. But train departing from Montparnasse station, it's another story lol, some friends were delayed almost half the time

[@danopticon]

I took the TGV from Paris to the south of France many times over the course of six-ish, eight-ish months. Fortunately, I‘d been warned beforehand to be on time, being told the TGV was punctual to a fault. I’d grown used to U.K. trains which, by contrast - even though the English have a reputation for punctuality - were run as if timetables were mere suggestions, hampering otherwise creative scheduling? While each time I took the TGV, sure enough… I could’ve set my watch by it! I usually went back north to Paris at a more leisurely pace, however, using just regular trains, so I don’t know so much about northbound TGV routes. Maybe it‘s less punctual going south to north? Or maybe you just took the TGV on an off-day?

[@Hunnars]

Guys, it's just a joke for Frenchies. we love to complain about our TGV but it'd be so difficult to travel without it :). There is a system in order to be reimbursed after 30 minutes of delay, I m not sure all trains companies apply that :P

[@paname514]

The biggest difference between the two of them is that the original TGVs still run everyday, whereas all the old Shinkansens have been scrapped. #Quality

[@AshishSaxena01]

This video didn't told us whether the TGV or The Shinkansen is better, but it made me realise one thing... Trains are always nostalgic, amazing and the future.

[@projjwalray-6341]

It is indeed so great to hear everything in Metric units. This video was indeed made with international audience in mind. Good work!

[@behnam1987v]

I just want to thank you for your magnificent channel it is very accurate ,reach in detail and you present it very well

[@hinatamasaki9991]

It's Chuo Shinkansen, not Chou. Chuo means central in Japanese by the way

[@markkaidy8741]

As in Chu Chu :) as we say in the States...:)

[@archwaldo]

It would have been better if it were Chou though, since it means "super" I think? Super Shinkansen sounds really catchy haha

[@hinatamasaki9991]

Jc Serquiña True, but Chou-Shinkansen sounds very unnatural. Also, you need a adjective after it to make sense. Just super shinkansen should be better (スーパー)

[@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88]

@@UberNoodle I thought I heard my name. No? My mistake. I'll see myself out now.

[@Festivejelly]

Yeah but he's clearly not Japanese is he.

[@LoGaIta99]

The AGV was sold to NTV in Italy, which is a private company. Trenitalia is the statal operator, which uses its high speed trains, called Frecciarossa.

[@archlefirth2279]

Yep. The AGV in Italy are known as the Italo trains which are the only privately run HSR lines in the world. Trenitalia uses Italian made trains for the Frecciarossa.

[@mickeul16]

@@archlefirth2279 Fun fact: Fiat Ferroviaria was bought by Alstom and now its name is Alstom Ferroviaria So the "Italian made train" is passed

[@matsv201]

There is two frecciarosa. The 500 and the 1000. The 1000 series is a swedish/german zefiro train that is similar to the zefiro 380 used in china. Trenitalia also using pendalimo trains for lines that going over non upgraded track

[@tjfSIM]

They are both amazing feats of engineering. I have been lucky enough to experience both and have to say I liked the interior of the TGV more, but the ride and sheer speed of the Shinkansen Nozomi was incredible. The interiors are styled like aircraft cabins, but consequently are a bit dark. I also found them a bit clinical, but that is a matter of personal taste. I wouldn't want to say one is better than the other; both fulfil a purpose and are tailored exactly to the transport needs of their respective countries. In terms of styling, I prefer the exterior design and shape of the TGV, but it is more conventional than the modern Shinkansen sets, which look more like toboggans than trains!

[@Cleveland.Ironman]

Thank you, this is an excellent video and explanation of the growth of high speed rail.

[@MaxPower-11]

France’s high speed rail system has one huge advantage over the Japanese system in that the existing, pre-high-speed rail network was already in standard gauge. This allows TGV trains to enter city centers using the existing rail network. In Japan however, as mentioned in the video, the existing rail network uses a different gauge and thus trains from either network can’t use the other’s infrastructure. This makes providing high speed rail access into urban ares a much more complicated endeavor in Japan than in France.

[@user-pd9zk6ee9x]

日本は既存の規格が小さいのもそうですがそもそも土地が狭く騒音のことも考慮しなくてはならずどんなに優れていても多少妥協などが見えたりするかもですね

[@bossveendam]

Thanks again Paul for this interesting information. Amazing to see that the Japanese bullet trains are SO safe AND fast. Great technology.

[@vilvamvilvam538]

Shinkansen without doubt .......I like Shinkansen because untill today Nobody killed in an accident and it helps developing countries to develop high speed train lines....

[@emnergyofficial4789]

Well the only TGV accident with dead people was during a test session in overspeed so..

[@Ngspacetrain]

a "test"

[@svis6888]

@@Ngspacetrain yes a test

[@Yep6803]

@@emnergyofficial4789 Trenitalia(we are the only one rival actually) too

[@sameerjain4423]

The current world speed record for a thain on Steel Wheels on rails is held by the Alstom's TGV at speed 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph), achieved on 3 April 2007.

[@julien6805]

I tried Shinkansen for first time last week. It is a great train combined with its legendary punctuality, but inside it feels a bit like in a plane with these small windows. And you can hear a lot of rolling noise. I prefer the interior of the TGV which feels more comfy and it has big panoramic windows. Also it seems more quiet.

[@jirikivaari]

Nice music! Good vibes! I was on shinkansen recently between Tokyo and Osaka, and its great train!

[@peters1127]

Thank You for an excellent video. Extremely informative and entertaining.

[@VapinicSZN]

Love how you brought back the background music from the nuclear missile video at 2:33

[@The_TD5_Discovery]

Nice one, Paul. I do like the comparisons of modern technologies outside of the space industry. Regardless, thank you again for some great content.

[@metalblind95]

Travelling in TGV is really great, the peak of comfort and convenience. Safe and quiet. Never been in a Shinkansen but I’d really like to! Hopefully I’ll be able to visit Japan soon

[@user-jm4pv3ph4h]

速さより安全安全。

[@fobbitoperator3620]

WERRRRRRRRRD!!!

[@hanamizuki2288]

safety first

[@user-px4mp1ne5k]

@@fobbitoperator3620 落ち着け

[@fobbitoperator3620]

@@user-px4mp1ne5k Easy there brah. There's more than 1 way to skin a cat...

[@herrdrayer]

Having ridden both and several others, my conclusion is that the best high speed rail experience is a German ICE-3 on the French LGV Est. I rode a Shinkansen Series 700 in Nozomi service in 2007, and the spartan interiors seating 6 across with solid materials on floors, walls, and ceilings combined with my seat being directly above a traction motor meant that my bullet train ride was the loudest high speed rail experience of my life. Naturally, the "green car" or 1st class service provides a more spacious and quieter ride, though I did not splurge on tickets for that. I rode both the TGV and the ICE on the same line when I lived in Germany, and both consists provided a silky smooth ride at 200 MPH across the countryside of eastern France. Deutsche Bahn has not yet opened any 200-MPH high speed lines, so the only place to ride an ICE train faster than 186 MPH is on the French LGV Est. So, it really boils down to whether SNCF or Deutsche Bahn provides a more pleasant experience on board, and the German train wins hands down. The difference is in the dining car. The TGV's cafe' car serves plastic-wrapped sandwiches, candy, salty snacks, and a variety of bottled beverages, alcoholic and otherwise. On either side of the kitchenette are some high tables for passengers to stand around and enjoy their lackluster treats if they're not inclined to return to their seats and use the tray tables. Now that's one thing the French did well. The tray tables are on a separate column from the seats ahead, so no matter how hard you slam your tray table up or down, you won't disturb the passenger seated ahead of you. That comfort is negated by the slanted headrests, making napping a bit uncomfortable for tall passengers. Seriously, the tops of the seat backs are not level. It's dumb. Meanwhile, on board the ICE 3 that DB uses on the international services to Paris, the dining car has tables, a waiter, a printed menu that changes every month, and the changes are made by celebrity chefs. I once was running late to Gare de l'Est, and boarded the train less than a minute before the doors were closed for departure. As soon as I had found my seat and shown my ticket to the conductor, I walked straight to the dining car, plopped down in a cushy seat, ordered a fresh salad, a gourmet entree cooked on board, and a beer served in a proper glass, then proceeded to enjoy this lovely meal as the train clicked and clacked through the suburbs of Paris, entered the LGV, and accelerated to 200 MPH. There's no comparison really, from one who has also ridden high speed trains in Spain, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy. The best of all is a Deutsche Bahn ICE-3 in France.

[@aqsdfg25]

The main point with high speed train in France is that it's quicker than the plane for inner flights. With the TGV you go from downtown to downtown, with plane you have to connect from the airports to the city. Train is time and pollution saving, and you can use internet in the train and also avoid humiliating body search at the airport

[@Vamp898]

The systems are not comparable at all. First of all, the trains itself. In Japan 2nd Class = 5 Seats in a Row, 1st Class = 4 Seats in a Row In Western Europe 2nd Class = 4 Seats in a Row, 1st Class = 3 Seats in a Row (with Single Seats) Also the TGV/ICE/whatever can drive where they want. They can connect even small cities if they are on the way and they don't need dedicated tracks. So even when you don't have the speed improvement going from small cities to small cities with an TGV or ICE, you still have the much better comfort and service than with regional trains. Because the shinkansen needs its own tracks, its insanely expensive. Going through the whole of Germany of France with ICE/TGV, ~55€ 1st Class is an realistic price. Going thorough whole Japan by Train, costs you 400€ 2nd Class and 600€ 1st Class. Thats 1200€ for a round trip in first class against 110€ in Germany/France So in Germany and France, much more cities and much smaller cities can be connected to the High Speed Rail Network giving more people access to it to a much lower price. In Japan, only rich people an tourists take the shinkansen, most people simply can't afford it. A roundtrip from Tokyo to Kyoto is already 288€ (unreserved seat, 2nd Class, 390€ 1st class). Some people tend to forget that Japanese are not tourists, they are normal people living their. Getting their Money in Yen and not being allowed to buy an JR Pass or similar things. Not to mention that the Shinkansen not rarely completely stops its service when there is snow or heavy rain. Trains are delayed in such cases in Germany/France, but its very rarely that half the country is dead for a day or more.

[@astrofan8775]

The last is because of the difference in approach, the Japanes Railways are fickle perfectionist, which is why almost all trains are extremely punctual, but if the weather could realyl delay them they tend to not try so they aren't too late. Here in Europe the trains tend to be a bit of a less punctual thing, so the record isn't that brilliant anyways, which would seriuosly upset people if they then would even cancel the service, so they don't. Just a different approach. Ofc it helps that we can simply put a normal Snowclear-Train on the tracks and just let them go a bit slower.

[@Vamp898]

@Benjamin LEUNG [10S2] So you want to know why a train going from a city with 37 million people to a city with 17 million people does have more passenger than a train from a city with 1 million people to several smaller cities up to 700'000 people? And that is already talking about the bigger cities in europe. Just take Berlin (3,5 Million) Hamburg (1 Million) as an example. Just imagine, why less people are traveling between Berlin and Hamburg than between Tokyo and Oosaka Not sure how serious this question is

[@mattmovalson9684]

Love your videos! I have always been curious about how satellites maneuver in space and raise their orbit, could be an interesting video topic... Keep up the great work!

[@themax9913]

Both have a very good safety record and in comparison to most countries, the punctuality and service provided is excellent. There isn’t a better train than another, they both perform admirably at their tasks.

[@nopomegranates1876]

Absolutely, France and Japan did a top notch job for high speed train innovations! I live in Texas, and there are plans to make a bullet train connecting Dallas to Houston, using the Japanese shinkansen! Just goes to show how well they've mastered the bullet train!

[@JTA1961]

To match ALL the color of pickups I saw on my last drive across the state, they should make one black & one white

[@sc5252]

Dallas to Houston HSR? Wait long long time

[@iPlayOnSpica]

My concerns with the Texas HSR lie not in the technology but in the service, punctuality, and cleanliness. In my experience with American public transportation, these three areas have generally been C+ tier at best, usually a C- or D+ (I reckon Chicago and New York would be in the F tier). I really think it's just not in the culture, which is why I usually drive and keep to myself whenever I'm in the States.

[@HTV-2_Hypersonic_Glide_Vehicle]

The Japanese trains look like spaceships, and the French trains look like 1980s sports cars. They are both awesome looking.

[@PaliAha]

The TGV looks dated.

[@nakagawarem5729]

TGV trains were heavily inspired by Sportscars because of their Aerodynamics but the Japanese Shinkansen took inspiration by airplanes

[@envoyage6886]

@@PaliAha Today TGVs do not look like this. You saw the first TGV trains that’s why

[@PaliAha]

@@envoyage6886 I went to Mont St Michel in 2019 from Paris via TGV.

[@nizam_mr]

For those who have plans to travel north in Tohoku region, try to hop on the Hayabusa E5/E6/H5. They are only-reservation trains, but Rail pass users can get reservations on them. The top speed on these are 320kmh.👍 Bonus to those heading to Akita, the train will split/detach at Morioka and travel slowly on local line in reverse till end station Akita(and viceversa) 👌

[@GeneralGayJay]

The early boxy TGV is the sexiest train ever designed

[@chinwokeedeh9384]

I don't know what to say? The Japanese Shinkansen and the French TGV are both very awasome, safe and legendary high speed express trains. I love them both!!!

[@offdagrid877]

Couldnt find a clean shirt for this one Paul? As allways great video, havn't seen this one so thanks for the re upload

[@nigelrg1]

I love Curious Droid videos. I've never used the Shinkansen, but have often used the TGV. It's amazing. You're doing 200 mph, but the train is so stable that you can get up and buy a coffee without reaching for a handhold. Now, French friends say that depends which line you're on 🙂

[@flemmingsorensen5470]

Stunning designs, both of them - they are so impressive 👍

[@Sergecalifornia]

The British using steam train. The Japanese and the French was using high-speed train already. like the documentary said. the French were using The Electric high-speed train since the 1950s. Not the(tgv)

[@zadarthule]

ST-ES-AEG Versuchstriebwagen 27. Okt.1903 210,3 km/h. Electic powered trains are just superior.

[@nleak92]

Both are incredible feats of engineering. I've been on the TGV and that was incredible, now my lifes dream is to ride the Shinkansen

[@rajeshvaidya3659]

Very informative video. I lived in Japan for 15 years and now started tour company call hikari-partners to take tours to Japan. I take JR pass and give an opportunity to my clients to explore great rail network. They just love it.

[@matprlz]

L-waves are the most significant and damaging waves after an earthquake rupture. Loved this video! 👏 amazing work!

[@paname514]

10:08 Prototype 01 "Patrick" built 1978 still runs in regular service in 2019! Hurry up to see this amazing historic train before it is retired soon!

[@jeffreytuura4337]

I have had the privilege to ride the TGV and the Shinkansen, I thought the Shinkansen was way better, faster, smoother and more spacious.

[@DBAproduct]

kenjryker and 1st class is 2 - 1 on the tgv

[@matsv201]

Shinkansen trains is 0,7 meter wider. That does help quite a bit

[@matsv201]

@kenjryker a seat is actually narrower than 0.7 meter, so the shinkansen train is actually wider per seat than the TGV... well were they are 5 abreast. Some shinkansen have 6 abreast. Then they are pretty tight. Worth saying that trasrapid is and additional 0.2 meter wider than the shinkansen making the 6 abrest is almost as wide as the 4 in tgv... but quite. But we talking 4-5 cm per seat.

[@bobduvar]

@kenjryker I see why he said that : i never took the TGV and the Shinkansen either !

[@AlohaBiatch]

@kenjryker the Shinkansen is a lot roomier. Have you actually tried it? Legroom is massive whereas on the TGV half the time you end up having some stranger and trying not to hit your knees with them. And like someone else pointed out the Shinkansen are waaay wider than TG, so the 5 abreast argument doesn't hold up.

[@voynich548]

Impressive research, as usual!

[@EsperRanger]

I rode the shinkansen from Osaka to the Mt Fuji area back in 2006. Absolutely amazing and smooth. At one point we were going around a banked turn and I didn't know it until I saw the water in my glass sitting at an angle. My window was showing dirt rushing by and the opposite side of the carriage was showing sky. Wow!

[@matthewneleigh567]

Rock Island had the Rockets, but the Zephyr was from the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy.

[@bcpyc]

Great video. Just a friendly reminder that it’s the “Chuo (pronounced Chu-ō”) Shinkansen”. Chuo in Japanese means “central”.

[@trainride8332]

Great Video. I plan to go to Japan next year and check out the Shinkansen. Great futuristic design. Love it!

[@johnnycharco]

Excellent vid, very informative.

[@TheExoplanetsChannel]

Great video. I wish one day I can travel in a magnetic train.

[@stlkngyomom]

That's like so 19th-20th century mindset. Consider using(room temperatures superconducting nanocarbon fibre...)space elevator to explore deepest recesses of the solar system in weeks/months instead of years(only problem is slowing down...;) Personally,cheaply and in a egologically positive manner. Of course you can do that,and much more via meditation,lucid dreaming,remote viewing,...(Edgar Cayce,Jeffrey Mishlove,Tom Campbell,etc). But nothing beats flying through the rings of Saturn and seeing it with your own eyes. P.S.I've elaborated on this comment below(read at your own risk;).

[@gIozell1]

stlkngyomom sorry what?

[@waminette]

stlkngyomom excuse me?

[@WilliamJones-Halibut-vq1fs]

You can like me. Shanghai has a Chinese version of the German developed Transrapid MAGLEV. There is no track sound or track wear, the track is completely elevated so does not separate communities and roads. The acceleration and deacceleration is so much greater and smoother the journey times are greatly reduced. Acceleration is more important than speed.

[@matsv201]

They are currently planing to start building one in Washington next year. If nothing change you can ride it with in 10 years. They are also planing to build a additional maglev track in Shanghai.. And of cause the one in Japan is also being built. If you are land bound to Europe.. it would seam like you are out of luck for now

[@neonspark707]

meanwhile in the US, we discovered the wheel yesterday. The world calls that a square in metric.

[@josfitz]

In the US trains run at least every ten minutes between Philadelphia and NYC.

[@hiro111]

HSR doesn't make any sense if the population density is as low as it is in the US.

[@josfitz]

@@hiro111 True for the most part with the exception of certain population corridors such as the Northeast Corridor where trains currently run at least every thirty minutes. More frequent service in that corridor is planned. To be phased-in over the next few years, trains will run every fifteen minutes.

[@neonspark707]

@@hiro111 clearly you don't live in the mega urban areas of the united states like CA, NY etc. try going out for once and you realize the density and area of our metro areas are more than adequate. Which is precisely why CA has been trying to build a similar route for years with the main obstacle being land and permits on top of the high labors cost in the US.

[@Knight465]

At least Amtrak is fast

[@tonyblackie3277]

Excellent summary thank you :)

[@Tom55data]

I caught a shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka and then on a local train to scientific site. There was a 2 minute change at Osaka which I questioned as being "crazy" after a 400 mile journey as the train could be late; my Japanese colleague looked confused. Needless to say, the train pulled into Osaka to the second, I walked across the platform onto the local train, and it left precisely on time.

[@lukedstaten]

I am so glad you converted KPH to MPH. It confused me so much, but it helps significantly to add the conversions, thank you.

[@Daddy-Samy]

I would like to say that I've ridden both of those on multiple times (living in France and usual trip to Japan) The japanese train, despite using older technology looks newer, cleaner, and has a much better service, there is also a wagoon for make up, cleaning, toilets, and a smoking very well ventilated area. The speed is just similar, so for the reasons above, taking the shinkansen has always been a much better ride for me as a regular customer.

[@scottnathens6377]

nicely done; appreciate the historical perspective; very interested in the cut-off point (3 or 4 hours?) when air travel becomes a better option.

[@siddhantkhorjuvekar]

Meanwhile in india average speed of trains is whooping 44km/hr.

[@mashedtomato2079]

And in America, we don't even talk about it anymore

[@stapler3063]

Noob in Philippines we have 28.5 kph 😅

[@YAYAKOH]

In Indonesia 75km/h

[@eddielong8663]

For the last 35 odd years in Australia, the topic of a HSR between Sydney and Melbourne has been raised just before every single federal election. The topic then conveniently disappears once every election is over.

[@mviv6339]

Not even trying to compare but I was in Japan last week and they have lots of slow trains. So if you average their speeds, it would not be impressive. A more honest comparison is between the Indian semi high speed trains like shatabdi 130 to 150 kmph max(average from 90 to 100) and gatiman express with average speed of 113 kmph and max speed of 160 kmph. Av speed of shinkansen is 200 to 210 kmph.

[@shotelco]

My pat rant as to why there will NEVER be "real" HSR service in the U.S.: About 10+ million people travel between Los Angeles and Las Vegas every year. 3 million of those fly. L.A. to Vegas is a perfect "city pair" for HSR (*REAL* High Speed Rail at 200+ MPH). It would be a 2 hour HSR trip. This would be half the time of driving OR flying door-to-door. 75% of the route is all unoccupied desert land, so the land acquisition cost would be very low and without much eminent domain. However, to do it right, a 20 mile tunnel would need to be bored through the Angeles National Forrest ...connecting downtown Los Angeles with Palmdale - which cost would likely be a lesser cost than to purchase land to get the HSR out of the city and into the High desert. Even at $100 Million/Mile, this project would cost $20 Billion (Every $1 billion in investment creates 24,000 jobs). The approximate cost equal to building 7 modern NFL stadiums where about a dozen games are played each year. If this HSR captured 40% of today's market share, at $100/one way fare, it would take just 25 years to break even. But the total positive economic impact for each city would be 4X the $20 Billion cost. Moreover, HSR is If this city pair isn't the poster child for HSR, one doesn't exist. High-speed rail is eight times (8X) more energy efficient than airplanes and four times more efficient than automobile use. Of the top 10 domestic airlines routes, most are between "city-pairs" such as NYC-Chicago, Dallas-Houston, L.A.-San Francisco, Atlanta - Tampa, etc. As pointed out, city-pairs within 3-4 hours HSR is not only faster (door-to-door), but for anyone who has ever traveled HSR, is simply a more comfortable, stress-less, and relaxed method of travel. Americans once embraced long term infrastructure investments , like the Interstate Highway system, and dams and bridges, and airports...which is what made the Country the global GDP leader. But sadly, Americans no longer possess the intellectual capacity (*ahem*) to think in terms of long-term goals anymore. Americans are happy to pay public funds to underwrite a privately owned professional football stadiums, but investing in the most - per passenger mile - efficient mode of distance transportation is now somehow un-American. Even the California HSR has recently been scrapped for all intents. Of course this effort was hijacked by private contractors and the local municipalities which not only increased the total cost, but forced the train to go from an express route to a Hooterville local - which completely defeated the original purpose. Probably a more important reason is that Americans have been socialized to literally hate each other, especially people that are deemed "poor(er)". Public transportation of any sort is viewed as "the lowest form of transportation known to man" by most Americans. Couple this with the American obsession with Rugged Individualism - which has been manipulated by the auto and oil industries to convince Americans that each person should own their own vehicle. There are a couple of notable exceptions to this backwards pathology; in particular residents of NYC - where people have no problem using public transportation. Every global study has shown that public transportation increases GDP and innovation for a Country (China seems to fully understand this) It's a sad state of affairs, but I regretfully submit that it is statistically impossible for any form of 'true' HSR to be developed in The U.S. So all we have in the States is to admire the High Speed rail technology of other countries such as Japan, France, China, and even the last HSR I rode on: Africa (Morocco).

[@shotelco]

@Daniel Eyre Noooo... It's the total time of transport. So when a traveler leaves their homes' door - to the time they enter the door of their destination. Because train stations are typically located in central city, as opposed to airports which are on the outskirts of the city. More importantly, the way trains are able to board 100's of people simultaneously without the security theater. And at the destination side, the train arrives in central city as well. Typically within a few minute cab ride of the lodging. Just door to door in that respect.

[@cripplingdepression8889]

Cities in the US are much farther apart, which reduces considerably the time advantage of trains over planes. The needed investment for railroad to even function is also very high whereas for air travel it can be pretty cheap to create new routes, the only places where HSR would make sense in the US is between densely populated cities that are fairly close to each other, otherwise you're better off using air travel.

[@shotelco]

@Daniel Eyre No need to get way off in the weeds with irrelevant assailments. @phillyslasher maintains a position that I think many do. I think s/he is rightfully suggesting that this is an issue of societal priority, irrespective of the potential long term benefits. Even in States like California, where voters agreed to pay $ Billions for a HSR, the "feel good" project is failing miserably because the politics of it were not thought out at all. L.A.Bay Area is another perfect City-Pair, as evidenced by the fact that airlines serve 3.5 Million passengers between the cities on 40,000+ flights every year. It is the 2nd busiest air route in the U.S., just behind LAXNYC. The California problem is that the State is requiring *all citizens* to chip in tax money for HSR that only benefits two cities. Justifiably, because their constituents are indeed helping to pay for it, representatives from many other areas demanded that this HSR not only be constructed through their Counties (which adds 20% more route miles), but that the HSR offer Stops in their Counties as well. This completely defeats the High Speed part of HSR. What was envisioned to be an Express 2 hour 35 minute trip (which would be faster *door-to-door* than airline travel), suddenly turns into an almost 5 hour local...and balloons the cost estimate by 200%. HSR is 10X more energy efficient than jet aviation - BUT - ONLY at the same load capacity. A modern High Speed train transporting 500 passengers 500 miles is indeed 10X more energy efficient per passenger mile than 2 737's carrying 250 passengers each. The same train carrying 250 passengers is only 6X more efficient than ONE 737 with 250 passengers. That same train with only 100 passengers vs. the 737 with only 100 passengers narrows down the per passenger efficiency dramatically. This is a very important component; ridership. Let's say @phillyslasher & @Daniel Eyre mend their spat, stumble upon $25 Billion, and spend all of it on my LAVegas HSR plan. The PS&DE Express! If not enough air travelers switch to the PS&DE, but enough to impact the airlines...BOTH the PS&DE as well as the Airlines that service the route could lose money. The airlines could absorb the loss and simply reduce services and use the aircraft elsewhere, but The PS&DE Express is locked into that route. The risk is far too high for the *private enterprise* of @phillyslasher & @Daniel Eyre to invest in. Thus, it must be a State & Federal government sponsored affair. If it must be a State & Federal government sponsored affair, look no further than my previous paragraph about California's HSR Fiasco. A society based on rugged individualism has a very difficult time when tasked to work together as a group for the greater, long term good. It would take a crushing economic depression (as when all the great public projects like the Hoover Damn, National Parks, etc. were done), or a devastating global war (as when the post war Interstate Highway system was done) to even think about HSR in the U.S.

[@lzh4950]

@@shotelco China: _Allow me to introduce myself_ (with security & ID checks at train stations too, platform access closing 3min before departure, & Guangzhou S railway station being 17km away from downtown)

[@josfitz]

Hooterville? Your screed is unnecessarily slanted to the negative. I am not defending it but who would choose to take public transportation no matter how comfortable and frequent unless it goes to exactly where they are going. Who would take a train when they have a heavy load to carry. Who would trade having their personal living rooms with them and all of the comforts that implies as opposed to being subjected to others when one might wish to be alone. Yes, Shoteco there are places where HSR makes sense but they are not necessarily for the reasons that you state. First Europe has twice the population density to the United States and Japan is even more densely populated. Second, the US is constructing a dedicated HSR between Washington DC and Boston. It will take longer than it should but it is replacing current Northeast Corridor service that provides trains that are close to HSR speeds every fifteen minutes. Other states are also studying high speed lines in Florida and Texas. I am sorry to hear that by you that California has abandoned its HSR plans. Finally, autos are highly taxed in Europe and in Japan at purchase, then the license tags are annually expensive to renew and the cost of gasoline is three times what it is in the US so there is relatively less traffic. I know, I have been in Japan where one merely coasts from traffic signal to the next due to heavy traffic and inadequate roads and that is okay for Japan. Both Japan and Europe have always gravitated to trains for the reasons stated above. So with all due respect I just wanted to provide some context for your negative evaluation of train travel in the United States. There are reasons, some good and some not so good that you pointed out but to posit the transportation system in the US is so bad is not in accordance with the facts. Re air travel due to the greater distances and spread out nature of the US air travel in many places also makes sense. So as I said before when in Japan I like the train. When in Europe I like the train, etc.

[@fernando-sl7qm]

9:16 by far one of the Coolest scenes ever filmed

[@B4R0N.]

Been on the TGV a few times. Smooth ride, silent, comfy, you barely feel any acceleration but if you look out the window, you realize you're doing 300kph. I keep hearing/reading marvels about the Shinkansen. Gotta ride in it one day!

[@eannamcnamara9338]

I love the shinkzansen but as i grew up in France, and was quite the Thomas the tank engine fan, so to me i will always love the TGV more than any other train.

[@fedomandez]

The big goal of AGV is that as it was sold to a private company (NTV) it broke the Trenitalia monopoly on italian railroads

[@Rebasepoiss]

Yup, wanted to make that same correction myself. By the way, NTV was the first private high speed rail operator in Europe.

[@AdhikJoshi]

India also getting its own Bullet train by Japan

[@tepidtuna7450]

Texas too apparently. Here in sunny Oz we get the pleasure of a bus.

[@WilliamJones-Halibut-vq1fs]

Don't forget to order toilets and to clean them and don't forget to give the cleaners the cleaning equipment they need.

[@gokulakannana5857]

@@WilliamJones-Halibut-vq1fs First wash your stinking assholes.

[@ParamDeshpandepass123]

@@tepidtuna7450 i though we and texas were getting hyperloop simultaneously! And HSR was from miami right? Pls correct me if I m wrong

[@Flex2212]

@@ParamDeshpandepass123 Hyperloop is not a thing.

[@Ronnymikkonen2686]

Thanks for the metrics! I'm not antique, so I was also pleased to grasp the numbers! Metrics only!

[@RickyJr46]

I've ridden the Paris - Lyon - Milan TGV on several occasions, it's smooth and fast with very low noise. In Italy, I found the Frecciarossa and Italo NTV were likewise excellent trains. All of these operated at the 300 km/h (186 mph) limit for extended distances. The Eurostar had somewhat uncomfortable side sway in the last car at speed. Riding the Shinkansen is very high on my wish list.

[@Niaaal]

Man, thank you for making these videos with always cool topics and stellar content. It's truly appreciated!

[@bigginsd1]

Haven been on both, the Shinkansen is easily the best. The continuously welded rail makes for a much smoother ride, it kind of feels like you are in a very smoothly taking off airplane, very otherworldly and it doesn’t even feel like you are on a train as it is a completely different experience. The TGV just felt like a very fast train, with the familiar clack-clack of the join between rails, it actually felt a little unsafe after the Shinkansen. The TGV had a noticeable vibration, the Shinkansen was so smooth you could put a glass of water on a ledge, not even completely on the surface, and it would stay there without any ripple in the water.

[@StrangerHappened]

True, specialized rail lines are better but new TGVs have better suspension and good sound isolation so there is basically no difference any more. Another nuance is that France is colder in Winters so it has more issues with freeze-thaw cycles than Japan, and it is not as easy to do/maintain no-gap rail joints.

[@Kenji1685]

If I'm not mistaken the shinkansen has an air suspension system. Apparently when it banks for a turn it raises and or lowers each side to compensate for turns. I'd love to ride it some day, epecially the maglev.

[@Kenji1685]

@@StrangerHappened The shinkansen goes to Hokkaido now which gets pretty cold. I remember the tunnel was finished in 2014 but I don't remember when the train started service. I know France is working on a maglev too.

[@KyrilPG]

There is no clack-clack on high speed lines in France, Belgium nor Germany. There are rail gaps only on non-high speed parts of a TGV or ICE track (before or after the HSL).

[@PitounetHeli]

I don't know which line you took but there is not clack-clack on TGVs on high speed lines and comfort is much better than normal trains also. Depending where you travel, TGVs will sometime need to go thru sections of normal lines, in this case there will be a faint clack-clack but even then, the comfort is much better than in normal trains because the suspension of TGVs have nothing comparable with those of normal trains.

[@lukedstaten]

I am an American. All I have is KZbin videos that tell me about these trains. AmTrak is okay here but more expensive and slower, so it is inconvenient. Going to Japan and riding the Shinkansen is definetly on my list of travel ideas.

[@TeodorAngelov]

I've been on both TGV and Shinkansen, they're pretty cool. In my country train top speed is 65km/h so we travel by car.