Who controls the bullet train?

It was originally built and operated by the government-owned Japanese National Railways and has been part of the private Japan Railways Group since 1987. The first section of the original line, a 320-mile (515-km) stretch between Tokyo and Osaka, was opened in 1964.



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They are operated by Japan Railways (JR) Group companies and feature some of the fastest trains in the world, traveling at up to 320 kilometers per hour. Riding the Shinkansen is a remarkable experience.

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So Shinkansen trains have a different kind of speed control system, known as ATC. With this system, speed information is transmitted along the track and is received by a signal attached to the driver's seat. The ATC automatically keeps the train running within the designated speed limit.

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Their employer does. In the case of Britain a driver will be rostered to drive trains on a route that he knows and has “signed. He may only work a set number of hours over a set period for safety reasons.

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The position of the train driver differs from that of the conductor in that the former is in charge of running the locomotive while the latter manages the cars, including the crew, passengers and their activities.

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The average yearly salary for a shinkansen driver in Japan is 7,580,000 yen. This is about 75,000 USD. Pay varies based on age/train line/bonuses.

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The cost of constructing the Shinkansen was at first estimated at nearly 200 billion yen, which was raised in the form of a government loan, railway bonds and a low-interest loan of US$80 million from the World Bank.

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You can get 1 minute or sometimes even more spare time for 1 stop. The indicated allowed speed is 300km/h but the train driver will let it coast to 270km/h or so before accelerating again, to bleed off some extra time.

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High-speed rail in the United Kingdom is provided on five upgraded railway lines running at top speeds of 125 mph (200 km/h) and one purpose-built high-speed line reaching 186 mph (300 km/h).

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Yes, there is. HS1 has been running since 2007, a 110km (68 mile) stretch from central London's St Pancras International station all the way to the Channel Tunnel on the UK's southeast coast.

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In addition, the tracks, signals, rail cars and software made in the U.S. are costlier than imports, largely because the government has not funded rail the way European and Asian countries have, experts say.

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For short distances, flights are more expensive than bullet trains. Bullet trains, therefore, may be more expensive than flights for long distances.

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The shinkansen train uses superconducting maglev (short for magnetic levitation) to achieve these incredible speeds. As the train leaves the station, it's rolling on wheels. But as it speeds up, the wheels retract, and the power of magnets allows the vehicle to hover four inches above the ground.

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Unfortunately, the Shinkansen doesn't come cheap, so travelers on tight budgets tend to forego it for more practical options. But there are ways to experience the Shinkansen more affordably—and here, we show you how. Note: The Japan Rail Pass is the most economical way to take bullet trains up, down and across Japan.

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In the US, they're called “train engineers”. In the UK and other English-speaking countries, I believe they're called “train operators”.

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