The first tests will start by autumn to make this historic railway line fully automated. A revolution that could also come on high-speed trains. Here is what line it is and when it will be transformed.
The most BUSY LINE in the WORLD will become 100% AUTOMATED
# In October, tests start on the Yamanote Line, the busiest railway line in the world
Tests will start in October to transform the Yamanote line, the busiest railway line in the world, fully automated. Between 2015 and 2019, an average of 4.013 million passengers per weekday were recorded with a specific load in the morning rush hour of 1.135 million passengers km per km of route.
It is an urban line serving the city of Tokyo, just under 35 km long, and managed by the East Japan Railway Company. The service departs at 04:30 and ends at 01:20 with a frequency of 2 minutes during peak hours and 4 minutes during the rest of the day.
# By 2028 the line will become 100% automated
The automation of the line will take place gradually. The development of the system is expected to reach its final stages at the end of the tests, which as mentioned will start in October, with improvements to the truck expected around the spring of 2023 to reach the expected implementation in 2028. To this will be added a high precision system able to detect obstacles on the tracks and also manage emergency stops by 2030.
# The next stop could be the high-speed service with “bullet” trains
The Yamanote line may not remain an isolated case. In fact, in Japan they are planning to automate even the high-speed railway lines. In November 2021, the East Japan Railway Company invited reporters to the north-central prefecture of Niigata to witness a test run of the world’s fastest train, the maglev shinkansen “bullet train” configured for self-driving.
FABIO MARCOMIN
