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- 2025-06-09 (Screenshot)
Photo: https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/884332 Accessed on 2025-06-09 (Screenshot)
JR Central’s test site in Komaki, Aichi, replicates a full-scale 6 m embankment and can simulate extreme rainfall—up to 200 mm in just one hour—to study how embankments hold up during heavy downpours and ensure safe operation of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen. Nearly 44% of its route runs on embankments, so the team uses this data to set operational limits during storms. In August 2024, facing record rainfall from Typhoon No. 10, JR Central suspended service from Mishima to Nagoya for three days, based on such research.
The facility also houses a full-size Shinkansen motion simulator that duplicates cabin interiors and track noise. It tested the tilting system—where the car body leans into curves to reduce perceived centrifugal force. Without tilt, a bottle on a table slid during a curve; with tilt, it stayed firmly in place.
The same simulator is being used to refine ride comfort for the upcoming Linear Chūō Shinkansen (maglev). According to Masashi Morikawa, Head of Technology Development, the wealth of insights from the current Tōkaidō and conventional lines informs maintenance and advanced safety and comfort technologies for both Shinkansen and the new maglev line.
Info based on https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/884332 Accessed on 2025-06-09