Slashdot Mirror


Japan Tests New Bullet Train

dmolavi writes " Japan's largest railway company began a test run for a new bullet train that it eventually aims to operate at a record-breaking 223 miles per hour -- faster than many propeller airplanes -- according to recent news reports. "

19 of 539 comments (clear)

  1. Only in Japan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Only in Japan would a train's noses look like manga characters!

    1. Re:Only in Japan by WormholeFiend · · Score: 3, Funny

      I cant wait for the next gen model that transforms into a giant robot!

    2. Re:Only in Japan by Oniros · · Score: 2, Funny

      Dude, the train has aerobrakes shaped like cat ears straight from an anime!

      You can see them better at:
      http://www.todayonline.com/articles/57981.asp

  2. Re:Just a test release by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    The US airforce calls it a "flyoff", where two designs are built and tested head to head.
    I think that might cause crashes.

  3. Trouble with the neighbors by sssmashy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Japan Tests New Bullet Train


    Meanwhile, in other news...


    North Korea Tests New Bullet

  4. Re:What a strange comparison by kahei · · Score: 3, Funny


    The problem is lack of standardization. While libraries of congress, football fields, elephants, and Rhode Island (in the US) are standard for information, distance, weight and large areas, there is no standard for speed.

    I propose that an international standard system of junk-science measures be used, and that the measurement of speed be 'thicknesses of a human hair per thousandth of the time it takes to blink'.

    --
    Whence? Hence. Whither? Thither.
  5. Wow, this is scary... by ChrisF79 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I hate to be a skeptic, but this train seems pretty damn scary. The idea of going that fast on land just doesn't seem to be too safe. So while reading the article and looking for some clues to its safety, I stumble across a quote that the train "has cat ear-shaped air-brakes that pop up from the rooftops to help slow the train in an emergency." Is it just me, or in an emergency situation, wouldn't you like to have something a little more reassuring than cat ear-shaped air brakes?

    --
    Finance tutorials and more! Understandfinance
  6. Re:_Continental_ Europe by madaxe42 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't be so daft. Trains in the UK are exemplary. I pay as little as £3000 a year to commute within london, and getting the train from bristol to london last night cost me as little as £115. And it only took 6 hours, I mean, it was 3 hours late, but that's pretty good, to be honest!

    Anyway, I think we should give tube drivers another raise. £60,000 just isn't enough to drive public transport 150 days a year. In fact, they need more holiday too. Won't somebody please think of their children? They only get two weeks off per month!

  7. Super Happy Enchanted Speedy Train! by http101 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Japan is only 145,883 square miles... by the time the train hits 223 miles per hour, it's almost time to stop!

    Besides, there's something green that travels faster, hotter, and leaves the customer feeling completely exhilarated. See the picture below: http://www.quickspice.com/scstore/images/wasabi-ki njirushi-2_lg.jpg

    --
    -- Game Developers: Stop porting badly-textured games from crappy console systems!
  8. In related news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Superman is confused as hell. "I can't remember if I'm faster than a speeding train and more powerful than a bullet, or the other way around," the superhero said in an interview Monday. "I mean, I guess it's really both, but now that bullets ARE trains, I'm all confused."

  9. Cat ears brakes. Hmmm.... by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 2, Funny

    does it make "Nyaaaa!" when stopping?

    =^_^=

  10. Re: cat ears by tekrat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hey; they put cat-ears on their anime-girls all the time, why not on their bullet trains?

    And those anime-girls seem to have no problems surviving 300-mph crashes, so, those cat-ears must work!

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.
  11. Re:What a strange comparison by Have+Blue · · Score: 3, Funny

    We already have the "speeding bullet" standard, but there's only been one documented case of an object exceeding this, and it was powerful than a locomotive anyway.

  12. But can it outrun Godzilla? by Ranger · · Score: 4, Funny

    aims to operate at a record-breaking 223 miles per hour -- faster than many propeller airplanes

    The train only needs to be fast enough to outrun Godzilla the next time he decides to stomp Tokyo. Of course, they'd need some kind of shielding to protect against his breath which they can't outrun. I don't think those really cute Hello Kitty ears really help with aerodynamics.

    --
    "You'll get nothing, and you'll like it!"
  13. Re:_Continental_ Europe by t123 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Refer to this insightful animation of london underground

  14. Re:_Continental_ Europe by Thunderstruck · · Score: 2, Funny

    And of course the 9 hours it took last time to go from London to Edinburgh was a feature, not a bug. That was 4 extra hours in which we could get blue blind paralytic drunk.

    That said, train booze is far too expensive.

    --
    Trying to use sarcasm in text-based forums does not work.
  15. Re:Another Thought: Amtrak & Japanese Technolo by cabazorro · · Score: 2, Funny

    Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a
    charm.
    Lisa: That's spacious reasoning, Dad.
    Homer: Thank you, dear.
    Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
    Homer: Oh, how does it work?
    Lisa: It doesn't work.
    Homer: Uh-huh.
    Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
    Homer: Uh-huh.
    Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
    [Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]
    Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.
    [Lisa refuses at first, then takes the exchange]

    --
    - these are not the droids you are looking for -
  16. Re:Earthquakes might have derailment potential... by ikkonoishi · · Score: 2, Funny

    In case of Godzilla attack the train will transform into a giant robot in order to protect Tokyo.

  17. I'm from the UK... by teamonkey · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...can we have the old one if they're done with it?