Jun 14, 2020 (NHK) - A Japanese railway company has invited members of the media to test-ride a new Shinkansen bullet train model, the N700S series. .
Central Japan Railway says the N700S is the first fully upgraded model in 13 years, and will enter service on July 1 on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line connecting Tokyo and Osaka.
A 16-car N700S bullet train left Tokyo Station shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturday for Shin-Osaka Station with journalists and others on board.
The N700S has a top operating speed of 285 kilometers per hour, the same as the earlier model of the series. But it is quieter and generates less air resistance.
Each passenger seat has an electric outlet for mobile devices and the seat cushion automatically lowers when a passenger moves the seat into recline position.
The overhead luggage space lights up upon approach to a station to allow passengers to see their luggage more easily. The train also includes bathrooms that are up to 20 percent more spacious than current ones.
JR Tokai official, Ueno Masayuki, says the N700S series represents a new era of the Tokaido Shinkansen Line.
He also says he hopes the introduction of the new model will help boost the number of passengers which fell sharply due to travel restrictions in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
