A bullet train is a term used to describe a high-speed passenger rail train. Originating in Japan, the bullet train is so named because of its sleek, aerodynamic appearance and its speed. However, the actual Japanese word for the bullet train rail service is Shinkansen, which, when literally translated into English, means “new trunk lines.”

Public transportation is an important element of Japanese society, as the topography of the island nation limits the amount of available and usable space for roads. For many Japanese, mass transportation is their main means of transportation. In light of this fact, the bullet train was conceived as a high-speed railway that would reduce the travel time between Japan’s large cities.

The bullet train achieves its high speed through the use of an aerodynamic shape and technology designed to fully maximize the power of the train. The railroad tracks for the Shinkansen were developed specifically for high-speed rail service. Conventional trains do not run on the Shinkansen lines and bullet trains do not run on conventional tracks. This allows the bullet trains to run at consistently high speeds, without having to reduce their operating speeds for slower trains on the tracks.

The tracks are not designed to go around hills or mountains. Rather, a system of tunnels and viaducts allow the trains to go through any obstruction, which helps the Shinkansen maintain its high speeds. There are no railroad crossings on the Shinkansen, no changes of the right-of-way and limited stops on the train route.

The Shinkansen began service in Japan in late 1964, connecting the cities of Tokyo and Osaka. The original trains traveled at approximately 125 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour.) This allowed the 320 mile (550 kilometer) distance between Tokyo and Osaka to be traveled in about three hours.

Today the Shinkansen consists of eight lines of service throughout most of Japan. The Japanese bullet train today can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour) and make the journey between Tokyo and Osaka in approximately two and one half hours. Since the Shinkansen began operation in 1964, over six billion passengers have traveled on the railway and there have been no major accidents.

The success of the Shinkansen in Japan encouraged other nations to develop their own high-speed rail programs. High-speed rail is now a fixture of mass transportation in many European and Asian nations. Two of the more notable high-speed rail services are in France and Spain.

The French Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) line is widely considered to be the most extensive high-speed rail system in Europe. The TGV began service in 1981 between the cities of Paris and Lyon. By 2007, the TGV line encompassed over 200 destinations throughout France and in neighboring countries such as Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg. It is estimated that as of 2009, the TGV has carried in excess of 1.3 billion passengers since service began in 1981.

Spain’s bullet train service, known as the Alta Velocidad Española, or AVE, began service in 1992, between the cities of Seville and Madrid. It has now expanded north to the city of Barcelona and south of Seville to the city of Malaga. Spain is planning future expansion of the AVE line and this expansion of the AVE would ultimately create a larger network than the French TGV line.

Other nations with high-speed rail include the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Portugal Taiwan and South Korea. China began development of its own bullet train program in the late 1990s and early 2000s. High-speed service began in Shanghai in 2004 and in 2008 service between Beijing and Tianjin was inaugurated. China is now embarking on an ambitious expansion program to provide high-speed service throughout the nation.