East Japan Railway Co (JR East), the largest rail operator in Japan, unveiled a new Shinkansen bullet train yesterday which it claims will be the world's fastest train in service.
JR East said the "Fastech 360S" will begin trial runs between Sendai and Kamikita cities in northern Japan from today, aiming to hit 360km per hour.
Currently, the world's fastest trains in commercial operation are the Sanyo Shinkansen run by West Japan Railway, the TGV in France and the Eurostar which links London, Brussels and Paris, all of which can travel at up to 300km per hour.
The fastest bullet train currently operated by JR East has a maximum speed of 275km per hour but the Fastech 360S is designed with a top speed of 405km per hour in mind.
It is equipped to stop quickly in the event of an earthquake or other emergency, with air spoilers similar to those on a plane being deployed.
"The test runs are to see how the technology designed to ensure safety, reduce noise and swaying [works]. Running faster is not the only goal," said a JR East spokesman.
After an initial two-year trial run period, the company aims to launch commercial services by 2011.
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