What I learned from riding a "Linear" Jan. 11, 11:48

"Linear motor car"
Somewhat nostalgic, but a little future-like, its name. You may have heard it once. When a reporter in his 40s was a child, he was a big favorite for “future vehicles”. If you've been thinking of something from the world of novels and manga, you'll have seven years to open. Reality is increasing. What kind of vehicle is it? I took the "future railroad" with a delay.
(News Production Department Chief Producer Toshihiro Sakai, Network Media Reporter Yoshiyuki Gunori)

Shinagawa-Nagoya 40 minutes!

The name of the railway is "Linear Chuo Shinkansen". JR Tokai aims to open in 2027. The 21st-century "Super Dream Express" connecting the 286 km from Shinagawa Station to Nagoya Station, the time required can be greatly reduced to 40 minutes.

There is an experimental line for that "future railway" in Yamanashi Prefecture. I've been repeating driving tests over a total length of about 42 kilometers between Uenohara and Fuefuki, and the reporter also took part in a test drive for the press last year.

I've loved railways since I was a kid, and more than 30 years ago, when I was in elementary school, I went to a test line in Miyazaki Prefecture at the time.

When you head home at the tour center in Tsuru, the destination information is already "Nagoya". The tension goes up.

It is "L0 series" to get on. At first glance, the blue and white body looks like a Tokaido Shinkansen, but looking at the top, you can see that this is a long nose. It is about 15 meters.

Surprisingly the inside of the car is narrow ...

Now, let's get on. Excitingly, when I enter the car ...

"Narrow!"

The body width is 2 meters 90 cm. There are two rows of seats across the aisle. It is slightly smaller than the N700 series of the Tokaido Shinkansen.

Furthermore, when I sit in the seat, the distance from the previous seat is a bit tight. According to JR Tokai, the distance is 80 cm, which is more than 20 cm narrower than the N700 series.

They say that they are trying to increase the number of passengers per car because of the short ride time. Perceived as close to the economy class of an airplane.

However, it is said that what to do in the car during actual commercial operation has not yet been decided.

I'm floating

The test run departs from the tour center in Tsuru City and makes one round trip on the test line. Its distance about 100 km. But the time required is only 25 minutes.

Suddenly, do you know how linear is running?

An important key is the power of magnets. This vehicle is equipped with a superconducting magnet, a magnet that generates a strong magnetic force. It uses the magnetic force between the coil on the ground, that is, the force that attracts and repels the N and S poles of the magnet. Go on.

In other words, instead of the relationship between wheels and rails as in today's railways, super-high-speed traveling is possible because the vehicle floats by the action of superconducting magnets mounted on both sides of the car body and coils arranged on the side wall of the running path It becomes.

"If you listen, you will notice that the sound changes."

After a while, the announcement was made. When I was excitedly listening, the sound of the tires was gone from a certain moment. But the smoothness you can only understand if you listen carefully.

Even after the vehicle surfaced, the conversation inside the car was normal, which was not much different from the feeling of riding on a bullet train.

Come on 500 kg!

Well, it's a fun 500km / h run. The vehicle gradually gained momentum and accelerated rapidly. 100kg, 200kg, 300kg ...

Up to this point, the range I experienced on the Shinkansen. From here it is an unexperienced zone. 400 km reached. Outside the window, the tunnel lighting is passing one after another at a speed never seen before.

Finally, it reached 500 km / h in about 2 minutes and 40 seconds from acceleration.

"Fast, but quiet ..."

The ultra-high-speed driving was finished in about 2 minutes while being impressed by such a gap. Certainly, I heard that you could see Mt. Fuji if the weather was fine, but it was too fast and I didn't have time to immerse in that kind of travel.

After that, Linear continued to run smoothly without regard to curves or steep slopes. When I was riding, I felt almost no shaking and felt comfortable and almost as a "vehicle".

The person in charge of the JR, who was on board, said, "Some people who came from Tokyo say that they did not shake more than the conventional trains."

Over half a century into research

Research on the Linear Chuo Shinkansen started in 1964 with the aim of connecting Tokyo and Osaka in one hour.

For more than 50 years, the maximum speed has increased steadily. In 2015, it recorded 603 km / h and was recognized as a Guinness World Record.

JR Tokai is currently developing a new test vehicle. By changing the shape of the head, a vehicle with lower air resistance will be manufactured, and test runs will begin this spring.

The future beyond the dream super limited express "Shinkansen" is now within reach. On the other hand, however, it is not a story to be happy to let go of the environmental impact of construction and the huge construction costs.

I would like to continue to pay attention to whether a linear motor car can serve as the next generation aorta connecting Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka as one of the fans who love railways.

News Production Chief Producer Toshihiro Sakai

Network Press Reporter Yoshiyuki Gun-gun
Joined 2010 Joined Maebashi Broadcasting Station and Kushiro Broadcasting Station before joining the Network Media Department. Currently in charge of internet news, survey reports, etc. When I was a student, I love big trains, so go home on a sleeper train.