As the train arrived Tokyo’s train station on this warm morning in May, even passengers already familiar with Japan’s bullet trains could not help straining their neck to catch one more glimpse.
Japan’s bullet trains are like no other. The Shinkansen as the bullet rains is also known are a testament of Japan’s world beating technology.
On this day, I was heading to Kyoto from Tokyo where I had spent the night after a 16-hours flight operated by Ethiopian Airline. I got to the train station with a whole hour to spare. I made my way through the many stairs to reach the proper platform, holding the ticket I had purchased the night before for just over a $100 for the journey of two hours 12 minutes. The ticket contained information about the coach number and seat reserved for me. When my train arrived, it packed a total of 16 coaches that stretched almost over half a kilometre and carrying up to 1,300 passengers. The brilliant white paint glowed even more in the early Japanese sun. And it was imposing. It arrived with a swagger I will keep with me for many years.
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Boarding was quick and simple. There is a service to Kyoto departing Tokyo every ten minutes so this train must get going to make way for the next service. After finding my seat, I sat patiently as the train made its way in such a speed that any train enthusiast will be amazed by. When settled, Japan’s bullet train can attain an average speed of 320 Km/h as it tears through cities and villages of rice farmland. Trains take nearly ten minutes to come to a full stop and barely spends more than two and half minutes at one of the five stops between Tokyo and Kyoto. Japan’s high-speed rail celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014, having opened for service between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964 but the technology behind these sleek trains has continued to evolve and ridership is now one million passengers daily. The Shinkansen has a remarkable safety record, operating without a single passenger casualty. Reliability is another key strength of the service. The Shinkansen is acclaimed for its on-time service. The train’s tilting mechanism to lean into curves at high speed and the high-quality airtight body minimize vibration and provide a smooth, quiet ride. The large body of Shinkansen coaches offer comfortable wide passenger seats.
We arrived Kyoto promptly and the Kyoto station was expectedly busy for the time of day. The Japanese are warm and humble and help was available as I walked briskly towards the taxi station where I had to catch a cab to my hotel located opposite the International Conference centre in Kyoto where the world gathered in December 1997 for the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty, named for the Japanese city in which it was adopted and whiched aimed to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global warming.
On my way home after the conference I attended, I made certain to return to Tokyo by the bullet train, this time, I reserved a seat in the business coach so I can fully enjoy the ride.
Since Japan’s geographic terrain is rather rugged, Japan has become very adept at building a relatively compact railway infrastructure. The airtightness and aerodynamic design of the Shinkansen made it possible to make the facilities compact compared to high-speed rail systems elsewhere; for example, small-sized tunnels, compact layout, and a short distance between tracks. Features like this help keep down construction costs.
The Shinkansen system aims to strike the right balance between initial costs and maintenance costs, optimizing the total life cycle cost. For example, compared with rail beds made of gravel, concrete rail beds have a higher initial cost but a much lower maintenance cost, which means the investment can be recovered in eight or nine years.
By greatly reducing travel time, the Shinkansen has had various economic benefits. It allows people to spend more time at their destination, increasing their opportunities to consume goods and services there. Moreover, by expanding people’s “range of activity,” the Shinkansen has enlarged the commutable area, increased visitors to tourist destinations, and heightened the value of real estate assets. In this way, the Shinkansen has had valuable business effects throughout its service area. For example, economic growth in Kagoshima Prefecture at the southern tip of Kyushu, 1,200 km away from Tokyo, which is now the southern terminus, was estimated at more than USD430 million) when Shinkansen service was extended to southern Kyushu in 2011.
In recent years, there has been a boom in “in-station retailing business,” where railway station buildings have been redeveloped as shopping malls to better serve the needs of passengers.
Shinkansen stations now feature vast arrays of restaurants, clothing boutiques, newsstands, and other businesses. For passengers, railway stations are no longer just transit points; they are places to enjoy, through shopping, dining, and other activities. The economic benefits of the Shinkansen lie not just in shortening the travel time; the positive effects are tangible in the businesses that have been established in station buildings throughout the system.
