Bullet trains June 23, 2010 10:19
This morning I traveled from Fukuoka to Nagoya on a bullet train. Specifically, the Nozomi Super Express - the fastest of the bullet trains at over 180 mph. These arrive on time, and leave on time. They glide out of the stations without a sound or a shudder, and quickly accelerate with several noticeable surges. You can tell it has reached top speed because the air pressure around the train changes, and your ears suddenly feel it - like when you change altitude in an airplane. This sort of speed eliminates the need to clean the windshield, as I'm sure bugs are simply vaporized by atmospheric friction.
This video was shot just before the train reached top speed, so this is actually a little slower than it normally goes.
Nozomi Super Express from Chris Sanders on Vimeo.
