Japan plans automated cargo transport system to relieve shortage of drivers

Japan try use automated system, try to use AI, try to use drone at the end in actual use Japan just use foreign trainee that being used as cheap labor.

Japan is planning to build an automated cargo transport corridor between Tokyo and Osaka

Wonder if any of these government masterminds realize that there does happen to be a couple train lines connecting Tokyo Osaka, some of which move pretty fast I heard, and they are all virtually empty with train traffic from midnight to about 6am. And from what I understand, those archaic train lines apparently connect to a few other cities as well...

You should try to use be more optimistic!

You should try to use see things more positively instead of always try to use negatively!!

This innovative idea sounds good! As the article mentions, Switzerland and Great Britain are considering something similar.

Could easily end in chaos during periods of high winds.

Surely these planned containers need to be bigger and thus heavier.

Or they could just use more freight trains.

The association is also urging consumers to at least bundle their orders.

Whenever I ask for that, Amazon refuses.

This is a good ideea, but how are they going to implement it? Build new express ways? Build over the exiting Tomei and Shin-Tomei ones?

Howe about using night trains like all over the world to transport the cargo? Seems like between 1AM and 5AM the tracks are empty anyways.

As divinda said - the no-brainer is to utilize a brilliant existing hi-speed rail system.

To re-image that system with say for example every Shink pulling an extra cargo-only carriage or two, to be rapidly de-coupled and handled.

Too complicated? Too expensive? Too much new infrastructure?

Well play that against the articles Whizz-Bang of containers hurtling along driverless on the median strip of highways and all of the machinations that would require.

Sometimes when pushing the envelope it's important to read the letter contained within.

So think. Any automation means competition meaning not increasing wages. Once you get rid of the people then large companies will control transport and prices. This is a horrible idea.

More white elephants. Japan politicians have a penchant for them.

there is no shortage of drivers.there is just a big greed.

I would like to see the transportation sector find ways to reduce the number of motor vehicle deliveries to places near commuter rail stations. More pedestrian-only areas are needed in all urban areas.

Admittedly, I have previously seen how since last year the Shinkansen is being used to haul some fruit and seafood, but they do so in the most impractical way possible by stuffing boxes between empty seats. So I did a quick search and found a photo here:

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14957565

And it was also announced just last month that for the very first time in its 60 years of existence they will finally "consider" to develop a dedicated cargo-car space on future Shinkansen trains

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/business/companies/20241003-214575/

What a stupid idea. Run more freight trains. Buy wagons that can take international standard shipping containers too.

I read about this idea around 1988. Another example of the glacial progress you see in this country. Here's another gem: they once tried to run a shinkansen line between Narita airport and the rest of the network. Construction was soon suspended and they finally gave up. I guess they couldn't stand the idea of offering convenience to tired, jetlagged international travelers.

Isn't this what JR Freight already does? Why not expand and improve on the already existing network and infrastructure rather than going through all the road construction and adding to congestion? Also, why not standardize the container size to be the same as JR containers? Every time they change modes of transportation, they'll have to unpack the container and transfer it to another sized container. How much carbon emission are we talking about to build up this new concept? Also start educating consumers that next day delivery comes at a premium, all this immediate gratification needs to be stopped.

May be they should visit Amazons sorting facilities first or better yet LET the private sector handle this they will probably do it at half the cost with NO brown envelops.

This is a good idea and it will help, just keep the bureaucrats out of it.

The maglev will pull demand away from the Tokaido Shinkansen, creating capacity on it. They should build three freight terminals, Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo/Yokohama on branches off it, preferably near existing distribution centers, which are likely to be near the Tomei expressway.

The shinkansen is a closed system with no level crossings. It means it is very safe and you can run it overnight without noise complaints. Aerodynamics issues from boxy freight can be solved by running the trains slower. The shinkansen is wide gauge and has straight track that does not follow contours. Most countries couldn't build something this ideal due to nimbys.

Or they could just run freight trains and freight shinkansen on Japan's world class rail networks and save a zillion yen. There may eventually be limits to the amount of cash Japan can spend on maglevs and the like, as tax revenues and the global economy declines.

It won't happen in London as there is no cash for major infrastructure any more. Hence HS2 got cut back.

Or how about we stop buying so much crap?

Some commenters are proposing using the Shinkansen lines, but while I’m not an experts I think there are some problems with that.

1) The period during which trains aren’t running isn’t necessarily down time for the tracks - its when maintenance work is carried out.

2) The Shinkansen is overkill, you don’t need most cargo to travel at 300kmph from Tokyo to Osaka. Shinkansens are, I believe, much more expensive to operate than a freight train, so its probably not economically viable.

3) The Shinkansen stations are all in the middle of downtowns where it’ll be impossible to create the infrastructure needed for large numbers of local delivery vehicles to pick up significant volumes of cargo.

I’m not sure if this proposal is the best option compared to others (like using existing freight trains more), but the shinkansen line just isn’t an option.

One question? How much additional energy will it consume running parallel to railroads, how many more power stations??? maybe another photoshop pie in the sky?

As many have pointed out, there is already a well established rail system. This suggestion is a stupid idea by government workers who have no business sense whatsoever. Instead of trying to create work for an already overloaded civil service, how about saving money by pruning it, and getting rid of the upper management deadwood who come up with "bright" ideas like this.

This is containerized transport. It will use special depots. Regular Shinkansen stations are out of the question. You would build branch lines off the existing line to special depots with special loading gear that are essentially big truck parks with warehouses, like the ones at existing regional distribution centers near certain expressway stops. The rolling stock for any container freight shinkansen would also be special and not use passenger rolling stock.

You would build what I have described because it is still way cheaper than building a 400 km conveyor belt in an extremely mountainous country, that will still require depots and trucks at each end.

If they are going ahead with it, the maglev will steal tons of passengers away from the Tokaido shinkansen. It won't go through Yokohama, which limits the damage, but there will be a huge fall in Nagoya-Tokyo demand.　Extend the maglev to Osaka as planned and it gets much worse.

I've read the report from the ministry of transport website.

They considered to build container rails between big cities, but decided the cost is way too prohibitive and Shizuoka will be against it as well.

So, they decided to only automate the inner city transport. Long-haul will still be done by truck drivers, but now they will stop at the outskirts of cities and load up their cargo onto the inner-city cargo rail, which then will be automatically transported to various hubs in the city.

The logic is to reduce traffic in the inner city, hopefully reducing work hours for long-haul drivers because they don't have to come into the city anymore. Less traffic jam, less CO2.

I think it's a win-win project.

By the time this will be implemented it will be no longer necessary as the depopulation will have shrunk demand for it.

second, will be some pile up in case of the inevitable earthquake (s).

It won't get off the drawing board. Too expensive. Too complicated. Too many engineering and civil problems to overcome.

Nice idea in theory, and I guess it is working like our internet data packages are transferred through the wires, but anyway, it probably will often fail or be interrupted due to technical issues or earthquakes, heavy rain or even thefts, attacks , energy supply problems and all such. It's very obvious, if there is not enough staff for conventional deliveries, there's also not enough staff for implementing, operating, securing and maintaining such a futuristic conveyor belt system.

It obviously Japan highway are narrow,most freight in the US is move by train