SUPREME INNOVATION
Texas: Your Bullet Train Just Got BETTER
Riders of the Texas Bullet Train will benefit greatly from the upgraded technology, process improvements and new amenities included on the latest generation of Shinkansen trains – known as the Supreme N700 – which were unveiled recently in Japan.
Like technology in other high-tech industries, from iPhones and televisions to automobiles and airplanes, Shinkansen trains are constantly improving in all aspects of operation and the Texas Bullet Train is no different. Texas Bullet Train train-sets will be brand new and feature the latest technological advancements including all the new bells and whistles in the Supreme plus other amenities that will be uniquely Texan.
The Supreme prototype begins test runs this month and is due to debut in 2020, on the Tokaido Shinkansen line, which runs between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka.
The N700S “is an innovative rolling stock that is a product of rapid [technological] advancement.”
— JRC President Koei Tsuge
The Texas Bullet Train will utilize the international version of this Shinkansen technology – complete with all of the new bells and whistles incorporated into its newest prototype plus other amenities uniquely designed for the Texas train.
KEY BENEFITS
Some key new benefits of the Supreme N700S.
- Lighter Weight – Shinkansen is already the lightest high-speed train on the market and now it’s even lighter. A set of 8 Supreme train cars is now 7 tons lighter than the previous version;
- Improved Aerodynamic Performance – The lead car comes designed with edges that will reduce the amount of noise and improve aerodynamic performance;
- Less Vibration – Means less wear and tear, longer lives for materials and less impacts on soil;
- Quietest High-Speed Train in the World – And, now it’s even quieter;
- Lowest per-seat power consumption – And, now it’s even lower;
- Battery Backup – Self-propelling feature allows Trains to move in a power loss situation.
The Shinkansen is already the best technology in the world today – complete with a 53-year perfect safety record and constantly improving green technology. With its small footprint and significantly lower emissions per passenger mile, the Bullet Train will help handle Texas’ growth more efficiently and relieve stress on the environment. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) highlighted the need for the high-speed train in its comprehensive Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), released in December 2017. The document is over 5,000 pages and 4 years in the making. It identifies the FRA’s preferred route for the North Texas-to-Houston line, the locations of the three passenger stations, and highlights the Railroad’s environmentally friendly design and construction techniques.
AT A GLANCE
- The populations of North Texas and Houston are projected to roughly double by 2035.
- The Texas Bullet Train utilizes regenerative braking technology to recapture spent energy.
- The Texas Bullet Train will provide an attractive alternative to hundreds of thousands of auto passengers every year.
- Fewer cars on the road mean less emissions and contaminants that harm air and water quality.
- Bullet trains emit just 1/12th the amount of carbon as a typical commercial jet.
- This technology is entirely electric.
- The Texas Bullet Train is an environmentally-friendly alternative to flying or driving in an area where 4 of the (growing) counties served are already air quality non-attainment status.