L0 Series Shinkansen

L0 Series Shinkansen
The set in July 2023
Technical specifications
Manufacturer(s)	Hitachi, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nippon Sharyo
Designer(s)	Motoaki Terai (L0-950)
Type of locomotive	Maglev
Family name	SCMaglev
Constructed	2011 – 2012, 2020
Number built	14 cars (pre-production)
Dimensions	28,000 mm × 2,900 mm × 3,100 mm
Gauge	Proprietary
Power supply	Induction (wireless power transfer) (L0-950)
Electric system(s)	33 kV AC
Service information
In service	Unknown (various estimates into service given)
Formation	16 cars per set (full production)
Number in service	7 cars (under testing)
Fleet numbers	None
Preservation information
Preserved	N/A
Number scrapped	N/A

The L0 Series Shinkansen is a high-speed maglev trainset slated to be operated by the Central Japan Railway Company in the near future.

History

The first details of the L0 Series were revealed on 26 October 2010.

The first L0 Series vehicle was unveiled in November 2012 at the Yamanashi Maglev Test Line. The first test running of the L0 Series began in June 2013 on the test line as a 5-car set, with the set later being lengthened to a 7-car set in September 2013, and then a 12-car set on 25 June 2014; this was later reverted back to a 7-car set later that year and the set was used for public preview runs starting in November. During the tests, the maximum speed of the test runs was gradually increased until it hit 500 km/h (311 mph) by July 2013.

During testing on the 42.8 km (26.6 mi) track, the train set various speed and distance records. Mitsubishi stopped production of the L0 Series in 2017 due to disagreements plus the increasing costs of Mitsubishi's SpaceJet program; production of the cars was subsequently handed to Hitachi. An improved L0 Series set, designated the L0-950 Series, was introduced in 2020 and is currently undergoing testing. The two L0-950 Series cars are connected to five existing L0-900 Series cars. More L0-950 Series cars are expected to be built in the future to replace the older cars. Chief designer Motoaki Terai has stated that the L0-950 Series cars represent about 80 to 90% of the design goals expected to be seen on the full-production train. It is not currently known when the L0 Series Shinkansen will enter service, with entrance into service continually pushed back due to various issues relating to the construction of the line; an initial estimate was for 2026 or 2027 although more recent estimates project an estimate of 2034.

JR Central has expressed interest in the export of the L0 Series sets, although talks have since stalled.

Specifications

The end cars are 28 meters (92 ft) long, with the nose extending 15 meters (49 ft) for better aerodynamics. The intermediate cars are 24.3 meters (80 ft) long; all cars of the train have a boxier profile to allow for additional interior space. Due to the train's aerodynamics and its use of maglev technology, it has a very high top speed; services on the Chūō Shinkansen are planned to be run at 505 km/h (315 mph). The early L0-900 Series cars feature a gas turbine as an auxiliary power source, while the L0-950 Series ditch the gas turbine for inductive current collection.

Variations

Cab variations

7-car L0-900 Series set under testing; the black soot is due to flue gas deposits from the train's gas turbine

Land speed record for railed vehicles

On 16 April 2015, the 7-car L0 Series set a world speed record for manned railed vehicles by hitting a speed of 590 km/h (367 mph) and sustained that speed for 19 seconds, breaking the previous record of 581 km/h (361 mph) as set by the MLX01 experimental maglev set in December 2003. The L0 Series set would break this record five days later on 21 April 2015, by hitting 603 km/h (375 mph), a record which still stands. The train hit its top speed of 603 km/h about four minutes into a public preview run, with 49 JR Central employees on board the train. The L0 Series set sustained this speed for 10.8 seconds and traveled 1.8 km (1.1 mi) during that time.

References

• Wikipedia.org
• Brochure