JR East Operator Plans To Operate Autonomous Bullet Trains In 2028

JR East Japan train operator last September announced plans to operate driverless bullet trains in parts of the Joetsu Shinkansen Line for commercial services in the 2028 fiscal year with drivers on board to deal with emergencies, which could be the world's first high-speed rail service.

The autonomous train will run 55.7 kilometers between Nagaoka and Niigata stations, both in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, quoted from Kyodo News November 1.

JR East intends to start fully driverless services across all parts of the Joetsu Shinkansen Line in the mid-2030s.

The rail company said the automated system would reduce human error, improve safety and help address driver shortages that are expected to occur in the midst of shrinking working-age populations.

East JR President Yoichi Kise told a news conference that self-driving technology allows companies to plan train schedules more flexibly, as well as allow "train staff members to engage in a broader range of tasks." The company will operate fully autonomous bullet trains and not operate between Peigata Station and its nearest train station in fiscal year 2029, after operating self-driving trains with drivers for emergencies.

Among other bullet train operators in Japan, JR Central, operator of the Tokaido Shinkansen Line connecting Tokyo and Osaka, said they intend to introduce self-driving bullet trains around 2028.

Meanwhile, JR East said it was considering expanding self-driving train services to other bullet train services, such as the Hokuriku and Tohoku Shinkansen lines, which connect Tokyo and Japan's coastal areas, as well as between the country's capital and northeastern prefecture.