East Japan Railway Co. to Introduce Driverless Operation on Joetsu Shinkansen Line
East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) has announced plans to introduce an automatic transportation system on a section of the Joetsu Shinkansen Line in fiscal 2028. This system will automatically control bullet trains from start to stop. The company aims to achieve driverless operation on the entire line between Tokyo and Niigata by the mid-2030s.
The automatic system will initially be used on a 61-kilometer stretch between Nagaoka Station and the Niigata Shinkansen Rolling Stock Center, both in Niigata Prefecture. JR East will operate both commercial trains and out-of-service detour trains sent to the rail yard based on the automatic train operation (ATO) system, which is already used on some subway systems.
In fiscal 2029, JR East also plans to operate detour bullet trains without an onboard driver on a 5-kilometer section between Niigata Station and the rolling stock center. These trains will be equipped with a system that automatically stops them when abnormal vibrations are detected during operation.
JR East hopes to introduce driverless operations on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line and the Tohoku Shinkansen Line in the future. Central Japan Railway Co. is also aiming to introduce automatic operations on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line around 2028.