1.
Hitachi
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Hitachi, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group and forms part of the DKB Group of companies, Hitachi is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices. It is ranked 38th in the 2012 Fortune Global 500 and 129th in the 2012 Forbes Global 2000, Hitachi was founded in 1910 by electrical engineer Namihei Odaira in Ibaraki Prefecture. The companys first product was Japans first 5-horsepower induction motor, initially developed for use in copper mining, odairas company soon became the domestic leader in electric motors and electric power industry infrastructure. The company began as a venture of Fusanosuke Kuharas mining company in Hitachi. Odaira moved headquarters to Tokyo in 1918, long before that, he coined the company’s toponymic name by superimposing two kanji characters, hi meaning “sun” and tachi meaning “rise”. The young companys national aspirations were conveyed by its original brand mark, world War II and its aftermath devastated the company. Many of its factories were destroyed by Allied bombing raids, and after the war, founder Odaira was removed from the company. Nevertheless, as a result of three years of negotiations, Hitachi was permitted to all but 19 of its manufacturing plants. The cost of such a production shutdown, though, compounded by a labor strike in 1950. Only the Korean War saved the company from complete collapse, Hitachi and many other struggling Japanese industrial firms benefited from defense contracts offered by the American military. Meanwhile, Hitachi went public in 1949, Hitachi America, Ltd. was established in 1959. Hitachi Europe, Ltd. was established in 1982, in March 2011, Hitachi agreed to sell its hard disk drive subsidiary, HGST, to Western Digital for a combination of cash and shares worth US$4.3 billion. Due to concerns of a duopoly of WD and Seagate Technology by the EU Commission, the transaction was completed in March 2012. The talks subsequently broke down and were suspended, the joint venture began operations in February 2014. It is a high density information storage medium utilizing laser etched/readable Fused quartz, Hitachi is taking for 2016 an estimated ¥65 billion write-off in value of a SILEX technology laser uranium enrichment joint venture with General Electric. Hitachi Consulting is a management and technology consulting firm with headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Hitachi Data Systems is an owned subsidiary of Hitachi which provides hardware, software
2.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
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/kaʊ. əˈsɑːki/ is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of motorcycles, heavy equipment, aerospace and defense equipment, rolling stock and ships. It is also active in the production of industrial robots, gas turbines, boilers, the company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki, and has dual headquarters in Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo. KHI is known as one of the three major industrial manufacturers of Japan, alongside Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and IHI. Prior to World War II, KHI was part of the Kobe Kawasaki zaibatsu, after the war, KHI became part of the DKB Group. Kawasaki is active in a range of the aerospace industry. It is currently developing two large, next-generation aircraft, the XP-1 maritime patrol airplane and the XC-2 transport aircraft, Kawasaki also builds helicopters, including the BK117, jointly developed and manufactured with MBB. It also produces the CH-47J / JA helicopter, in the commercial aviation business, the company is involved in the joint international development and production of large passenger aircraft. It is involved in joint development and production of the Boeing 767, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 with The Boeing Company, and the 170,175,190 and 195 jets with Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica. It is also involved in the joint international development and production of engines for passenger aircraft such as the V2500, the RB211/Trent, the PW4000. Kawasaki also works for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the Company was responsible for the development and production of the payload fairings, payload attach fittings and the construction of the launch complex for the H-II rocket. It continues to provide services for the H-IIA rocket, main products Aircraft Space systems Helicopters Simulators Jet engines Missiles Electronic equipment Kawasaki is Japan’s largest manufacturer of rolling stock. It began operations in the industry in 1906 and it manufactures express and commuter trains, subway cars, freight trains, locomotives, monorails and new transit systems. Kawasaki is also involved in the development and design of high-speed trains such as Japan’s Shinkansen and its product range include high-performance LNG and LPG carriers, container ships, bulk carriers and VLCCs, as well as submarines. The Company is also involved in the development of offshore structures, Kawasaki also produces marine machinery and equipment, including main engines, propulsion systems, steering gears, deck and fishing machinery. It also offers industrial plant engineering from design to sales, main products Industrial plants Industrial robots Aerodynamic machinery Hydraulic equipment Kawasaki is involved in the development of equipment that prevents pollution in a wide range of industries. Among the leading products are fuel gas desulfurization and denitrification systems, the Company also supplies municipal refuse incineration plants, gasification and melting systems, sewage treatment and sludge incineration plants. Kawasaki has also been developing systems that enable a range of municipal and industrial waste to be recovered, recycled. The company offers of storage solutions for LNG, Kawasaki’s portfolio also includes retractable roofs, floors and other giant structures, for construction, Kawasaki produces products such as wheel loaders, tunnel machines, rollers, snowplows and purpose specific loaders
3.
East Japan Railway Company
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East Japan Railway Company is a major passenger railway company in Japan and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English. The companys headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, JR East was incorporated on 1 April 1987 after being spun off from the government-run Japanese National Railways. Following the breakup, JR East ran the operations on former JNR lines in the Greater Tokyo Area, the Tohoku region and its railway lines primarily serve Kanto and Tohoku regions, along with adjacent areas in Koshinetsu region and Shizuoka prefectures. JR East operates all of the Shinkansen, high-speed rail lines and these lines have sections inside the Tokyo Suburban Area designated by JR East. This does not necessarily mean that the lines are fully inside the Greater Tokyo Area, JR East aims to reduce its carbon emissions by half, as measured over the period 1990-2030. This would be achieved by increasing the efficiency of trains and company-owned thermal power stations, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has stated that JR Easts official union is a front for an organized crime syndicate called the Japan Revolutionary Communist League. An investigation of this is ongoing, the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation is a non-profit organization established by JR East for the purpose of developing a richer railway culture. The Railway Museum in Saitama is operated by the foundation, EJRC has bid for the London Midland franchise in the United Kingdom. Winners will be announced on June 2017 and will start operating on October 2017, East Japan Railway Company Web Site JR East official apology for Inaho No.14 accident on 25 December 2005 Company history books. Wiki collection of works on East Japan Railway Company
4.
Acceleration
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Acceleration, in physics, is the rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time. An objects acceleration is the net result of any and all forces acting on the object, the SI unit for acceleration is metre per second squared. Accelerations are vector quantities and add according to the parallelogram law, as a vector, the calculated net force is equal to the product of the objects mass and its acceleration. For example, when a car starts from a standstill and travels in a line at increasing speeds. If the car turns, there is an acceleration toward the new direction, in this example, we can call the forward acceleration of the car a linear acceleration, which passengers in the car might experience as a force pushing them back into their seats. When changing direction, we call this non-linear acceleration, which passengers might experience as a sideways force. If the speed of the car decreases, this is an acceleration in the direction from the direction of the vehicle. Passengers may experience deceleration as a force lifting them forwards, mathematically, there is no separate formula for deceleration, both are changes in velocity. Each of these accelerations might be felt by passengers until their velocity matches that of the car, an objects average acceleration over a period of time is its change in velocity divided by the duration of the period. Mathematically, a ¯ = Δ v Δ t, instantaneous acceleration, meanwhile, is the limit of the average acceleration over an infinitesimal interval of time. The SI unit of acceleration is the metre per second squared, or metre per second per second, as the velocity in metres per second changes by the acceleration value, every second. An object moving in a circular motion—such as a satellite orbiting the Earth—is accelerating due to the change of direction of motion, in this case it is said to be undergoing centripetal acceleration. Proper acceleration, the acceleration of a relative to a free-fall condition, is measured by an instrument called an accelerometer. As speeds approach the speed of light, relativistic effects become increasingly large and these components are called the tangential acceleration and the normal or radial acceleration. Geometrical analysis of space curves, which explains tangent, normal and binormal, is described by the Frenet–Serret formulas. Uniform or constant acceleration is a type of motion in which the velocity of an object changes by an amount in every equal time period. A frequently cited example of uniform acceleration is that of an object in free fall in a gravitational field. The acceleration of a body in the absence of resistances to motion is dependent only on the gravitational field strength g
5.
Railway electrification system
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A railway electrification system supplies electric power to railway trains and trams without an on-board prime mover or local fuel supply. Electrification has many advantages but requires significant capital expenditure, selection of an electrification system is based on economics of energy supply, maintenance, and capital cost compared to the revenue obtained for freight and passenger traffic. Different systems are used for urban and intercity areas, some electric locomotives can switch to different supply voltages to allow flexibility in operation, Electric railways use electric locomotives to haul passengers or freight in separate cars or electric multiple units, passenger cars with their own motors. Electricity is typically generated in large and relatively efficient generating stations, transmitted to the railway network, some electric railways have their own dedicated generating stations and transmission lines but most purchase power from an electric utility. The railway usually provides its own lines, switches and transformers. Power is supplied to moving trains with a continuous conductor running along the track usually takes one of two forms. The first is a line or catenary wire suspended from poles or towers along the track or from structure or tunnel ceilings. Locomotives or multiple units pick up power from the wire with pantographs on their roofs that press a conductive strip against it with a spring or air pressure. Examples are described later in this article, the second is a third rail mounted at track level and contacted by a sliding pickup shoe. Both overhead wire and third-rail systems usually use the rails as the return conductor. In comparison to the alternative, the diesel engine, electric railways offer substantially better energy efficiency, lower emissions. Electric locomotives are usually quieter, more powerful, and more responsive and they have no local emissions, an important advantage in tunnels and urban areas. Different regions may use different supply voltages and frequencies, complicating through service, the limited clearances available under catenaries may preclude efficient double-stack container service. Possible lethal electric current due to risk of contact with high-voltage contact wires, overhead wires are safer than third rails, but they are often considered unsightly. These are independent of the system used, so that. The permissible range of voltages allowed for the voltages is as stated in standards BS EN50163. These take into account the number of trains drawing current and their distance from the substation, railways must operate at variable speeds. Until the mid 1980s this was only practical with the brush-type DC motor, since such conversion was not well developed in the late 19th century and early 20th century, most early electrified railways used DC and many still do, particularly rapid transit and trams
6.
25 kV AC railway electrification
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25 kV alternating current electrification is commonly used in railway electrification systems worldwide, especially for high-speed rail. This electrification is ideal for railways that cover long distances or carry heavy traffic, after some experimentation before World War II in Hungary and in the Black Forest in Germany, it came into widespread use in the 1950s. Railways using older, lower-capacity direct current systems have introduced or are introducing 25 kV AC instead of 3 kV DC/1.5 kV DC for their new high-speed lines. The first successful operational and regular use of the 50 Hz system dates back to 1931 and it was developed by Kálmán Kandó in Hungary, who used 16 kV AC at 50 Hz, asynchronous traction, and an adjustable number of poles. The first electrified line for testing was Budapest–Dunakeszi–Alag, the first fully electrified line was Budapest–Győr–Hegyeshalom. Although Kandós solution showed a way for the future, railway operators outside of Hungary showed a lack of interest in the design. The first railway to use system was completed in 1951 by SNCF between Aix-les-Bains and La Roche-sur-Foron in southern France, initially at 20 kV but converted to 25 kV in 1953. The main reason why electrification at this voltage had not been used before was the lack of reliability of mercury-arc-type rectifiers that could fit on the train. This in turn related to the requirement to use DC series motors, until the early 1950s, mercury-arc rectifiers were difficult to operate even in ideal conditions and were therefore unsuitable for use in the railway industry. It was possible to use AC motors, but they did not have a characteristic for traction purposes. This was because control of speed is difficult without varying the frequency and this is why DC series motors were the best choice for traction purposes, as they can be controlled by voltage, and have an almost ideal torque vs speed characteristic. In the 1990s, high-speed trains began to use lighter, lower-maintenance three-phase AC induction motors. The N700 Shinkansen uses a converter to convert 25 kV single-phase AC to 1,520 V AC to 3,000 V DC to a maximum 2,300 V three-phase AC to run the motors. The system works in reverse for regenerative braking, the choice of 25 kV was related to the efficiency of power transmission as a function of voltage and cost, not based on a neat and tidy ratio of the supply voltage. For a given level, a higher voltage allows for a lower current. The Indian Traction Power uses a 25 kV autotransformer system to achieve greater than the 25 kV system. Supply, in terms, the supply for the electric trains run by the Indian Rail uses only two phases of the normal three-phase electric power supply. The usage of the two phases is a one, feeding a single phase transformer with the two phases instead of the conventional feeding of a phase and a neutral
7.
Overhead line
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An overhead line or overhead wire is used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses, or trains. Overhead line is designed on the principle of one or more overhead wires situated over rail tracks, the feeder stations are usually fed from a high-voltage electrical grid. Electric trains that collect their current from overhead lines use a device such as a pantograph and it presses against the underside of the lowest overhead wire, the contact wire. Current collectors are electrically conductive and allow current to flow through to the train or tram, non-electric locomotives may pass along these tracks without affecting the overhead line, although there may be difficulties with overhead clearance. Alternative electrical power transmission schemes for trains include third rail, ground-level power supply, batteries and this article does not cover regenerative braking, where the traction motors act as generators to retard movement and return power to the overhead. To achieve good high-speed current collection, it is necessary to keep the wire geometry within defined limits. This is usually achieved by supporting the wire from a second wire known as the messenger wire or catenary. This wire approximates the path of a wire strung between two points, a catenary curve, thus the use of catenary to describe this wire or sometimes the whole system. This wire is attached to the wire at regular intervals by vertical wires known as droppers or drop wires. It is supported regularly at structures, by a pulley, link, the whole system is then subjected to a mechanical tension. As the contact wire makes contact with the pantograph, the insert on top of the pantograph is worn down. The straight wire between supports will cause the wire to cross over the whole surface of the pantograph as the train travels around the curve, causing uniform wear. On straight track, the wire is zigzagged slightly to the left. The movement of the wire across the head of the pantograph is called the sweep. The zigzagging of the line is not required for trolley poles. Depot areas tend to have only a wire and are known as simple equipment or trolley wire. When overhead line systems were first conceived, good current collection was only at low speeds. Compound equipment - uses a second wire, known as the auxiliary
8.
Current collector
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Those for overhead wires are roof-mounted devices, those for third rails are mounted on the bogies. Typically, they have one or more spring-loaded arms that permit the working engagement with the rail or overhead wire, the collector arm pushes the contact shoe against the contact wire or rail. As the vehicle moves, the shoe slides along the wire or rail to draw the electricity needed to run the vehicles motor. The current collector arms are electrically conductive but mounted insulated on the vehicles roof, an insulated cable connects the collector with the switch, transformer or motor. The steel rails of the act as the electrical return. Electric vehicles that collect their current from an overhead line system use different forms of one- or two-arm pantograph collectors, the current collection device presses against the underside of the lowest wire of an overhead line system, which is called a contact wire. Most overhead supply systems are either DC or single phase AC, three phase AC systems use a pair of overhead wires, and paired trolley poles. Electric railways with third rails, or fourth rails, in tunnels carry collector shoes projecting laterally, or vertically, the contact shoe may slide on top of the third rail, on the bottom or on the side. The side running contact shoe is used against the bars on rubber-tired metros. A vertical contact shoe is used on power supply systems, stud contact systems. A pair of shoes was used on underground current collection systems. The contact shoe on a contact system is called a ski collector. The ski collector moves vertically to accommodate variations in the height of the studs. Contact shoes may also be used on overhead conductor rails, on bars or on trolley wires. Most railways use three rails, while the London Underground uses four rails
9.
Pantograph (transport)
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A pantograph is an apparatus mounted on the roof of an electric train, tram or electric bus to collect power through contact with an overhead catenary wire. It is a type of current collector. Typically, a wire is used, with the return current running through the track. The term stems from the resemblance of some styles to the mechanical pantographs used for copying handwriting, the pantograph was invented in 1879 by Walter Reichel, chief engineer at Siemens & Halske in Germany. A flat slide-pantograph was invented in 1895 at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The familiar diamond-shaped roller pantograph was invented by John Q. Brown of the Key System shops for their commuter trains ran between San Francisco and the East Bay section of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. They appear in photographs of the first day of service,26 October 1903, for many decades thereafter, the same diamond shape was used by electric-rail systems around the world and remains in use by some today. The most common type of today is the so-called half-pantograph. Louis Faiveley invented this type of pantograph in 1955, the half-pantograph can be seen in use on everything from very fast trains to low-speed urban tram systems. The electric transmission system for electric rail systems consists of an upper. The pantograph is spring-loaded and pushes a contact shoe up against the underside of the wire to draw the current needed to run the train. The steel rails of the act as the electrical return. As the train moves, the shoe slides along the wire and can set up standing waves in the wires which break the contact. This means that on some systems adjacent pantographs are not permitted, pantographs are the successor technology to trolley poles, which were widely used on early streetcar systems. However, many of these networks, including Torontos, are undergoing upgrades to accommodate pantograph operation, as a precaution against loss of pressure in the second case, the arm is held in the down position by a catch. For high-voltage systems, the air supply is used to blow out the electric arc when roof-mounted circuit breakers are used. Pantographs may have either a single or a double arm, double-arm pantographs are usually heavier, requiring more power to raise and lower, but may also be more fault-tolerant. On railways of the former USSR, the most widely used pantographs are those with a double arm, some streetcars use double-arm pantographs, among them the Russian KTM-5, KTM-8, LVS-86 and many other Russian-made trams, as well as some Euro-PCC trams in Belgium
10.
Bogie
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A bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle, thus serving as a modular subassembly of wheels and axles. Bogies take various forms in various modes of transport, while bogie is the preferred spelling and first-listed variant in various dictionaries, bogey and bogy are also used. A bogie in the UK, or a truck, wheel truck. In Indian English, bogie may also refer to a railway carriage. In South Africa, the bogie is often alternatively used to refer to a freight or goods wagon. The first standard gauge British railway to build coaches with bogies, an alternate configuration often is used in articulated vehicles, which places the bogies under the connection between the carriages or wagons. Most bogies have two axles, but some cars designed for heavy loads have more axles per bogie, heavy-duty cars may have more than two bogies using span bolsters to equalize the load and connect the bogies to the cars. Suspension to absorb shocks between the frame and the rail vehicle body, Common types are coil springs, or rubber airbags. At least one wheelset, composed of an axle with bearings and a wheel at each end The bolster, the railway car is supported at the pivot point on the bolster. Axle box suspensions absorb shocks between the bearings and the bogie frame. The axle box suspension usually consists of a spring between the frame and axle bearings to permit up-and-down movement, and sliders to prevent lateral movement. A more modern design uses solid rubber springs, brake equipment, Two main types are used, brake shoes that are pressed against the tread of the wheel, and disc brakes and pads. More modern, bolsterless bogie designs omit these features, instead taking advantage of the movement of the suspension to permit rotational movement. The Commonwealth bogie, manufactured by the English Steel Corporation under licence from the Commonwealth Steel Company in Illinois, fitted with SKF or Timken bearings, it was introduced in the late 1950s for all BR Mark 1 vehicles. It was a heavy, cast-steel design weighing about 6.5 long tons, with sealed roller bearings on the axle ends, the leaf springs were replaced by coil springs running vertically rather than horizontally. The advanced design gave a better quality than the BR1. The side frame of the bogie was usually of bar construction, with simple horn guides attached, the axle boxes had a cast-steel equaliser beam or bar resting on them. The bar had two steel coil springs placed on it and the bogie frame rested on the springs, the effect was to allow the bar to act as a compensating lever between the two axles and to use both springs to soften shocks from either axle
11.
Automatic train control
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Automatic train control is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. ATC can also be used with automatic operation and is usually considered to be the safety-critical part of the system. Over time there have many different safety systems labeled as automatic train control. The first was used from 1906 by the Great Western Railway, the term is especially common in Japan, where ATC is used on all Shinkansen lines and on some conventional rail lines as a replacement for ATS. The accident report for the 2006 Qalyoub accident mentions an ATC system, aTC-1 is used on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen since 1964. The system used on the Tōkaido Shinkansen is classified as ATC-1A, variants include ATC-1D and ATC-1W, the latter being used exclusively on the Sanyō Shinkansen. Since 2006, the Tōkaidō Shinkansens ATC-1A system has been superseded by ATC-NS, used on the Tōhoku, Jōetsu and Nagano Shinkansen routes, it utilized 0,30,70,110,160,210 and 240 km/h trackside speed limits. In recent years, ATC-2 has been superseded by DS-ATC, the Japanese ATC-2 system is not to be confused with the Ansaldo L10000 ATC system, which is similar to the EBICAB ATC system and both systems are used in parts of Continental Europe. Actually the first implementation of ATC in Japan, it was first used on Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line in 1961, both lines converted to New CS-ATC in 2003 and 2007 respectively. WS-ATC is also used on 5 Osaka Municipal Subway lines, first used on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line in 1971, CS-ATC, is an analogue ATC technology using ground-based control, and, like all ATC systems, used cab signalling. CS-ATC uses trackside speed limits of 0,25,40,55,75 and 90 km/h and its use has extended to include the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, and most recently, the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line. It is also used on all Nagoya Municipal Subway lines and 3 Osaka Municipal Subway lines, introduced on the Sōbu Line and the Yokosuka Line from 1972 to 1976, it utilized trackside speed limits of 0,25,45,65,75 and 90 km/h. ATC-5 was deactivated on both lines in 2004 in favour of ATS-P, introduced in 1972, used on the Saikyō Line and Keihin-Tōhoku Line and Yamanote Line. Some freight trains were fitted with ATC-6 as well, in 2003 and 2006, the Keihin-Tōhoku and Yamanote Lines replaced their ATC-6 systems with D-ATC. Used on the Chikuhi Line in Kyushu, developed from ATC-4, ATC-10 can be partially compatible with D-ATC and completely compatible with the older CS-ATC technology. ATC-10 can be seen as a hybrid of analogue and digital technology and it is used on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line and Tsukuba Express. Used on the Kaikyō Line along with Automatic Train Stop since 1988, Digital ATC is a digitized form of automatic train control in use on a few Japan Railway lines. The following forms of Digital ATC are in existence, used on non-high speed lines on some East Japan Railway Company lines
12.
Multiple working
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Multiple working is a term used on the UK rail network to describe the practice of having more than one diesel or electric locomotive hauling a train under the control of one driver. Multiple Working is the used in the UK where more than one operational diesel or electric locomotive are coupled together under the control of one driver. The term can also apply when diesel or electric multiple unit trains are coupled together, in tandem is the term usually used in the UK when more than one diesel or electric locomotive are hauling a single train and under the control of a driver on each locomotive. If the front locomotive of a pair in multiple has failed the driver can control the rear locomotive for as long as air. In the early days of locomotives, locomotives worked within their class. Locomotives from different manufacturers had varying methods of controlling engines or braking systems, if a train required more than one locomotive, an additional driver was needed, at extra expense. Since then, locomotives have been built to work with other locomotives in the code or system. Similar systems are assigned a code, which is normally indicated on the front of the locomotive. Early diesels were also fitted with communicating doors in the nose allowed the secondman to access the train heating boiler of the rearmost locomotive. The doors actually saw little use and, as they frequently caused draughts in the cab, first-generation diesel multiple units had the additional problem of differing types of transmission. For instance, a Class 127 unit could be required to work in multiple with a Class 112 unit. For this reason, the selector on the Class 127 was fitted with positions marked D,3,2,1 to change the gears when working in formation with vehicles with mechanical transmission. Later units, post-privatisation ones in particular, saw a number of different, franchise changes and stock reallocation means that many train operating companies use fleets with a number of incompatible multiple working systems. British Railways Locomotives and Multiple Units including Preserved Locomotives 1977, multiple-unit train control Control Car Remote Control Locomotive
13.
Track gauge
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In rail transport, track gauge is the spacing of the rails on a railway track and is measured between the inner faces of the load-bearing rails. All vehicles on a network must have running gear that is compatible with the track gauge, as the dominant parameter determining interoperability, it is still frequently used as a descriptor of a route or network. There is a distinction between the gauge and actual gauge at some locality, due to divergence of track components from the nominal. Railway engineers use a device, like a caliper, to measure the actual gauge, the nominal track gauge is the distance between the inner faces of the rails. In current practice, it is specified at a distance below the rail head as the inner faces of the rail head are not necessarily vertical. In some cases in the earliest days of railways, the company saw itself as an infrastructure provider only. Colloquially the wagons might be referred to as four-foot gauge wagons, say and this nominal value does not equate to the flange spacing, as some freedom is allowed for. An infrastructure manager might specify new or replacement track components at a variation from the nominal gauge for pragmatic reasons. Track is defined in old Imperial units or in universally accepted metric units or SI units, Imperial units were established in United Kingdom by The Weights and Measures Act of 1824. In addition, there are constraints, such as the load-carrying capacity of axles. Narrow gauge railways usually cost less to build because they are lighter in construction, using smaller cars and locomotives, as well as smaller bridges, smaller tunnels. Narrow gauge is often used in mountainous terrain, where the savings in civil engineering work can be substantial. Broader gauge railways are generally expensive to build and require wider curves. There is no single perfect gauge, because different environments and economic considerations come into play, a narrow gauge is superior if ones main considerations are economy and tight curvature. For direct, unimpeded routes with high traffic, a broad gauge may be preferable, the Standard, Russian, and 46 gauges are designed to strike a reasonable balance between these factors. In addition to the general trade-off, another important factor is standardization, once a standard has been chosen, and equipment, infrastructure, and training calibrated to that standard, conversion becomes difficult and expensive. This also makes it easier to adopt an existing standard than to invent a new one and this is true of many technologies, including railroad gauges. The reduced cost, greater efficiency, and greater economic opportunity offered by the use of a common standard explains why a number of gauges predominate worldwide
14.
Shinkansen
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The Shinkansen is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by five Japan Railways Group companies. The nickname bullet train is used in English for these high-speed trains. The maximum operating speed is 320 km/h, test runs have reached 443 km/h for conventional rail in 1996, and up to a world record 603 km/h for maglev trains in April 2015. Shinkansen literally means new trunk line, referring to the rail line network. The name Superexpress, initially used for Hikari trains, was retired in 1972 but is used in English-language announcements. The original Tōkaidō Shinkansen, connecting the largest cities of Tokyo, carrying 151 million passengers per year, and at over 5 billion total passengers it has transported more passengers than any other high-speed line in the world. The service on the line operates much larger trains and at higher frequency than most other high speed lines in the world. At peak times, the line carries up to thirteen trains per hour in direction with sixteen cars each with a minimum headway of three minutes between trains. While the Shinkansen network has been expanding, Japans declining population is expected to cause ridership to decline over time, the recent expansion in tourism has boosted ridership marginally. Japan was the first country to build dedicated railway lines for high-speed travel, because of the mountainous terrain, the existing network consisted of 1,067 mm narrow-gauge lines, which generally took indirect routes and could not be adapted to higher speeds. Consequently, Japan had a greater need for new high-speed lines than countries where the standard gauge or broad gauge rail system had more upgrade potential. Other significant people responsible for its development were Tadanao Miki, Tadashi Matsudaira. They were responsible for much of the development of the first line. All three had worked on aircraft design during World War II, the popular English name bullet train is a literal translation of the Japanese term dangan ressha, a nickname given to the project while it was initially being discussed in the 1930s. The name stuck because of the original 0 Series Shinkansens resemblance to a bullet and these plans were abandoned in 1943 as Japans position in World War II worsened. However, some construction did commence on the line, several tunnels on the present-day Shinkansen date to the war-era project, by the mid-1950s the Tōkaidō Line was operating at full capacity, and the Ministry of Railways decided to revisit the Shinkansen project. In 1957, Odakyu Electric Railway introduced its 3000 series SE Romancecar train and this train gave designers the confidence that they could safely build an even faster standard gauge train. Thus the first Shinkansen, the 0 series, was built on the success of the Romancecar, in the 1950s, the Japanese national attitude was that railways would soon be outdated and replaced by air travel and highways as in America and many countries in Europe
15.
Bilevel rail car
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The bilevel car or double-decker train is a type of rail car that has two levels of passenger accommodation, as opposed to one, increasing passenger capacity. In some countries such vehicles are referred to as dostos. Bilevel trains are claimed to be energy efficient, and may have a lower operating cost per passenger. A bilevel car may carry about twice as many as a normal car, however, a bilevel train may take longer to exchange passengers at each station, since more people will enter and exit from each car. The increased dwell time makes them most popular on long-distance routes which make fewer stops, Bilevel cars may not be usable in countries or older railway systems with low loading gauges. This includes much of the network in the northeast of the USA. In some countries such as the UK new lines are built to a higher than the structure gauge to allow the use of double-deck trains in future. Double deck carriages date to at least as early as the half of the 19th century. Vidard introduced two-storied carriages on the Chemins de fer de lEst, with a body, windows, and doors. The double-deck design usually includes lowering the floor to below the top level of the wheels, closer to the rails. Such a design will fit under bridges, tunnels and power wires. For cost and safety, this also minimizes car height. For low train station platforms, a two floor design with level entry onto the floor is used. Occasionally a third, very tall two floors over-wheel design is used and this is a traditional single floor car with a second story design with, when using low platform, requires steps up to a traditional floor height and then internal stairs up to the upper floor. There are four important height measurements above the railhead, platform height, traditional floor height, downstairs floor height, platform height determines the level entry height for wheeled objects, such as luggage, strollers, wheelchairs and bicycles. Platform height is ideally standardized across all stations the train serves, traditional rail car floor height matters for end doors connecting to existing single floor rail cars. Downstairs or lowest floor height is determined by the thickness of the beams connecting the span between the wheels and bogies of a rail car. The upstairs floor or highest floor height is above the lowest floor and must fit under bridges, level entry floor height must match the platform height
16.
E4 Series Shinkansen
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The E4 series is a high-speed shinkansen train type operated by East Japan Railway Company in Japan. They were the series of completely bi-level Shinkansen trainsets to be built in Japan. They operate on the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen, and occasionally on the Nagano Shinkansen, E4 series trains feature double-decker cars to accommodate additional commuter traffic around Tokyo and other urban areas. They were often coupled to 400 series trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Fukushima before the latter retired in April 2010,26 units were built between 1997 and 2003. As with the earlier E1 series trains, maximum speed is 240 km/h, cars 4 and 6 are each equipped with a PS201 pantograph. The build details are as shown below, as of 30 June 2016,23 sets are still in service. Sets P51 and P52, delivered in January and February 2001 were designed to cope with the gradients of the Nagano Shinkansen for use on services to Karuizawa. As with the earlier E1 series, the upper deck saloons of non-reserved cars 1 to 3 are arranged 3+3 with no individual armrests, the lower decks of these cars, and the reserved-seating saloons in cars 4 to 8 have regular 2+3 seating. The green car saloons on the decks of cars 7 to 8 have 2+2 seating. The trains have a seating capacity of 817 passengers. The first E4 series set, P1, was delivered to Sendai Depot on 8 October 1997, all cars were made no-smoking from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2007. In March 2011, it was announced that the entire E4 series fleet would be withdrawn by around 2016, in September 2012, E4 series were entirely withdrawn from Tohoku Shinkansen services, and all allocated for use on Joetsu Shinkansen services only. The first reliveried set, P5, was returned to service in early April 2014, withdrawals started in July 2013, with sets P2 and P3. TGV Duplex, French double-deck high speed train List of high-speed trains E4 Series Max Toki/Max Tanigawa
17.
Asahi (train)
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The Asahi was a limited-stop train service that operated until November 2002 in Japan on the Jōetsu Shinkansen between Tokyo and Niigata. This service was renamed Benibana from 1 July 1982, at the start of Jōetsu Shinkansen operations in 1982,11 Asahi services operated in each direction daily. With the start of operations from Ueno on 14 March 1985. From 10 March 1990, two services were timed to operate at a maximum speed of 275 km/h in the tunnel section between Jōmō-Kōgen and Urasa. New E1 series Max 12-car sets were introduced on Max Asahi services from 15 July 1994, the number of Max Asahi services was increased to five in each direction daily from 3 December 1994. E4 series Max trains built in 1997 were first assigned to Max Asahi services on 7 May 2001, the Asahi name was discontinued from 1 December 2002 when the Toki name was re-introduced for all Tokyo to Niigata trains. List of named trains of Japan
18.
Tanigawa (train)
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The Tanigawa is a high-speed train service operated by the East Japan Railway Company on the Joetsu Shinkansen in Japan. From 1 October 1997, the name was used for the services between Tokyo and Echigo-Yuzawa on the Jōetsu Shinkansen, replacing the previous Toki all-stations services. During the winter skiing season, trains terminate and start at the seasonal Gala-Yuzawa Station, e2 series 10-car sets were introduced on three return Tanigawa services daily from 26 January 2013, operating at a maximum speed of 240 km/h. List of named trains of Japan 200 series Yamabiko/Toki/Nasuno/Tanigawa E1 series Max Toki/Max Tanigawa E4 series Max Toki/Max Tanigawa
19.
Toki (train)
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The Toki is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated by East Japan Railway Company on the Joetsu Shinkansen in Japan. The name is taken from the Japanese name of the crested ibis and this service operated until 14 November 1982, the day before the Joetsu Shinkansen opened. The Toki name was discontinued from October 1997 following the introduction of new Tanigawa all-stations services between Tokyo and Echigo-Yuzawa, however, the name was reinstated from December 2002 to replace the name Asahi used for all Tokyo to Niigata trains. E2 series 10-car sets were re-introduced on four return Toki services daily from 26 January 2013, a special Joetsu Shinkansen 30th Anniversary service ran as Toki 395 from Omiya to Niigata on 17 November 2012 using 10-car 200 series set K47. List of named trains of Japan 200 series Yamabiko/Toki/Nasuno/Tanigawa E1 series Max Toki/Max Tanigawa at the Wayback Machine E4 series Max Toki/Max Tanigawa
20.
Nasuno
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The Nasuno is a train service operated on the Tōhoku Shinkansen by East Japan Railway Company in Japan. It serves all stations between Tokyo and Kōriyama, a city approximately 225 km north of Tokyo. The name Nasuno is derived from the Nasu Highlands and Nasu Onsen areas located alongside the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Utsunomiya and Kōriyama, there are approximately 16 return Nasuno trains daily, starting/terminating either at Oyama, Nasushiobara, or Kōriyama. Nasuno services stop at all stations en route, double-decker Nasuno services formed of E4 series sets also operated up until September 2012, named Max Nasuno. In 1966, this was upgraded to become an express, and on 14 March 1985, from 10 March 1990, the train was rerouted to operate between Shinjuku in Tokyo and Kuroiso. On 10 December 1995, the name was adopted for the new services on the Tōhoku Shinkansen. The Tōhoku Main Line services to and from Shinjuku were renamed Ohayō Tochigi, prior to 1995, Aoba services formed the all-stations services along the whole line. List of named trains of Japan E2 series Hayate/Yamabiko/Nasuno
21.
Yamabiko
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The Yamabiko is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated on the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Morioka by East Japan Railway Company in Japan. This service operated until 30 September 1963, from 1 October 1965, the name was reintroduced for limited express services operating between Ueno in Tokyo and Morioka. These services continued until 22 June 1982, the day before the Tōhoku Shinkansen opened, since 1 July 1992, some Yamabiko services have run coupled with Tsubasa services between Tokyo and Fukushima. From 19 November 2011, E5 series trainsets were introduced on some Yamabiko services, on 30 March 2013, a special Sayonara 200 series Yamabiko train operated from Morioka to Tokyo, as a farewell run for the 200 series on Yamabiko services. List of named trains of Japan E2 series Hayate/Yamabiko/Nasuno E3 series Tsubasa/Yamabiko/Nasuno E5 series Hayabusa/Hayate/Yamabiko/Nasuno E6 series Komachi/Hayabusa/Yamabiko/Nasuno
22.
Crested ibis
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The crested ibis, also known as the Japanese crested ibis or toki, variously written in kanji as 朱鷺, 鴇, 鵇 or 鴾, and written in hanzi as 朱䴉 or 朱鷺, is a large, white-plumaged ibis of pine forests. Its head is bare, showing red skin, and it has a dense crest of white plumes on the nape. This species is the member of the genus Nipponia. They make their nests at the tops of trees on hills usually overlooking their habitat, Crested ibises usually eat frogs, small fish, and small animals. At one time, the ibis was widespread in Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan. It has now disappeared from most of its former range and they were previously thought to be extinct in China too, until 1981 when only seven ibises were seen in Shaanxi, China. Extensive captive breeding programs have developed by Japan and China to conserve the species. They were put on the State Protection List in China, also, for the past 23 years, China has bred and protected the species. In 2002, there were a total of 130 colonies in China, northwest Shaanxi provinces research center has a history of 26 crested ibis fledglings including artificial, and natural incubation. On July 31,2002, five out of seven crested ibis chicks hatched at a center in northwest Shaanxi province. This was one of the latest records and highest record ever recorded of chicks that hatched, the parents of the chicks were chosen from 60 ibis pairs raised at that research center. Due to ongoing habitat loss, small size, limited range. The crested ibis has been listed in Appendix I of the conservation treaty CITES, the London Zoo had crested ibises from 1872 until 1873. Outside China only Japan and South Korea keep this species and this marks the first time the rare bird has returned to the Japanese wild since 1981. On April 23,2012, it was confirmed that three crested ibis chicks had hatched on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, the first time chicks had hatched in the wild in Japan in 36 years, one of the chicks briefly left its nest on 25 May. Crested ibis photo gallery at VIREO Interactive range map of Nipponia nippon at IUCN Red List maps Audio recordings of Crested ibis on Xeno-canto
23.
Railway Museum (Saitama)
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The Railway Museum is a railway museum in Saitama, Saitama, Japan, which opened on 14 October 2007. It was built and is operated by the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation and it consists of a 19,800 m² building on a site covering 42,500 m², with a display area 9,500 m² in size. The museum places emphasis on learning through interactive experiences and is divided into two zones, the history zone and the learning zone. The history zone recounts the history of technology with the help of trains that were in service in the past. In the learning zone, visitors can gain knowledge of the principles and mechanisms of railway with the use of actual parts, the tour of the museum takes roughly two hours with extra time for interactive exhibits. A library room, known as the Teppaku Reading Room opened on 21 July 2012 in the remodelled North Wing of the museum, the present Railway Museum is the successor to the Transportation Museum in Chiyoda, Tokyo. This museum also opened as the Railway Museum under the railway track near Tokyo Station celebrating the beginning of the 50th year of the railways in Japan on 14 October 1921. The museum was renamed the Transportation Museum in 1948 to cover various means of transportation, on 14 May 2006, the museum was closed pending a move to the new Railway Museum in Saitama. In November 2012, it was announced that the Railway Museum would form an alliance with the National Railway Museum in York. The D51 simulator requires a reservation through a reservation terminal installed in the museum and costs 500 yen, the following full-size vehicles are on display. Class 150 steam locomotive – No,1, the first locomotive to operate in Japan Class 1290 steam locomotive – No.1292 Zenko JNR Class 7100 steam locomotive – No.7101 Benkei JNR Class 9850 Mallet steam locomotive – No. 9856, cut away to show internal workings JNR Class C51 steam locomotive – No, C515 JNR Class C57 steam locomotive – No. C57135, the locomotive hauled the last scheduled steam service in 1975 Class DD13 diesel locomotive – No. DD131 Class ED17 electric locomotive – No, ED171 Class ED40 electric locomotive – No. ED4010 Class EF55 electric locomotive – No, EF551 Class EF58 electric locomotive – No. EF5889 Class EF66 electric locomotive – No, EF6611 Class ED75 electric locomotive – No. ED75775 Hanifu1 passenger and luggage carriage Class Nade 6110 electric railcar – No, Nade 6141 Class Kumoha 40 electric railcar – No. Kumoha 40074101 series electric multiple unit car – No, Kumoha 101-902181 series electric multiple unit car – No
24.
Saitama, Saitama
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Saitama is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono. It is a city designated by government ordinance, being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lying 15 to 30 kilometres north of central Tokyo, many of its residents commute into Tokyo. As of 1 February 2016, the city had an population of 1,226,656. Its total area was 217.43 square kilometres, the city was founded on May 1,2001, and was designated on April 1,2003 as a government ordinance. For the histories of Urawa, Ōmiya and Yono before the merger, see, Urawa-ku, Saitama Ōmiya-ku, Saitama and Yono, Saitama, on April 1,2005, Saitama absorbed the city of Iwatsuki to its east, which became a new ward, Iwatsuki-ku. The name Saitama originally comes from the Sakitama district of what is now the city of Gyōda in the part of what is now known as Saitama Prefecture. Sakitama has an ancient history and is mentioned in the famous 8th century poetry anthology Manyōshū, the pronunciation has changed from Sakitama to Saitama over the years. With the merger of Urawa, Ōmiya, and Yono it was decided that a new name, the prefectural name Saitama was changed from kanji into hiragana, thus Saitama City was born. It is the prefectural capital in Japan whose name is always written in hiragana. However, Saitama written in hiragana actually finished in place in public polling to Saitama written in kanji. Despite this, government officials decided to name the new city Saitama in hiragana, in third place in the poll was Ōmiya. In fourth was Saitama, written with a kanji for sai which means colorful. The sai used in the name is a rare form of a common character that means cape or promontory. The city is located 20 to 30 km north of central Tokyo, the western portion of the city lies on the lowland created by the Arakawa River along with those created by small rivers such as the Moto-Arakawa River, Shiba River, and Ayase River. The rest of the area mostly resides on the Ōmiya Plateau lying in the north-south direction, dispersed in this region, major rivers flow southward, almost paralleling to one another. The city is one of commercial centers of the Greater Tokyo area and serves Saitama Prefecture, North Kanto. Saitama is also home to manufacturers, exporting automotive, food, optical, precision
25.
SNCF TGV Duplex
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The TGV Duplex is a French high-speed train of the TGV family, manufactured by Alstom, and operated by the French national railway company SNCF. It is unique among TGV trains in that it features bi-level carriages, the Duplex inaugurated the third generation of TGV trainsets. It was specially designed to increase capacity on high-speed lines with saturated traffic, with two seating levels and a seating capacity of 508 passengers, the Duplex increases the passenger capacity. While the TGV Duplex started as a component of the TGV fleet. The LGV Sud-Est from Paris to Lyon is the busiest high-speed line in France, after its opening in 1981 it rapidly reached capacity. Several options were available to increase capacity, the separation between trains was reduced to three minutes on some TGV lines, but the increasingly complex signalling systems, and high-performance brakes required, limited this option. Another option is to widen the train but is not practicable due to loading gauge restrictions. Running two trainsets coupled together in multiple-unit configuration provides extra capacity, but required very long station platforms, given length and width restrictions, the remaining option is to adopt a bi-level configuration, with seating on two levels, adding 45% more passenger capacity. TGV Duplex sets are run with a single deck Réseau set or another Duplex set. The Duplex feasibility study was completed in 1987, in 1988, a full-scale mockup was built to gauge customer reactions to the bi-level concept, traditionally associated with commuter and regional rail rather than with high-speed intercity trains. Discussions with GEC-Alsthom began soon after, and in July 1990 the company won the contract to build the TGV-2N, the contract was finalized in early 1991, at which point the official order was made. The first tests of a trainset in were November 1994. Soon after their first run, the first rake of eight trailers was tested at 290 km/h on the Sud-Est line, the trainset was powered by TGV Réseau power cars at the time, as the Duplex power cars were not ready. The first Duplex power car was mated to the trailers on 21 June 1995. Perhaps the most important innovation is the efficiency of the Duplex design, aluminium bodies - the strict requirement of a 17-tonne axle load limit made it imperative to cut down on weight, wherever possible. Extruded aluminum construction made possible a 20% reduction in structure weight, the nose, the first significant departure from Coopers original design, was styled by industrial designer Roger Tallon, as was the rest of the trainset. Crashworthiness - crush zones and rigid passenger compartments protect safety in the event of a collision, the power units frame is designed to take a 500 tonnes of force frontal load, and features structural fuses to absorb impact energy. Active pantograph - the Faiveley CX used on the Duplex has a pneumatically actuated active control system, two small gas cylinders in the wiper armature can tune the stiffness of the pantographs upper stage, to optimize contact at any speed
26.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
27.
Hokuriku Shinkansen
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The first section, between Takasaki and Nagano in Nagano Prefecture, opened on 1 October 1997, originally called the Nagano Shinkansen. The extension to Toyama in Toyama Prefecture and Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture opened on 14 March 2015, Construction of a further section onward to Fukui and Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture commenced in 2012, with scheduled opening in fiscal 2022. The route of the section to Shin-Osaka was decided on 20 December 2016 as the Obama - Kyoto route, with construction expected to begin in 2030. Since March 2015, services on the line are split into four types, trains operate over the Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen tracks between Tokyo and Takasaki. Following the opening of the Shinkansen, part of the line was abandoned between Yokokawa and Karuizawa. This section included the steeply-graded Usui Pass which required the use of engines on all trains. The boundary between JR East and JR West lies immediately to the north of Jōetsumyōkō Station, stations in italics are not currently operational. E7 series 12-car F sets W7 series 12-car W sets With the start of Nagano Shinkansen services, trains were operated by a new fleet of JR East E2 series 8-car sets. A fleet of 17 new E7 series 12-car trainsets were phased in from March 2014, the remaining E2 series trainsets are scheduled to be withdrawn from Hokuriku Shinkansen services on 31 March 2017. One specially-modified 200 series set, numbered F80, was used on additional Asama services in February 1998 during the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano and its maximum speed was limited to 210 km/h. The last services operated using eight-car E2 series trainsets ran on 31 March 2017, from which date all Asama services were formed of E7, the initial section between Takasaki and Nagano opened on 1 October 1997. The Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to Kanazawa opened in March 2015, the 113-km extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga was approved for construction in June 2012. From the start of the timetable on 15 March 2014. Initially used on seven return services daily, this number was increased to eleven return services daily from 19 April 2014, Construction of the extension from Nagano to Kanazawa was completed on 24 May 2014. When services commenced in March 2015, the time from Tokyo to Toyama was reduced to about 2 hours. Final permission to start construction to Fukui was granted in December 2011, the extension to Tsuruga was approved for construction on 30 June 2012, and is scheduled to open in fiscal 2022. Beyond Jōetsumyōkō Station, the line is operated by West Japan Railway Company instead of East Japan Railway Company, test-running on the JR East section of the line between Nagano and Kurobe-Unazukionsen commenced on 1 December 2013, initially at low speeds using the East i test train. From 6 December, test-running commenced using 10-car E2 series trainsets, test-running continued until the end of March 2014
28.
Mini-shinkansen
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Mini-shinkansen is the name given to the concept of converting 1,067 mm narrow gauge railway lines to 1,435 mm standard gauge for use by shinkansen train services in Japan. Unlike the high-speed shinkansen lines, the lines have a maximum speed of only 130 km/h. Two mini-shinkansen routes have been constructed, the Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen, the mini-shinkansen concept was first developed in JNR days, but was not formally proposed until November 1987, following the formation of East Japan Railway Company. The concept involved regauging existing 3 ft 6 in gauge lines to standard gauge, while the track gauge was widened, the loading gauge remained unchanged, requiring the construction of new shinkansen trains with a narrower cross-section. These would be capable of running at speed on Shinkansen tracks, either on their own or coupled to full-sized sets. Speeds on converted lines would also be raised where possible, work started in 1988, with Yamagata Shinkansen services commencing on 1 July 1992. Services were operated by a new fleet of 400 Series Shinkansen trains, the success of this initiative led to the conversion of a further 61.5 km of the line to Shinjō, opening on 4 December 1999. This involved regauging the 75.6 km Tazawako Line from Morioka to Ōmagari and 51.7 km of the Ōu Main Line from Ōmagari to Akita and this opened on 22 March 1997 with Komachi services using new E3 Series Shinkansen trains. On 16 March 2013, E6 series trains entered service on this line, in March 2014, the maximum speed on the Tohoku Shinkansen was increased to 320 km/h. The following rolling stock was built for use on mini-shinkansen lines
29.
Yamagata Shinkansen
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The Yamagata Shinkansen is a Mini-shinkansen route in Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company. It provides service between Tokyo and Shinjō in Yamagata Prefecture over the tracks of the Tohoku Shinkansen and the Ōu Main Line, the term Yamagata Shinkansen refers to the segment that connects Fukushima in Fukushima Prefecture and Shinjō. Because the shinkansen trains share tracks with regular trains, it is often referred to as a mini-shinkansen. Trains consist of 7-car E3 series trainsets operating as Tsubasa services, between Tokyo and Fukushima, the trains run coupled to Yamabiko trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen. Between Fukushima and Shinjō, the run on their own at a maximum speed of 130 km/h. As of July 2012, about 62 million passengers had ridden the line since it opened in July 1992, the fastest trains connected Tokyo and Yamagata stations in two hours and 29 minutes. All stations listed below are located on the Ōu Main Line, beyond Fukushima, trains bound for Tokyo run with Tohoku Shinkansen trains. December 1,1995, Trains are extended to seven cars, december 4,1999, Line is extended to Shinjō. September 21,2001, Double-decker E4 Series Shinkansen replace the 200 series trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen, march 18,2007, All cars are made non-smoking. December 20,2008, E3-2000 series trains enter service April 18,2010,400 series trains cease operations, march 11,2011, All services are suspended due to the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. March 31,2011, Partial services resume between Fukushima and Shinjō, April 12,2011, Through-service resumed between Tokyo and Shinjō but at half of previous capacity
30.
Akita Shinkansen
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The Akita Shinkansen is a Mini-shinkansen high-speed rail line in Japan. Serving the Kantō and Tōhoku Regions of the country, it links Tokyo, from Tokyo to Morioka in Iwate prefecture, it operates on the Tohoku Shinkansen tracks. From Morioka to Ōmagari, it uses the Tazawako Line tracks, the section from Ōmagari to Akita use the Ōu Main Line tracks. Services consist of Komachi trains formed of 7-car E6 series mini-shinkansen sets coupled with E5 series Hayabusa trains for the portion of the journey between Tokyo and Morioka. The Komachi services run at a speed of 320 km/h on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Between Tokyo and Morioka, the stations are the same as those on the Tohoku Shinkansen, from there on, the stations are as shown below. March 22,1997, The segment from Morioka to Akita began operating with 5-car E3 series trains,1998, Trains were extended to 6 cars. September 16,2001, line celebrates 10 millionth passenger, march 11,2006, line celebrates 20 millionth passenger. March 18,2007, All cars are no smoking. March 11,2011, All services suspended due to the Tohoku earthquake, march 18,2011, Partial service resumes between Morioka and Akita. No through service to Tōhoku Shinkansen, april 29,2011, In conjunction with the reopening of the full length of the Tohoku Shinkansen, through service to Tokyo is restored. March 16,2013, New E6 series trains were introduced on Super Komachi services, march 15,2014, All Komachi services operated by E6 series trains, operating at 320 km/h on the Tohoku Shinkansen
31.
Narita Shinkansen
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The Narita Shinkansen was a planned high-speed Shinkansen line proposed to connect Narita International Airport with Tokyo Station. The project was abandoned, although parts of the route are used by the Keisei Narita Airport Line. Planning of the Narita Shinkansen started in 1966 and permission to build was granted in 1972, with completion scheduled for 1976. Construction started 1974, but was hampered due to resistance from local residents protesting against the expropriation of their land for a project that would bring no benefit to them. Construction was frozen in 1983, and the Basic Plan granting construction rights was cancelled by a law in 1987 — the only Shinkansen line ever to meet this fate. Due to the opposition, only a 9 km stretch of trackbed, while the Shinkansen link was stalled, the private Keisei Electric Railway had constructed an ordinary rail link to the airport. The culvert connecting to the station was also designed for Shinkansen use. The line was to originate at underground platforms located roughly equidistant from Tokyo Station, from there, it was to run underground to Etchūjima in Kōtō Ward, then above ground, following the Tōzai Line route across the Ara River to Funabashi. Originally, the Tokyo-Narita trains were to make no station stops, a depot for trains operating on the line was planned at a location approximately 51 km from Tokyo, including a single-track connecting link to the JR Narita Line at Shimōsa-Manzaki Station. Much of this right of way is used by commuter lines, the area of Tokyo Station earmarked for the Shinkansen platforms and the underground tunnel to Etchujima are now used by the JR Keiyō Line. Much of the right of way had already been earmarked by the Chiba Prefecture for railway use. The Keisei Narita Airport Line was built as standard gauge, theoretically leaving an open for eventual conversion. However, the Rapid Railways design speed is only 160 km/h and it will — at least initially — terminate at Keisei Ueno Station, also, the Sky Access is electrified at 1500 V DC, whereas the Shinkansen standard is 25 kV AC. With a design speed of at least 250 km/h, the Narita Shinkansen was designed to cover the 65-kilometer distance in 35 minutes, the Narita Express takes 53 minutes for the same trip, while the more direct Keisei Narita Airport Line connects Narita to Nippori in 36 minutes. JRTR19, Air-Rail Links in Japan Mirai Tetsudo Database, Narita Shinkansen, retrieved 25 June 2008
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