L0 Series

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L0 Series
A test run of a five-car set
A test run of a five-car set, September 2013
Manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nippon Sharyo
Number under construction 14 cars
Formation 5-12 cars
Operator(s) JR Central
Line(s) served Chūō Shinkansen
Specifications
Maximum speed Operational: 505 km/h (315 mph) Record: 603 km/h (375 mph)

The L0 Series (Japanese: L0系 Hepburn: Eru-zero-kei?, "L zero series")[1] is a high-speed maglev train that the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) is developing and testing. JR Central plans to use the L0 Series on the Chūō Shinkansen railway line between Tokyo and Osaka, which is under construction.

The L0 Series uses the Japanese-designed SCMaglev system. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Sharyo, a subsidiary of JR Central, are building fourteen pre-production vehicles.[2]

A seven-car train set a land speed record for rail vehicles of 603 km/h (375 mph) on 21 April 2015.[3] The trains are planned to run at a maximum speed of 505 km/h (314 mph),[4] offering journey times of 40 minutes between Tokyo (Shinagawa Station) and Nagoya, and 1 hour 7 minutes between Tokyo and Osaka.[5]

Specifications

The end cars of L0 Series trainsets are 28 metres (92 ft) long and carry 24 passengers. The nose extends 15 metres (49 ft) for better aerodynamics and reduced noise in tunnels.[5] Intermediate cars are 24.3 metres (80 ft) long and carry 68 passengers each. Each row is four seats wide, one less than JR Central shinkansen trains. The cars are more box-shaped than earlier models to allow for more interior space.[6] Cars are painted white and blue. During normal operation, the train is expected to operate at a maximum speed of 505 km/h (314 mph).[5]

History

A seven-car trainset undergoing test-running in August 2014

The first L0 series vehicle was delivered to the Yamanashi Maglev Test Line and unveiled to the press in November 2012.[7] The first five vehicles were linked up and placed on the guideway in June 2013.[6]

The first five-car train began test-running at the 42.8 km (26.6 mi) Yamanashi Maglev Test Line in June 2013, following completion of extension and upgrade work at the facility, earlier than the originally scheduled September date.[8] The maximum speed of test runs was gradually increased, reaching 500 km/h by the end of July 2013.[8]

The five-car train was lengthened to seven cars in September 2013, and test-running as a 12-car formation commenced on 25 June 2014.[9] The train was reverted to a 7-car formation later in 2014,[9] and used for public preview rides starting in November.[10]

Construction on the Chuo Shinkansen line on which the train is intended to run began in December 2014. The first section to Nagoya is expected to be completed in 2027. That section will be approximately 85% tunnels with an estimated cost of 5.5 trillion yen (US$46.5B).[11][12] The complete line to Osaka is expected to cost 9 trillion yen ($74.7 billion) and be completed by 2045. In order to help finance the project, JR Central is seeking to sell L0 series trains to foreign countries. The company is lobbying local officials in the United States to build a line between Houston and Dallas. Another possible route from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore has received political support in the United States. JR Central chairman Yoshiyuki Kasai plans to speak with U.S. President Barack Obama about the L0 Series during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's 28 April 2015 visit.[needs update][13]

A series of endurance and speed tests were carried out on the 42.8 km (26.6 mi) test rail in April 2015 to examine the reliability and durability of the L0 after repeated high speed usage. Several speed and distance records were set in the process.[14]

Records

Speed records

  • 16 April 2015: Fastest manned train in the world (590 km/h (370 mph))
  • 21 April 2015: Fastest manned train in the world (603 km/h (375 mph))

On 16 April 2015, a manned seven-car L0 series trainset reached a speed of 590 km/h (370 mph), breaking the previous world record of 581 km/h (361 mph) set by a Japanese MLX01 maglev trainset in December 2003. The speed of 590 km/h was sustained for a period of 19 seconds.[15] This speed record was broken again on 21 April 2015, when a manned seven-car set recorded a top speed of 603 km/h (375 mph).[3] The train hit its top speed at 10:48 am, about 4 minutes into the run. With 49 JR Central employees on board, the train sustained the speed for 10.8 seconds, travelling 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) during that time.[3][13]

Distance records

  • 10 April 2015: Longest distance travelled in one day (3,904 km (2,426 mi)), breaking the previous record (2,876 km (1,787 mi)) set in 2003.
  • 14 April 2015: Longest distance travelled in one day (4,064 km (2,525 mi))[11][16]

See also

References

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  6. 6.0 6.1 "Prototype of high-speed maglev train shown to public". Asahi Shimbun, 2013-06-03.
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External links