India The dream of running Bullet Train is going to come true soon. The country’s first high-speed train project is being built between Mumbai-Ahmedabad. The first part of this project is likely to start in 2026. Japan’s Shinkansen E-5 series bullet train will run on it, whose nose (front part of the train) is 15 meters long. This nose is the specialty of Bullet Train. The journey of these trains which run at a speed of 320 km per hour is considered to be the safest. Bullet train is a gift of modern engineering of which every Japanese is proud. But there was a time when it was believed that they might have to be closed down. But a bird King Fisher gave them new life.
The 515 km long Tokaido Shinkansen is the world’s busiest high-speed rail line, carrying 4.9 billion passengers since its opening in 1964 (for the Tokyo Olympics) as of 2010. Most people in Japan travel by train. According to an estimate, 64 million people travel by trains here every day. This is the highest number compared to any other country in the world.
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used to make a lot of noise
Initially there was a problem in the design of these trains. When the train came out of the tunnel, it made so much noise that it was difficult for people to tolerate it. It was not easy for the people living close to where this train passed to tolerate its noise. Soon the reason for so much noise was discovered. When the train comes out of the tunnel, it pushes the air forward due to the closed space. This creates air pressure. The train comes out of the tunnel like a bullet from a gun. Due to this, noise of more than 70 decibels is generated and it affects people living within a distance of 400 meters in all directions.
Inspired by Kingfisher
The reason for the noise was found, but now the problem was how to find a solution to it. The engineers were faced with the challenge of redesigning the shape of the train so that noise could be reduced. Eiji Nakatsu, general manager and engineer of the Technical Development Department of Japanese Railways, was inspired to look for answers in nature. Nakatsu remembered the kingfisher from his bird-watching experiences. Kingfisher is a bird that dives into the water to hunt its prey with such speed that barely a speck falls out. He speculated that the shape of its beak was what allowed the bird to cut through the water so cleanly. The design of its beak proved to be a boon for Japanese engineers. Its beak is narrow at the front and wide at the back.
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the attempt was successful
This effort of Japanese engineers was successful. Eiji Nakatsu designed the front part of the bullet train like the beak of a kingfisher. This not only succeeded in reducing noise but also reduced fuel consumption in the train. After changing the design, the train could now run at a speed of 320 km per hour and was also successful in meeting the stringent noise standards set by the government. After this Nakatsu became convinced that nature had a lot to teach.
Tender for 24 bullet trains
NHSRCL, the agency working on the first bullet train project in India, had floated a tender last year for the purchase of 24 5 series Shinkansen trainsets at a cost of about Rs 11,000 crore. NHSRCL issued Invitation for Proposal (IFP) for procurement. Under this, interested companies had to submit their bids by the end of October 2013. Each Shinkansen train set will have 10 coaches, which can seat 690 passengers. Let us tell you that the cost of this ambitious bullet train project of the country is likely to be Rs 1.16 lakh crore. It is expected that by 2026, the bullet train may start operating in the first phase between Surat and Bilimora in South Gujarat. This project was started in September 2017.
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Tag: Bullet Train, bullet train project, Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train, Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project
first published : April 8, 2024, 10:57 IST
