Why are Japanese trains so safe?

In the event of a strong earthquake, seismographs installed along the line and other locations detect the P waves and estimate the location and scale of the epicenter. The system stops trains automatically by cutting power at selected sections.



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Rail in the US is dominated by freight movements, the passenger sector is very much and afterthought and doesn't receive much investment. As a result their lines are slow, dominated by freight, and their rolling stock is old and low tech. Japan, in contrast, has one of the best and most modern railways in the world.

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While the US was a passenger train pioneer in the 19th century, after WWII, railways began to decline. The auto industry was booming, and Americans bought cars and houses in suburbs without rail connections. Highways (as well as aviation) became the focus of infrastructure spending, at the expense of rail.

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The numbers for high-speed rail can vary anywhere from 20 to 80 million per mile. The big reason why America is behind on high-speed rail is primarily money. We don't commit the dollars needed to build these systems, it's really as simple as that.

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Japan: Japan's train system is considered to be one of the best in the world. Its Shinkansen (bullet train) is known for its high speed, punctuality, and safety record.

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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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Plane travel is safest, reports Ian Savage, of the Dept. of Economics & Transportation Center at Norwestern University, in the Huff Post Live video clip above. Trains are three times more dangerous than flying but safer than traveling by car (which is 40 times more risky than flying), according to Savage.

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Here are 10 do's and don'ts while on the train in Japan.
  • Don't take up too much space. ...
  • Keep it quiet. ...
  • Put your phone on mute. ...
  • Priority seats. ...
  • Get on the train in turn & don't rush onto the train. ...
  • Don't eat and drink. ...
  • Don't litter. ...
  • Don't do your makeup.


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One of the most expensive parts of building new rail lines these days is securing land along a relatively straight path (you can't run trains at high speeds along too sharp a curve). The U.S. has strong property rights which makes securing land exceedingly expensive.

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Amtrak's Acela, which reaches 150 mph (240 km/h) over 49.9 mi (80.3 km) of track and Brightline, which runs at 125 mph (201 km/h) in a dedicated ROW between Orlando and Cocoa, are the US's only high-speed rail services.

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Texas tops the list with 208 million tons of rail freight received each year. The Lone Star State is crisscrossed by a large network of railroads, making it easy for goods to move in and out of the state.

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The new Acela will operate at top speeds of 160 mph vs. today's fleet, which operates at top speeds of 150 mph. Amtrak's new Acela fleet is scheduled to enter service on the NEC in 2024.

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These longer trains allow for more goods to move more efficiently, which lowers fuel use and costs for the railroads.

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