Tokyo-Osaka bullet train services halted for hours after power failure

'bullet train'? That word went out in the 80's. Someone in Kyodo is using an old English-Japanese dictionary.

Don't you mean 'Shinkansen' or express train or high-speed train?

Blimey! We travelled back from Nagoya to Shin Osaka a couple of weeks back, lucky didn’t happen then, I would have been well cross.

Yeah, opening the doors in 35 degree heat. That’ll cool everyone down!

0:15 p.m. ?

3 hours only... Not the end of the world.

Still, I believe Japan's energy facilities maintenance is not on par with what it should be. Japan has not developed any new energy policy to develop its electrical grid, with no sign of improvements over the years (more nuclear or green energy instead o coal, burying of electrical lines, no development of geothermal energy...)

Newgirlintown

Yeah, opening the doors in 35 degree heat. That’ll cool everyone down!

Yeah, to enable some ventilation so the passengers don't cook inside a closed metal car over three hours. Hope you're not a dog owner...

To protect passengers aboard bullet trains from the heat, the operator handed out water and opened doors for ventilation. It is also investigating the cause of the power outage that occurred between Shizuoka and Kakegawa stations in central Japan.

You have got to be kidding me!! Not surprised, went to the dental clinic the other day, it was about 34 degrees outside, they had the the AC on 29 degrees and all the windows opened, and the staff had the audacity to tell me I looked really hot! All that hot air coming in a hot dental clinic is just not fun! I just don’t get the logic behind it….

USNinJapan2

So, what happens is, all the cool air conditioned air goes outside and all the heat from outside comes in. It’s not rocket science.

Newgirlintown

Alright then. Go sit in your car or even your home at noon tomorrow, shut off the A/C, and stay inside with the windows closed for even an hour and tell us how that works out for you. Really, it isn't rocket science.

Shinkansen trains do not have windows that open. People would have died if the doors had not been opened.

If there is no power there is nothing, no lights, no ac, no announcements. Zilch.

Shinkansen trains do not have windows that open. People would have died if the doors had not been opened.

If there is no power there is nothing, no lights, no ac, no announcements. Zilch.

We get it, but it’s not making the car or the occupants cooler by opening up the doors, and they’re still suffering.

We get it, but it’s not making the car or the occupants cooler by opening up the doors, and they’re still suffering.

No one died or was taken to hospital with heatstroke.

We get it, but it’s not making the car or the occupants cooler by opening up the doors, and they’re still suffering.

Over three hours the temperature inside the train would have come much higher than the external temperature so by opening the doors the temperature was reduced and the suffering of the passengers lowered.

USNinJapan2

Go sit in your car or even your home at noon tomorrow, shut off the A/C, and stay inside with the windows closed for even an hour.

Ah, ah, ah. Shutting off the aircon wasn’t what I said. Get your facts right Sonny Jim!

Newgirlintown

Ah, ah, ah. Shutting off the aircon wasn’t what I said. Get your facts right Sonny Jim!

So you're under the impression that the A/C or even ventilation inside the train continued to run during the POWER outage? If so it's by far the most ludicrous thing I've read on this site today. By all means, keep digging though...

I could be wrong, but I think shinkansens have backup systems by which they could run, for example, air conditioning and lighting. Temporarily, at least.

The N700S has a first-of-its-kind battery power backup for use in emergencies.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a33372664/japan-new-bullet-train-shinkansen-earthquakes/

Hawk

I could be wrong, but I think shinkansens have backup systems by which they could run, for example, air conditioning and lighting. Temporarily, at least.

The N700S does, but it's for moving the train a minimum distance at up to 30 km/h out of dangerous situations, like tunnels and bridges, to offload passengers during a disaster. Under battery power there's only emergency lighting and non-critical systems, like A/C, our not available.

I’m guessing it was from 12.15pm for about 3 hours? I’ve never heard of 0:15pm & if it was from 0:15 then it’d have effect way more trains.

USNinJapan2,

I appreciate it. You'd think that if that system wasn't required to actually propel the train (if it were stranded but not in a tunnel or on a bridge) then they could divert the power to heating or cooling the cars. Although, you never know when you will need it for propulsion, and it wouldn't do to have burned all your backup power on A/C.

Anyway, what I know about train engineering wouldn't fill the back of a tiny postage stamp so what the hell would I know?