Transportation Security
Japan's Shinkansen boasts zero
fatalities in 50 years
Adrian
Lim
The Straits Times
Publication
Date : 24-12-2014
Japanese keen to offer
bullet train to Singapore-Malaysia high-speed rail
If there is one
thing the Japanese bullet train system prides itself on, it is safety.
After 50 years in operation, the system, or Shinkansen, has a pristine safety record with zero fatalities.
The Japanese have successfully exported this system overseas and applied it with equal success. Since 2007, the system has been running in Taiwan, connecting outlying towns to Taipei. There have been no fatalities either.
With the Singapore-Malaysia high-speed rail (HSR) project picking up speed, the Japanese are keen to offer their high-speed rail to the region. In an interview with Singaporean and Malaysian media in October, Japanese transport official Tomohiro Kobayashi said the project is "highly viable".
He cited the distance between the two cities as being similar to that between Tokyo and Nagoya, whose travel market share is dominated by the Shinkansen.
This success could be replicated in the case of Singapore-Kuala Lumpur, suggested Kobayashi, a director in the office of project coordination at the railway bureau of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Discussing the Shinkansen's strengths, he said the system relies on both training of drivers and the system's infrastructure.
The system runs on dedicated tracks that are used exclusively for high-speed rail, unlike in countries such as Germany, where tracks are shared with other passenger and freight trains.
There is also not a single level crossing on the network, hence eliminating the risk of collisions with other trains and vehicles.
An automatic train control device regulates the speed of the train in response to track conditions ahead, and the distance to the next train ahead.
This is what enables the trains to run at their maximum operating speeds, which can be up to 320kmh on the Tohoku Shinkansen line, which connects Tokyo to Aomori
But beyond the hardware, the Shinkansen system has a thorough maintenance regime and strict standards for rail staff, said Osamu Onodera, manager of the international department at the East Japan Railway Company (JR-East).
For example, to be a Shinkansen driver, candidates must have at least 10 years of experience in operating trains.
It takes a whole year to train a driver and, while on the job, drivers are permitted to drive only up to 200 minutes a day, to maintain their alertness and prevent fatigue.
Safety aside, the Shinkansen is also known for its strong track record of reliability, said Kobayashi.
Every hour, there are about 15 trains running, with an average delay of less than a minute per trip.
The Japanese have already started talks with Singapore and Malaysia.
A consortium of four Japanese companies - JR-East, Sumitomo Corporation, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - was formed a year ago, and has met government officials from both countries.
At a HSR conference held in Tokyo in October to commemorate the Shinkansen's 50th anniversary, officials from Singapore and Malaysia were invited for a panel discussion, alongside representatives from India, Australia and the United States.
The Land Transport Authority's (LTA) deputy chief executive for infrastructure and development, Chua Chong Kheng, said the LTA is studying the different HSR systems in the world to see if they are suitable for the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route.
After 50 years in operation, the system, or Shinkansen, has a pristine safety record with zero fatalities.
The Japanese have successfully exported this system overseas and applied it with equal success. Since 2007, the system has been running in Taiwan, connecting outlying towns to Taipei. There have been no fatalities either.
With the Singapore-Malaysia high-speed rail (HSR) project picking up speed, the Japanese are keen to offer their high-speed rail to the region. In an interview with Singaporean and Malaysian media in October, Japanese transport official Tomohiro Kobayashi said the project is "highly viable".
He cited the distance between the two cities as being similar to that between Tokyo and Nagoya, whose travel market share is dominated by the Shinkansen.
This success could be replicated in the case of Singapore-Kuala Lumpur, suggested Kobayashi, a director in the office of project coordination at the railway bureau of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Discussing the Shinkansen's strengths, he said the system relies on both training of drivers and the system's infrastructure.
The system runs on dedicated tracks that are used exclusively for high-speed rail, unlike in countries such as Germany, where tracks are shared with other passenger and freight trains.
There is also not a single level crossing on the network, hence eliminating the risk of collisions with other trains and vehicles.
An automatic train control device regulates the speed of the train in response to track conditions ahead, and the distance to the next train ahead.
This is what enables the trains to run at their maximum operating speeds, which can be up to 320kmh on the Tohoku Shinkansen line, which connects Tokyo to Aomori
But beyond the hardware, the Shinkansen system has a thorough maintenance regime and strict standards for rail staff, said Osamu Onodera, manager of the international department at the East Japan Railway Company (JR-East).
For example, to be a Shinkansen driver, candidates must have at least 10 years of experience in operating trains.
It takes a whole year to train a driver and, while on the job, drivers are permitted to drive only up to 200 minutes a day, to maintain their alertness and prevent fatigue.
Safety aside, the Shinkansen is also known for its strong track record of reliability, said Kobayashi.
Every hour, there are about 15 trains running, with an average delay of less than a minute per trip.
The Japanese have already started talks with Singapore and Malaysia.
A consortium of four Japanese companies - JR-East, Sumitomo Corporation, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - was formed a year ago, and has met government officials from both countries.
At a HSR conference held in Tokyo in October to commemorate the Shinkansen's 50th anniversary, officials from Singapore and Malaysia were invited for a panel discussion, alongside representatives from India, Australia and the United States.
The Land Transport Authority's (LTA) deputy chief executive for infrastructure and development, Chua Chong Kheng, said the LTA is studying the different HSR systems in the world to see if they are suitable for the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route.
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