Japan is focused on developing the fastest bullet train. The ALFA-X version of the Shinkansen train started test runs last week, and these test runs are going to run for a total of three years. The ALFA-X version of the Shinkansen train is capable of reaching the speed of 400 kilometers per hour, the equivalent of 249 mph.
ALFA-X is slated to enter the operation during 2030 and will run at speeds of up to 360 kilometers per hour thus making it the world’s fastest bullet train. ALFA-X will also be faster than China’s Fuxing train which runs at a speed that is 10 kilometers per hour lower than that of ALFA-X. It should be noted that the Fuxing train has also been designed with the same top speed potential as that of ALFA-X.
The ALFA-X has a futuristic design comprised of a total of 10 cars and a long pointed nose. It will be undergoing tests between the cities of Aomori and Sendai. The cities are located at a distance of about 280 kilometers from one another as the crow flies. The tests will be taking place after midnight when the line is quiet. The tests are supposed to take place twice a week.
The ALFA-X is a testament of the growth for the Shinkansen that is bringing the era of high-speed rail service from a dream to a reality. This news of ALFA-X testing has come when the new high-speed Shinkansen N700S is still undergoing tests that had started about a year ago. N700S is slated to enter operation in 2020 however it will be sporting a top speed of only 300 kilometers per hour similar to other N700 series trains.
Japan is also gearing up to host the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Regardless of the speed of ALFA-X, it is no match for the maglev train that achieved 603 kilometers per hour on an experimental track back in 2015.