Japan's most popular train carries no paying passengers!


"Doctor Yellow" is a special train on the Tokaido line which is full of equipment to measure the tracks and overhead wires. It normally operates very late at night, so seeing it is considered very lucky. It made a surprise appearance at Kyoto and everyone was very excited! The train will be phased out because the new shinkansen have the measuring equipment built into the normal trains.



Doctor Yellow by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

Another unique train - the Hello Kitty 500 Series Shinkansen.


Hello Kitty Shinkansen by RobGeraghty, on Flickr

Rob,
I am wondering if the safety barriers only have openings opposite train doors which remain open permanently or, sllde open only when the train has stooped. In Toronto, hardly a month goes by before someone falls or is pushed onto the lines.

From memory the platform gates only open once train is in position. And the Japanese are very orderly on the platforms.

Thanks Southlander. Makes sense. I can remember how orderly they are from my visit in 1953/54.
Not sure if all commuters here in Toronto would stay behind the barrier in the rush-hour if platform was crowded.

When I first visited Japan, very few platforms had barriers. More and more stations are getting them. The barriers have gates which open after the train has stopped, but are otherwise closed. However, there's still stations with no barriers. Most of the stations with no barriers that have trains passing through at speed have sidings for the platforms so it's not possible to fall in front of a train at speed.

These platforms are at Shin-Osaka where all trains stop, so there's no automated barriers.


The Japanese are generally very good at forming lines and patiently waiting for people to get off the train before trying to board. I was quite embarrassed at New Year to see the utterly uncontrolled way people behaved in Sydney when boarding trains - trying to force their way onboard when people were trying to get off.

More and more of the stations on the Yamanote line in Tokyo are also getting automated barriers, and JR have just tested the first fully automated trains on that line, which is the busiest in the world. They hope to have the trains on the Yamanote line automated by 2021 I believe.

Lovely looking trains! A few years ago I was in Europe and going by train from Venice Italy to Innsbruck Austria (at 250 kmh) was such a treat. I wish I had my K5 back then!

I do think that the N700, E7 and other bullet trains are more attractive than the high speed trains I travelled on in Spain. Eurostar was a bit better than the Spanish ones, but not as fast.