Hitachi Supertrain

[Ryosuke]

Actually, Japan has something of the order of 150 private railway companies (1998 figures), although many of these are small municipal operators running on lines abandoned by the former Japanese National Railways. Rail transport is also helped by the fact that the best part of the 128m population is concentrated in only 30% of the land-mass, little or no domestic oil reserves, and a near-total rebuilding of the economy after WW2.

its true that those factors helped to shape the japanese railways but transporting those many people exceptionally safe and punctual is their achievement non the less and it should not stop us from doing the same right steps to improve our railways.

[bigvern]

I have heard the new Hitachi's will have nice wooden panelled interiors, large padded 4 bays of seats around a table all matching a window, sliding windows for fresh air ventilation and subdued overhead non-fluroescent lighting with individual non-fluorescent lights above each table.

Ooops, sorry, dreaming again.

Expect the reality will be the hermetically sealed tube, glaring overhead lighting and airline style seating packed in as tightly as possible!

[johncas]

That happens every day at rush hour in Tokyo Japan the trains can be 10 coaches long and still get full up and I thought a central trains to Birmingham was bad.
They even have double decker coaches

[AlistairW]

Heck one of our factory's dropped a Class 222 from the jacks, i wouldnt really trust a British manufacturing firm after something like that, Desiro and Hitachi FTW!

I wouldn't be too quick to criticise British manufacturing even if you've heard its not or the media had led you think otherwise. The Derby Bombardier factory is Bombardiers most efficient factory (remember they have plants world wide) and whilst I worked for Cummins (An American diesel engine company) in Darlington our factory built more reliable engines than the American factories that were building an identical design. I also think Peugeot Citroën factory in Coventry was their most productive factory, not that that stopped them shutting it. So we can take pride in British manufacturing, after all we gave the world mass production… and the railways for that matter.

I have heard the new Hitachi's will have nice wooden panelled interiors, large padded 4 bays of seats around a table all matching a window, sliding windows for fresh air ventilation and subdued overhead non-fluroescent lighting with individual non-fluorescent lights above each table.

I began to get really excited then, although slightly (and rightly so) sceptical. However I would have thought all except opening windows could easily be achieved to improve the travelling experience. I wouldn't be surprised if standard class looked a lot like the Javelins.

Cheers,
Ali

[bigvern]

I was actually referring (very tongue in cheek) to the original unrefurbished Mark One TSO's. Guess I should have added steam heating too though guess that is a bit fanciful...!

While I know we are never going to go back to the Mark One days, you do begin to wonder have we really become so obsessed by speed and cramming people in that we have forgotten how to enhance the journey experience.

Guess I'm just an old dinosaur who misses the "good old days" of loco hauled travel at a moderate speed (but still quicker than road) in palatial and comfortable surroundings.