What Is Shinkansen?

The China Railways CRH2

A combination of slab track and ballasted track is used on concrete bed sections. The lower track height reduces the cross-sectional area of the tunnel, which reduces construction costs up to 30%. The issue of tunnel boom has become a concern for residents living close to tunnel portals because of the smaller diameter of Shinkansen tunnels.

Shinkansen trains use lighter vehicles and offer faster acceleration, better deceleration and less damage to the track because of the use of electric multiple units. The coaches are sealed to ensure stable air pressure. They are very fast and can go 330 km an hour.

The Basic Plan governing Shinkansen construction has been removed from the site of the Narita Shinkansen project, which was halted in 1983 after protests. The Narita Sky Access Line used parts of the planned right-of-way. The Sky Access Line is not built to Shinkansen specifications and there are no plans to convert it into a full Shinkansen line.

Increasing speed is more difficult because of noise pollution concerns. In Japan, population density is high and there are protests against noise pollution. Its noise is now limited to less than 70 decibels.

Improvement and reduction of the pantograph, weight saving of cars, and construction of noise barriers are some of the measures that have been implemented. The tunnel boom phenomenon, caused by trains transiting tunnels at high speed, is the focus of current research. The sum of the total number of riders on individual lines does not correspond to the total number of riders on the system because a single rider may be counted multiple times to get the correct figures.

Shinkansen Train Station

It is a regular seat on Shinkansen trains. It is a car that is comfortable and has plenty of space for your feet. All seats in recent cars have outlets.

They usually come in rows. There are seats available for reserved and unReserved use. If you don't speak Japanese, it is recommended that you write the data on a piece of paper and present it to the salesperson in order to make the buying process easier.

The shinkansen platforms have bilingual signs. The shinkansen platforms are sometimes placed close to the regular train platforms, but are sometimes located on a different level of the station complex. The shinkansen platforms are divided into two parts, with a second set of gates dividing them from the regular train platforms.

You can put both sets of tickets into the same slot at the Shinkansen ticket gate. They can be put on the other side of the gate. The signs that show the departure platform and the displays that show the way to each platform are what you will see.

Most shinkansen platforms have escalators and elevators. The seats are the same as on airplanes. If you have luggage, try to take your seat in order to get to it quickly.

Shinkansen Tickets

Seat reservations allow you to travel with peace of mind. They are not mandatory on the trains that also have non-reserved seating. Seat reservations are required for the Hayabusa, Hayate and Komachi trains along the Tohoku Shinkansen and Hokkaido Shinkansen.

Seat reservations are always recommended for peace of mind when traveling in groups. Seat reservations are mandatory on a few shinkansen trains. The shinkansen tickets can be purchased at ticket machines or online.

IC cards can be used on certain shinkansen lines. There are several rail passes and other types of discount tickets that can be used on the shinkansen. The machines that can be used to buy shinkansen tickets are listed.

Most of them have English menus. Some machines can be used to make seat reservations, while others only sell non-reserved seats. If you know how to use ticket machines, you can use them, but the process of buying shinkansen tickets is not always straight-forward and some machines do not accept credit cards that are issued outside of Japan.

The Japan Rail Pass covers all the fees involved, so it can be used on all shinkansen trains. You can make seat reservations for free at ticket machines and ticket offices. Pass holders will receive a ticket that shows the reserved seat.

The shinkansen ticket system is a bit complex. The shinkansen service requires two tickets to take it. A basic fare ticket is needed for all train travel, and an express ticket is needed to take the shinkansen.

There are cases where the two tickets are combined. You need to pass through the automatic ticket gates to get onto the train. The two tickets need to be put together.

The tickets are stamped and released at the end by the ticket gate, so don't forget to grab them! JR employees sometimes check their tickets while on the road. If you want to use an electronic device but it needs to be charged, try to select window seats.

The electrical outlets are only in the window seats on shinkansen. The communication capacity on some shinkansen trains is slow, but you should not expect much. Travelers from abroad can have access to the internet at some shinkansen stations.

JR-Central, JR-East, and JR-West are free. If you want to smoke or make a phone call, you need to move to the decks between the cars so that you won't bother people. There are rooms for smokers on some decks.

The Shinkansen: A Semi-Fast Bullet Train in Japan

The Shinkansen is an important part of travel in Japan. It can easily carry passengers at high speeds. They can get to places much faster and have a higher level of comfort than regular trains.

Tourists, business people, and commuters are some of the passengers on Japanese bullet trains. For foreigners, there is an attractive travel pass that allows unlimited bullet train rides for a period of three weeks. The bullet trains in Japan are very fast.

The speed of the train will be different depending on the stop the train makes. The top speeds are around 320 kmph. Toki runs at a slower speed.

It runs from Tokyo to Niigata on the western coast of Japan. Niigata has ski resorts, hot springs, and national parks. The Shinkansen is a semi-fast one that runs between Tokyo and Kanazawa.

Japan Rail Pass

It is not possible. Rail Pass holders will have to pay the entire price for the ride. Don't board the Nozomi or Mizuho train if you're not sure.

Green cars have larger seats, more foot space and are less crowded than ordinary cars. They are available on a small number of local trains. The green car is the best option for travelers who want to have more space but don't want to compromise on comfort.

The ordinary rail pass will only cover the base fare. The green car fee and shinkansen or limited express supplement fees will have to be paid separately, which can add up to a large amount. The Japan Rail Pass is a personal pass and can only be used by the person with the name printed on it.

Pass holders may be asked to produce their passports in order to confirm their ownership of the pass. You don't need to use the pass from the same date if you exchange your voucher for the actual pass. You can start by selecting any date within a month.

The starting date cannot be changed once the pass issued. The JR website allows those who purchase their pass to select the starting date at which they want to use it, but they cannot change it later. The automatic ticket gates will be used by Japan Rail Pass holders in June 2020.

The Speed of the N700S and 1992 Bullet Trains

The occasional earthquake that can disrupt the power sources that feed the bullet trains is one of the biggest causes for delay or temporary suspension. Bullet trains can now run on an independent power source, which will allow them to move slowly and steadily towards a safe tunnel, thanks to a new battery developed in 2019. The 1992 model can travel at a speed of 270 km per hour, while the N700S model can travel at a speed of 285 km per hour. The 2020 model consumes less energy than the 1992 model.