Magnetic levitation train. Maglev, or magnetic levitation train - a new level of transport The principle of operation of high-speed trains in Japan

It is also a magnetic levitation train, also known as maglev from the English magnetic levitation ("magnetic levitation") - this is a magnetic levitation train, driven and controlled by the force of an electromagnetic field. Such a train, unlike traditional trains, does not touch the rail surface during movement. Since there is a gap between the train and the running surface, friction is eliminated and the only braking force is aerodynamic drag. Maglev refers to monorail transport.

Monorail:

High-speed ground transport (HSLT) is rail transport that operates trains at speeds in excess of 200 km/h (120 mph). Although at the beginning of the 20th century, trains traveling at speeds above 150-160 km/h were called high-speed.
Today, VSNT trains travel along specially designated railway tracks - a high-speed line (HSL), or on a magnetic levitation, along which the maglev shown above moves.

The first regular service of high-speed trains began in 1964 in Japan. In 1981, BCHT trains began running in France, and soon most of Western Europe, including the UK, was united into a single high-speed rail network. Modern high-speed trains in operation reach speeds of about 350-400 km/h, and in tests they can even accelerate to 560-580 km/h, such as the JR-Maglev MLX01, which set a speed record of 581 km/h during testing in 2003. h.
In Russia, regular operation of high-speed trains, on common tracks with regular trains, began in 2009. And only by 2017 is the completion of the construction of Russia's first specialized high-speed railway line Moscow - St. Petersburg.

In addition to passengers, high-speed trains also transport cargo, for example: the French service La Poste has a fleet of special TGV electric trains for transporting mail and parcels.

The speed of “magnetic” trains, that is, maglev trains, is comparable to the speed of an airplane and allows them to compete with air transport on short- and medium-haul routes (up to 1000 km). Although the idea of ​​such transport itself is not new, economic and technical limitations have not allowed it to fully develop.

At the moment, there are 3 main technologies for magnetic suspension of trains:

1. On superconducting magnets (electrodynamic suspension, EDS);
2. On electromagnets (electromagnetic suspension, EMS);
3. On permanent magnets; this is a new and potentially most cost-effective system.

The composition levitates due to the repulsion of identical magnetic poles and, conversely, the attraction of opposite poles. The movement is carried out by a linear motor located either on the train, on the track, or both. A major design challenge is the heavy weight of sufficiently powerful magnets, since a strong magnetic field is required to maintain the massive composition in the air.

Advantages of Maglev:

• theoretically the highest speed that can be achieved on public (non-sports) ground transport;
• great prospects for achieving speeds many times higher than those used in jet aviation;
• low noise.

Disadvantages of Maglev:

• high cost of creating and maintaining a track - the cost of building one kilometer of maglev track is comparable to digging a kilometer of metro tunnel using a closed method;
• the electromagnetic field created may be harmful to train crews and surrounding residents. Even traction transformers used on AC-electrified railways are harmful to drivers. But in this case, the field strength is an order of magnitude greater. It is also possible that Maglev lines will not be available to people using pacemakers;
• Standard gauge tracks, rebuilt for high-speed traffic, remain accessible to regular passenger and commuter trains. The high-speed Maglev route is not suitable for anything else; additional tracks will be required for low-speed service.

The most active developments of maglev are carried out by Germany and Japan.

*Help: What is Shinkansen?
Shinkansen is the name of the high-speed railway network in Japan, designed to transport passengers between major cities in the country. Owned by Japan Railways. The first line opened between Osaka and Tokyo in 1964, the Tokaido Shinkansen. This line is the busiest high-speed rail line in the world. It carries about 375,000 passengers daily.

"Bullet Train" is one of the names for Shinkansen trains. Trains can have up to 16 cars. Each carriage reaches a length of 25 meters, with the exception of the head carriages, which are usually slightly longer. The total length of the train is about 400 meters. The stations for such trains are also very long and specially adapted for these trains.

In Japan, maglevs are often called "riniaka" (Japanese: リニアカー), derived from the English "linear car" due to the linear motor used on board.

JR-Maglev uses electrodynamic suspension with superconducting magnets (EDS), installed both on the train and on the track. Unlike the German Transrapid system, JR-Maglev does not use a monorail design: trains run in a channel between magnets. This design allows for higher speeds, ensures greater passenger safety in the event of evacuation, and ease of operation.

Unlike electromagnetic suspension (EMS), trains using EDS technology require additional wheels when traveling at low speeds (up to 150 km/h). When a certain speed is reached, the wheels are separated from the ground and the train “flies” at a distance of several centimeters from the surface. In the event of an accident, the wheels also allow the train to stop more smoothly.

For braking in normal mode, electrodynamic brakes are used. For emergencies, the train is equipped with retractable aerodynamic and disc brakes on the bogies.

Ride in maglev with a top speed of 501 km/h. The description states that the video was made in 2005:

On the line in Yamanashi, several trains with different shapes of the nose cone are being tested: from a regular pointed cone to an almost flat one, 14 meters long, designed to get rid of the loud bang that accompanies a train entering a tunnel at high speed. The maglev train can be completely computer controlled. The driver monitors the operation of the computer and receives an image of the track through a video camera (the driver's cabin does not have forward viewing windows).

The JR-Maglev technology is more expensive than a similar development by Transrapid, implemented in China (line to Shanghai airport), since it requires large expenses for equipping the route with superconducting magnets and laying tunnels in the mountains using an explosive method. The total cost of the project could be US$82.5 billion. If the line were laid along the Tokaido coastal highway, it would require less cost, but would require the construction of a large number of short-length tunnels. Despite the fact that the magnetic levitation train itself is silent, each entry into the tunnel at high speed will cause a bang comparable in volume to an explosion, so laying the line in densely populated areas is impossible.

Illustration copyright AFP Image caption The train will cover a distance of 280 kilometers in just 40 minutes.

A Japanese magnetic levitation train, or maglev, has broken its own speed record, reaching 603 km/h during tests near Fuji.

The previous record - 590 km/h - was set by him last week.

JR Central, which owns the trains, aims to have them on the Tokyo-Nagoya route by 2027.

The train will cover a distance of 280 kilometers in just 40 minutes.

At the same time, according to the company’s management, they will not carry passengers at maximum speed: it will accelerate “only” to 505 km/h. But this is also noticeably higher than the speed of the fastest Japanese train today, the Shinkansen, which covers a distance of 320 km in an hour.

The cost of building an expressway to Nagoya will be almost $100 billion, due to the fact that more than 80% of the route will run through tunnels.

By 2045, Maglev trains are expected to travel from Tokyo to Osaka in just an hour, cutting travel times in half.

New page of history

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About 200 enthusiasts gathered to watch the testing of the bullet train.

“I’m getting goosebumps, I really want to ride this train,” one of the spectators told NHK television. “It’s like a new page of history has opened for me.”

"The faster the train moves, the more stable it is, so I think the ride quality has improved," says Yasukazu Endo, head of research at JR Central.

Japan has long had a network of high-speed roads on steel rails called Shinkansen. However, by investing in new magnetic levitation train technology, the Japanese hope to be able to export it abroad.

During his visit to the United States, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to offer assistance in the construction of a high-speed highway between New York and Washington.

Zoom-presentation:http://zoom.pspu.ru/presentations/145

1. Purpose

Magnetic levitation train or maglev(from the English magnetic levitation, i.e. “maglev” - magnetic plane) is a magnetically suspended train, driven and controlled by magnetic forces, designed to transport people (Fig. 1). Refers to passenger transport technology. Unlike traditional trains, it does not touch the surface of the rail while moving.

2. Main parts (device) and their purpose

There are different technological solutions in the development of this design (see paragraph 6). Let's consider the principle of operation of the magnetic levitation of the Transrapid train using electromagnets ( electromagnetic suspension, EMS) (Fig. 2).

Electronically controlled electromagnets (1) are attached to the metal “skirt” of each car. They interact with magnets on the underside of a special rail (2), causing the train to hover above the rail. Other magnets provide lateral alignment. A winding (3) is laid along the track, which creates a magnetic field that sets the train in motion (linear motor).

3. Operating principle

The operating principle of a maglev train is based on the following physical phenomena and laws:

phenomenon and law of electromagnetic induction by M. Faraday

Lenz's rule

Biot-Savart-Laplace law

In 1831, English physicist Michael Faraday discovered law of electromagnetic induction, Whereby a change in the magnetic flux inside a conducting circuit excites an electric current in this circuit even in the absence of a power source in the circuit. The question of the direction of the induction current, left open by Faraday, was soon solved by the Russian physicist Emilius Christianovich Lenz.

Let's consider a closed circular current-carrying circuit without a connected battery or other power source, into which a magnet is inserted with the north pole. This will increase the magnetic flux passing through the loop, and, according to Faraday's law, an induced current will appear in the loop. This current, in turn, according to the Bio-Savart law, will generate a magnetic field, the properties of which are no different from the properties of the field of an ordinary magnet with north and south poles. Lenz just managed to find out that the induced current will be directed in such a way that the north pole of the magnetic field generated by the current will be oriented towards the north pole of the driven magnet. Since mutual repulsion forces act between the two north poles of the magnets, the induction current induced in the circuit will flow in precisely the direction that will counteract the introduction of the magnet into the circuit. And this is only a special case, but in a generalized formulation, Lenz’s rule states that the induced current is always directed in such a way as to counteract the root cause that caused it.

Lenz's rule is precisely what is used today in magnetic levitation trains. Powerful magnets are mounted under the bottom of the car of such a train, located a few centimeters from the steel sheet (Fig. 3). When the train moves, the magnetic flux passing through the contour of the track is constantly changing, and strong induction currents arise in it, creating a powerful magnetic field that repels the magnetic suspension of the train (similar to how repulsive forces arise between the contour and the magnet in the experiment described above). This force is so great that, having gained some speed, the train literally lifts off the track by several centimeters and, in fact, flies through the air.

The composition levitates due to the repulsion of identical poles of magnets and, conversely, the attraction of different poles. The creators of the TransRapid train (Fig. 1) used an unexpected magnetic suspension scheme. They did not use the repulsion of poles of the same name, but the attraction of opposite poles. Hanging a load above a magnet is not difficult (this system is stable), but under a magnet is almost impossible. But if you take a controlled electromagnet, the situation changes. The control system keeps the gap between the magnets constant at several millimeters (Fig. 3). As the gap increases, the system increases the current strength in the supporting magnets and thus “pulls” the car; when decreasing, the current decreases and the gap increases. The scheme has two serious advantages. Track magnetic elements are protected from weather influences, and their field is significantly weaker due to the small gap between the track and the train; it requires much lower currents. Consequently, a train of this design turns out to be much more economical.

The train moves forward linear motor. Such an engine has a rotor and stator stretched into strips (in a conventional electric motor they are rolled into rings). The stator windings are switched on alternately, creating a traveling magnetic field. The stator, mounted on the locomotive, is drawn into this field and moves the entire train (Fig. 4, 5). . The key element of the technology is the change of poles on electromagnets by alternately supplying and removing current at a frequency of 4,000 times per second. The gap between the stator and the rotor should not exceed five millimeters to obtain reliable operation. This is difficult to achieve due to the swaying of the cars during movement, which is characteristic of all types of monorail roads, except for roads with side suspension, especially when cornering. Therefore, an ideal track infrastructure is necessary.

The stability of the system is ensured by automatic regulation of the current in the magnetization windings: sensors constantly measure the distance from the train to the track and the voltage on the electromagnets changes accordingly (Fig. 3). Ultra-fast control systems control the gap between the road and the train.

The only braking force is the aerodynamic drag force.

So, the movement diagram of a maglev train: supporting electromagnets are installed under the car, and coils of a linear electric motor are installed on the rail. When they interact, a force arises that lifts the car above the road and pulls it forward. The direction of current in the windings continuously changes, switching magnetic fields as the train moves.

The supporting magnets are powered by on-board batteries (Fig. 4), which are recharged at each station. Current is supplied to the linear electric motor, which accelerates the train to airplane speeds, only in the section along which the train is moving (Fig. 6 a). A sufficiently strong magnetic field of the composition will induce current in the track windings, and they, in turn, create a magnetic field.

Where the train increases speed or goes uphill, energy is supplied with greater power. If you need to slow down or drive in the opposite direction, the magnetic field changes vector.

Check out the video clips " Law of Electromagnetic Induction», « Electromagnetic induction» « Faraday's experiments».

Rice. 6. b Stills from video fragments “The Law of Electromagnetic Induction”, “Electromagnetic Induction”, “Faraday’s Experiments”.

The first magnetic levitation train carried a group of passengers as part of the 1979 IVA International Transport Exhibition in Germany. But few people know that in the same year another maglev, the Soviet model TP-01, drove its first meters along the test track. It is especially surprising that Soviet maglevs have survived to this day - they have been collecting dust on the outskirts of history for more than 30 years.

Experiments with transport operating on the principle of magnetic levitation began even before the war. Over the years and in different countries, working prototypes of levitating trains have appeared. In 1979, the Germans introduced a system that transported more than 50,000 passengers in three months of operation, and in 1984, the first ever permanent line for magnetic levitation trains appeared at Birmingham International Airport (UK). The initial length of the route was 600 m, and the levitation height did not exceed 15 mm. The system operated quite successfully for 11 years, but then technical failures became more frequent due to aging equipment. And since the system was unique, almost any spare part had to be made to order, and it was decided to close the line, which was bringing continuous losses.

1986, TP-05 at the training ground in Ramenskoye. The 800-meter section did not allow us to accelerate to cruising speeds, but the initial “races” did not require this. The car, built in an extremely short time, managed almost without any “childhood diseases”, and this was a good result.

In addition to the British, serial magnetic trains were quite successfully launched in Germany - the company Transrapid operated a similar system 31.5 km long in the Emsland region between the cities of Derpen and Laten. The story of the Emsland Maglev, however, ended tragically: in 2006, due to the fault of technicians, a serious accident occurred in which 23 people died, and the line was mothballed.

There are two magnetic levitation systems in use in Japan today. The first (for urban transport) uses an electromagnetic suspension system for speeds up to 100 km/h. The second, better known, SCMaglev, is designed for speeds over 400 km/h and is based on superconducting magnets. As part of this program, several lines were built and a world speed record for a railway vehicle was set, 581 km/h. Just two years ago, a new generation of Japanese maglev trains was introduced - the L0 Series Shinkansen. In addition, a system similar to the German “Transrapid” operates in China, in Shanghai; it also uses superconducting magnets.

The TP-05 salon had two rows of seats and a central aisle. The car is wide and at the same time surprisingly low - the 184 cm tall editor practically touched the ceiling with his head. It was impossible to stand in the driver's cab.

And in 1975, the development of the first Soviet maglev began. Today it has been practically forgotten, but it is a very important page in the technical history of our country.

Train of the future

It stands before us - large, futuristic in design, looking more like a spaceship from a science fiction movie than a vehicle. Streamlined aluminum body, sliding door, stylized inscription “TP-05” on the side. An experimental maglev car has been standing at a testing ground near Ramenskoye for 25 years, the cellophane is covered with a thick layer of dust, underneath is an amazing machine that miraculously was not cut into metal according to the good Russian tradition. But no, it was preserved, and TP-04, its predecessor, intended for testing individual components, was preserved.

The experimental car in the workshop is already in a new livery. It was repainted several times, and for the filming of a fantastic short film, a large Fire-ball inscription was made on the side.

The development of maglev goes back to 1975, when the Soyuztransprogress production association appeared under the USSR Ministry of Oil and Gas Construction. A few years later, the state program “High-speed environmentally friendly transport” was launched, within the framework of which work began on a magnetic levitation train. The funding was very good; a special workshop and training ground of the VNIIPItransprogress Institute with a 120-meter section of road in Ramenskoye near Moscow were built for the project. And in 1979, the first magnetic levitation car TP-01 successfully passed the test distance under its own power - however, still on a temporary 36-meter section of the Gazstroymashina plant, elements of which were later “moved” to Ramenskoye. Please note - at the same time as the Germans and before many other developers! In principle, the USSR had a chance to become one of the first countries to develop magnetic transport - the work was carried out by real enthusiasts of their craft, led by Academician Yuri Sokolov.

Magnetic modules (gray) on a rail (orange). The rectangular bars in the center of the photo are gap sensors that monitor surface unevenness. The electronics were removed from TP-05, but the magnetic equipment remained, and, in principle, the car can be started again.

The Popular Mechanics expedition was led by none other than Andrey Aleksandrovich Galenko, General Director of the OJSC Engineering and Scientific Center TEMP. “TEMP” is the same organization, ex-VNIIPItransprogress, a branch of the Soyuztransprogress that has sunk into oblivion, and Andrei Aleksandrovich worked on the system from the very beginning, and hardly anyone could talk about it better than him. TP-05 stands under cellophane, and the first thing the photographer says is: no, no, we can’t photograph this, nothing is visible right away. But then we pull off the cellophane - and for the first time in many years, the Soviet maglev appears before us, not engineers or test site employees, in all its glory.

Why do you need Maglev?

The development of transport systems operating on the principle of magnetic levitation can be divided into three directions. The first is cars with a design speed of up to 100 km/h; in this case, the most optimal scheme is with levitation electromagnets. The second is suburban transport with speeds of 100-400 km/h; here it is most advisable to use a full-fledged electromagnetic suspension with lateral stabilization systems. And finally, the most “fashionable” trend, so to speak, is long-distance trains capable of accelerating to 500 km/h and above. In this case, the suspension should be electrodynamic, using superconducting magnets.

TP-01 belonged to the first direction and was tested at the test site until mid-1980. Its weight was 12 tons, length - 9 m, and it could accommodate 20 people; The suspension gap was minimal - only 10 mm. TP-01 was followed by new gradations of testing machines - TP-02 and TP-03, the track was extended to 850 m, then the laboratory car TP-04 appeared, designed to study the operation of a linear traction electric drive. The future of Soviet maglevs seemed cloudless, especially since in the world, besides Ramensky, there were only two such training grounds - in Germany and Japan.

Previously, the TP-05 was symmetrical and could move both forward and backward; control panels and windshields were on both sides. Today, the control panel is preserved only on the workshop side - the second one was dismantled as unnecessary.

The operating principle of a levitating train is relatively simple. The composition does not touch the rail, being in a state of hovering - the mutual attraction or repulsion of magnets works. Simply put, the cars hang above the track plane thanks to the vertically directed forces of magnetic levitation, and are kept from lateral rolls by similar forces directed horizontally. In the absence of friction on the rail, the only “obstacle” to movement is aerodynamic resistance - theoretically, even a child can move a multi-ton carriage. The train is driven by a linear asynchronous motor, similar to the one that works, for example, on the Moscow monorail (by the way, this motor was developed by JSC Scientific Center "TEMP"). Such an engine has two parts: the primary (inductor) is installed under the car, the secondary (reactive tire) is installed on the tracks. The electromagnetic field created by the inductor interacts with the tire, moving the train forward.

The advantages of maglev primarily include the absence of resistance other than aerodynamic. In addition, equipment wear is minimal due to the small number of moving elements of the system compared to classic trains. The disadvantages are the complexity and high cost of the routes. For example, one of the problems is safety: the maglev needs to be “lifted” onto an overpass, and if there is an overpass, then it is necessary to consider the possibility of evacuating passengers in case of an emergency. However, the TP-05 car was planned for operation at speeds of up to 100 km/h and had a relatively inexpensive and technologically advanced track structure.

1980s An engineer from VNIIPI-transprogress works on a computer. The equipment of the workshop at that time was the most modern - the financing of the “High-Speed ​​Environmentally Friendly Transport” program was carried out without serious failures even during perestroika times.

Everything from scratch

When developing the TP series, the engineers essentially did everything from scratch. We selected the parameters for the interaction between the magnets of the car and the track, then took up the electromagnetic suspension - we worked on optimizing magnetic fluxes, motion dynamics, etc. The main achievement of the developers can be called the so-called magnetic skis they created, capable of compensating for track unevenness and ensuring comfortable dynamics of the car with passengers. Adaptation to unevenness was realized using small-sized electromagnets connected by hinges into something similar to chains. The circuit was complex, but much more reliable and efficient than with rigidly fixed magnets. The system was monitored thanks to gap sensors, which monitored track irregularities and gave commands to the power converter, which reduced or increased the current in a particular electromagnet, and therefore the lifting force.

TP-01, the first Soviet maglev, 1979. Here the car is not yet standing in Ramenskoye, but on a short, 36-meter section of track, built at the training ground of the Gazstroymashina plant. In the same year, the Germans demonstrated the first such carriage - Soviet engineers kept pace with the times.

It was this scheme that was tested on TP-05, the only “second direction” car built within the program, with an electromagnetic suspension. Work on the car was carried out very quickly - its aluminum body, for example, was completed in literally three months. The first tests of TP-05 took place in 1986. It weighed 18 tons, accommodated 18 people, the rest of the car was occupied by testing equipment. It was assumed that the first road using such cars in practice would be built in Armenia (from Yerevan to Abovyan, 16 km). The speed was to be increased to 180 km/h, the capacity to 64 people per carriage. But the second half of the 1980s made its own adjustments to the rosy future of the Soviet maglev. By that time, the first permanent magnetic levitation system had already been launched in Britain; we could have caught up with the British if not for the political vicissitudes. Another reason for the project's curtailment was the earthquake in Armenia, which led to a sharp reduction in funding.

Project B250 - high-speed maglev "Moscow - Sheremetyevo". Aerodynamics were developed at the Yakovlev Design Bureau, and full-size mock-ups of the segment with seats and cockpit were made. The design speed - 250 km/h - was reflected in the project index. Unfortunately, in 1993, the ambitious idea crashed due to lack of funding.

Ancestor of Aeroexpress

All work on the TP series was discontinued in the late 1980s, and since 1990, TP-05, which by that time had appeared in the sci-fi short film “Robots are No Mess,” was laid up for eternity under cellophane in the same workshop where it was built. We became the first journalists in a quarter of a century to see this car “live.” Almost everything inside has been preserved - from the control panel to the upholstery of the seats. The restoration of TP-05 is not as difficult as it could be - it was under a roof, in good conditions and deserves a place in the transport museum.

In the early 1990s, the TEMP Research Center continued the topic of maglev, now commissioned by the Moscow government. This was the idea of ​​Aeroexpress, a high-speed magnetic levitation train to deliver residents of the capital directly to Sheremetyevo Airport. The project was named B250. An experimental segment of the train was shown at an exhibition in Milan, after which foreign investors and engineers appeared in the project; Soviet specialists traveled to Germany to study foreign developments. But in 1993, due to the financial crisis, the project was curtailed. 64-seater carriages for Sheremetyevo remained only on paper. However, some elements of the system were created in full-scale samples - suspension units and chassis, devices for the on-board power supply system, and even testing of individual units began.

The most interesting thing is that there are developments for maglevs in Russia. JSC Research Center "TEMP" is working, implementing various projects for the peaceful and defense industries, there is a test site, and there is experience working with similar systems. Several years ago, thanks to the initiative of JSC Russian Railways, conversations about maglev again moved to the design development stage - however, the continuation of work has already been entrusted to other organizations. Time will tell what this will lead to.

For assistance in preparing the material, the editors express gratitude to the General Director of the Research and Development Center “Electromagnetic Passenger Transport” A.A. Galenko.

Exactly 50 years ago, in October 1964, the world's first high-speed train, the Shinkansen (aka bullet-train), was launched in Japan, capable of reaching speeds of up to 210 km/h and forever becoming one of the symbols of the “new” Japan and its growing economic power. The first line connected the two largest Japanese cities - Tokyo and Osaka, reducing the minimum travel time between them from 7.5 to 4 hours.

Today's post is about high-speed Japanese trains. This is the penultimate post, which was the result of last year's trip to Japan. Next week there will be more Tokyo tram. Without false modesty, I will say that this post about trains is one of my best posts. It took a lot of time to prepare it to collect and translate all the information. I reread it 3 times myself ;)

“Shinkansen” against the backdrop of Mount Fuji is one of the most recognizable landscapes of modern Japan.

Literally translated from Japanese, the word “Shinkansen” means “new highway”. Before the advent of high-speed trains, railways in Japan were narrow gauge (1067 mm), and had many bends due to the local terrain. On such roads the ability to reach high speeds was too limited. New lines were specially designed for the Shinkansen, already with a standard track width of 1435 mm.

Why Japan initially deviated from the international standard is still not entirely clear. It is believed that this was the decision of a certain Mr. Okubo, who was the person in charge at the time the construction of the first railway in Japan began. Of course, narrow gauge was cheaper, and the trains themselves were smaller and more economical to produce. However, at the same time this also meant less carrying capacity and low speed. Therefore, the feasibility of this decision for the Japanese remains a big question. At the beginning of the 20th century, projects were proposed to rebuild the line according to international standards, and although there were many who supported this idea, it was decided instead to spend funds on building new directions. Thus, the narrow gauge spread throughout Japan, which still causes a lot of inconvenience.

Broad gauge supporters managed to bring their projects to life on the railway laid by the Japanese in the early 30s. in colonized Southern Manchuria. In 1934, the legendary “Asia Express” was launched between the cities of Dalian and Changchun (700 km), an indicative symbol of the Japanese imperialist power of that time. Capable of reaching speeds of over 130 km/h, it was far superior to China's railway system at the time, and was even much faster than the fastest express train in Japan itself. And on a global scale, “Asia-Express” had impressive characteristics. For example, the world's first air-conditioned carriages were equipped there. The dining car was equipped with refrigerators, and there was also a special carriage - an observation deck with windows along the entire perimeter, furnished with leather chairs and bookshelves.

Asia-Express

This example probably became the final argument in favor of broad gauge and gave rise to the first high-speed rail projects in Japan. In 1940, the Japanese government approved a project of incredible scale. Even then, the project envisaged the creation of a train capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 km/h, but the Japanese government did not intend to limit itself to laying lines only on Japanese territory. It was planned to build an underwater tunnel to the Korean Peninsula and extend the tracks all the way to Beijing. Construction had already partially begun, but the outbreak of the war and the subsequent deterioration of Japan's military and political positions put an end to imperial ambitions. In 1943, the project was curtailed; the same year was the last for Asia-Express. However, some sections of the Shinkansen lines in operation today were built in the pre-war years.

They started talking about the construction of the Shinkansen again 10 years after the war. Rapid economic growth has created great demand for freight and passenger transportation throughout the country. However, the idea to revive the project turned out to be completely unpopular and was sharply criticized. At that time, there was a strong opinion that road and air transport would soon supplant railway transport, as happened, for example, in the USA and some European countries. The project was again in jeopardy.

In 1958, between Tokyo and Osaka, on a still narrow gauge, the direct ancestor of the Shinkansen, the Kodama business express, was launched. With a maximum speed of 110 km/h, it covered the distance between cities in 6.5 hours, making one-day business trips possible. In Japan, where business culture is based on face-to-face meetings, this was a very convenient solution. However, he did not serve very long. The incredible popularity of the Kodama left no one in doubt about the need for high-speed lines, and less than a year later the government finally approved the Shinkansen construction project.

Kodama Business Express, 1958-1964

It is widely believed that the launch of the Shinkansen was planned for the opening of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but the Japanese deny this. Construction of the Shinkansen lines began in March 1959, more than a month before Tokyo was chosen as the host city for the games. However, the Olympics came in handy. The initially announced budget for the construction of the Shinkansen was obviously too small and everyone knew about it, but announcing real numbers was too risky. The loan, allocated by the World Bank at a fairly low interest rate, did not cover even half of the costs. The real cost, which ultimately exceeded the declared one by almost 2.5 times, was covered by “begging” money from the state, supposedly in order to be in time for the opening of the Olympics!

In the early morning of October 1, 1964, at Tokyo Station, the first launch ceremony of the Shinkansen took place from a specially built platform number 19. The platform was lavishly decorated with red and white ribbons and the traditional Japanese paper ball “kusudama”. The moving train tore the ribbons, the balloon opened and 50 snow-white doves flew out of it. Then there was music, fireworks and general rejoicing of thousands of Japanese who were not too lazy to attend such a significant event at 5 am. In the evening of the same day, photographs of the Shinkansen appeared on the front pages of all major publications in the country under loud headlines announcing the beginning of a new era in the history of Japan, and, needless to say, the whole world.

Launching ceremony of the first Shinkansen. Tokyo, 1964

The feeling of national pride in “Shinkansen” did not bypass any Japanese, and the emperor himself, they say, composed either a song or an ode about it.

In 1975, the queen of the country, the birthplace of the railway, visited Japan. We are, of course, talking about England. The royal couple arrived on a friendly visit to the emperor, and one of the first items on the entertainment program was a trip on the “miracle train” to Kyoto. For Japan, this was a great opportunity to brag, but the cunning Japanese trade unions could not miss such a rare chance. Literally immediately upon the queen’s arrival, the workers staged the first strike in the history of the Japanese railway. In a word, all the Shinkansen drivers, of whom there were 1,100 people, refused to give the queen rides until the union’s demands were met. Naturally, the bosses, driven into a corner, quickly complied with the demands, but the queen only managed to take a ride on the Shinkansen on her way back. The series of failures did not end there. On the day the Queen was due to board the train, there was heavy rainfall and the train was late by a full 2 ​​minutes. In general, whether it was possible to make an impression on Elizabeth II or not is unknown, but they say that she was not at all offended by the strike, but accepted everything with humor. She said that she herself is no stranger to strikes.

Shinkansen trains painted with protest paint.

Contrary to skeptical expectations, Shinkansen turned out to be incredibly successful and quickly recouped its construction costs. Just 8 years later the second line was opened. By 1981, the loan debt to the World Bank was completely covered. Moreover, today Shinkansen provides up to 80% of Japan Railways' profits. At the moment, there are 8 Shinkansen lines with a total length of almost 3000 km and they continue to be built.

Shinkansen line diagram

Of course, over the 50 years of its existence, “Shinkansen” has gone through a considerable evolutionary path, although not always cloudless.

In the 80s 575 residents of the city of Nagoya, whose houses were located along the tracks, filed a lawsuit against the management of the Shinkansen, complaining of noise and strong vibrations. Immediately after this, technologies began to be introduced to reduce noise and vibration levels and improve the quality of the railway track. A rule was also introduced to slow down when driving through densely populated areas.

Today, Shinkansen are virtually silent, with tracks often passing close to buildings without causing much discomfort. Energy saving technologies have become another step in development. And all because Japan, in which 99.7% of oil is imported (not from Russia), turned out to be very sensitive to repeated oil shocks. Thus, under the pressure of both external and internal factors in the person of the extremely demanding Japanese, “Shinkansen” was rapidly improving. However, the very first model of the train remained unchanged until 1982, and even after the appearance of new models, it remained in operation until 2008.

In 1987, Japanese National Railways was privatized, replacing the state monopoly with 5 new independent companies. Healthy competition has given a new impetus to the development of technology and quality of service.

So-called “green cars” appeared on trains, comparable in level to business class on airplanes. Actually, airlines were and still remain the main competitors of the Shinkansen. These cars have become a kind of indicator of the economic situation in the country. In times of prosperity, many companies bought their employees seats in “green cars” for business trips, but when the economy declined, they were usually empty.

Now the interior of the car looks like this:

Tickets are available with or without a seat. In carriages without a seat, you may have to sit in the middle, but it’s cheaper;)

Toilet:

There is a train diagram hanging at the station, so it’s immediately clear which car you need:

Everyone stands in neat queues to board. Lines are drawn on the platform for queues for each car.

The companies also competed in the delicacy of food on board. In general, eating bento in Shinkansen has become a kind of tradition, even if the journey takes only a couple of hours. They are sold both at stations and on the trains themselves. Each site has its own unique “bento”. Until 2000, trains had dining cars and cafe cars, but the ever-increasing flow of passengers required more seating. Double-decker trains began to appear, but restaurants did not last long on them either. The same story affected private compartments, which could be a room for one or an entire conference room for 4-5 people. The economic downturn has almost completely destroyed the demand for such cars.

Traditional station “bento” lunch.

90s and the end of the bubble economy became the most unstable in the history of Shinkansen development. In addition, in 1995, an earthquake occurred in the Osaka area, and although the trains themselves were not damaged, the rails were significantly bent. It took about 3 months to recover. But there were also positive moments, such as the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, which created demand for new destinations!

Despite the slowdown in economic growth, throughout this time, new, more advanced train models invariably continued to appear. Various safety systems began to be developed, primarily for protection during earthquakes. Now, in the event of an earthquake, an automatic warning system is triggered, which slows down trains a split second before the shock. Thus, even during the devastating earthquake in 2011, not a single accident occurred with Shinkansen trains; they all stopped safely in automatic mode. By the way, the danger of earthquakes is one of the main reasons why trains run slower than they technically could.

Modern Shinkansen trains

Cars on Shinkansen trains cannot be disconnected. That's why they don't have a tail, but they always have two heads!

But trains can connect with each other (smack).

By the way, red is cooler and faster, so it usually drags green along with it.

The latest model came out just a couple of months ago, in March 2014.
Newborn E7

There is another very special train. It's called "Doctor Yellow". They say that seeing him is a very good omen. This is a special doctor who examines and checks the tracks and other related equipment for serviceability several times a month. During the day, it travels at the same speed as other trains, so as not to interfere. And at night he slowly and carefully examines all sections of the path.

Since the 2000s. Japanese Shinkansen technologies began to be actively exported abroad. Currently, China, Taiwan and South Korea have high-speed trains in the Asian region. All of these countries, except Korea, have high-speed railways based on Japanese technology (Korea borrowed technology from the French TGV). Not only technologies are exported, but also decommissioned Japanese trains themselves.

Modern Shinkansen trains in Japan have a top speed of 270 km/h, with plans to reach 285 km/h by next year, although test speeds reach more than 440 km/h. Travel time between Tokyo and Osaka is now less than 2.5 hours. The trains are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable journey - clean toilets, smoking rooms, sockets at each seat, sometimes even vending machines with drinks.

The Tokaido Line (Tokyo–Osaka) is the busiest high-speed rail line in the world, carrying more than 150 million passengers annually. Trains from Tokyo depart every 10 minutes.

Despite the rather high cost, Shinkansken does not lose popularity due to its accuracy, speed, comfort, high level of service, and most importantly, safety. In 50 years of service, not a single incident involving death or serious injury from a high-speed train has been recorded. No other country in the world can boast of such safety indicators for high-speed rail transport. Statistics claim that Sapsan killed more than 20 people in just the first year of its service.

Although the Japanese Shinkansen remains one of the most advanced vehicles in the world, work on its improvement does not stop. In Yamanashi Prefecture there is a special research center where new technologies are created and tested, in particular, JR-Maglev - the Japanese high-speed magnetic levitation train system. It was there in December 2003 that a test train of three cars of the MLX01 modification set an absolute speed record for railway transport - 581 km/h.

Maglev MLX01-1

That's all)

Many thanks to Marie Hunoyan for her help in preparing this post. She translated a bunch of Japanese articles to help me with the text. Marie generally writes well and knows everything about Japan. She asked me to leave your contact information so that you could, if anything, order articles from her or something else, but I can’t do that. I will order it myself, there are still a lot of interesting things in Japan that we need to describe! There will be trams soon ;)