JR Tokai plans S0 Shinkansen with automated operation for 2029
Drivers will handle departures and emergency braking; the new trains will brake sooner after quake detection and are expected to use 6% less electricity.
- JR Tokai plans to launch the new S0 Series Shinkansen, its first model with automated operation, in July 2029.
- The automated system will control the train's running and stopping, while a driver will remain responsible for station departures and emergency braking.
- The S0 Series will feature a new aerodynamic design to reduce electricity use by 6% and an enhanced earthquake detection system for faster braking.
Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, is aiming to launch its first Shinkansen model with autonomous operation in July 2029, with drivers still responsible for station departures and emergency braking.
On the new S0 Series, timetable information and other data supplied through train radio will guide the automated system.
It will control running and stopping, adjusting speeds to keep electricity use down.
Changes to the train’s shape are expected to help reduce electricity consumption by 6% compared with the N700S Series, one of the models currently operating.
Although the design has yet to be finalised, a twisting profile extending from the nose to the sides of the leading carriage will reduce air resistance.
Inside, additional storage will give passengers more room for luggage. Improved Wi-Fi will also be available in the premium-class Green Car carriages.
Earthquake protection will include a new detection system that allows braking to begin sooner.
The delay between detecting a quake and activating the brakes will fall to approximately one-tenth of the current interval.
JR Tokai announced the plans on Friday (October 16), identifying the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines as the routes for the new trains.
The S0 Series will mark the first full model redesign in nine years.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
