New bullet train Alpha-X hits top speed of 382 kph in test run

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Japan’s Alpha-X next-generation Shinkansen on Oct. 27 smashed all speed records to date by bullet trains running commercially, hitting a top speed of 382 kph in a test run.

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The test train, comprising 10 vehicles, left Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture with media along for ride at 11:38 p.m. for Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture.

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It clocked 382 kph near Ichinoseki Station in Iwate Prefecture, trembling slightly, but the ride felt as comfortable as any other Shinkansen trains in service.

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The current maximum speed record set by a Shinkansen in commercial operation is 320 kph.

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East Japan Railway Co. plans to introduce the Alpha-X, running at 360 kph, for commercial operation in around fiscal 2030, when the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line is expected to extend to Sapporo from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto.

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The Alpha X features extra-long noses on both its lead and tail cars, stretching 16 meters at the front and 22 meters at the rear.

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The train is also outfitted with special aerodynamic equipment on its roof designed to shorten the distance it requires to stop in the event of an earthquake.

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Test runs of the train have been conducted on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line twice a week or so, mostly at night, during which it hit a maximum speed of 400 kph.

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