The Shinkansen, or better known as the bullet train, began operating in Japan in 1964. Starting at a speed of 201 km/h, the latest version of the Shinkansen, the Hayabusa, can operate at speeds of 320 km/h. From the beginning, the main purpose of the Shinkansen was to carry human passengers. But with the issue of a shortage of truck drivers becoming increasingly serious in Japan, a Shinkansen that carries only cargo was finally shown last Friday.
This Shinkansen line, operated by JR East, connects Morioka, in Iwate prefecture, with Tokyo. All passenger seats in the Shinkansen carriages have been removed and replaced with rails to place cargo. It consists of two powered carriages and up to seven carriages that carry cargo. This fully cargo Shinkansen service will begin operations on March 23 with one trip made every day.
The shortage of truck drivers is due to old age and a lack of backup drivers, so creative solutions need to be found immediately. Among the proposals is the construction of a 500 km Autoflow-Road conveyor belt network that could replace the work of 25,000 human drivers.
Japan had around 660,000 delivery drivers in 2020 but this will decrease to 480,000 by 2030. Unlike other countries, Japan does not want to use foreign workers to meet the labor needs of local industries.
