Getting on track: High speed railways in Japan and the UK

Since the shinkansen services started in 1964, Japan has been seen as being the leading country in the provision of high speed inter-city railway services. Britain, on the other hand, it is generally felt, has gone through a period of steady decline, with the steam locomotive Mallard’s speed record standing for much of the post-war period, and still being one of the highest speeds recorded in the country. At the start of a new century, as the demands of an ever faster world, which continues to at the same time become increasingly concerned about energy consumption and environmental pollution, it seems appropriate to analyse what the real state of high-speed railways are in these two countries. The word ‘real’ is of particular significance. For the focus of much of my research on the shinkansen is on the symbolism of it and the fact that little is actually known about the facts surrounding its development – both in terms of the routes chosen and the technological developments. Although Japanologists are aware that certain routes and stations were chosen as much due to the power of specific politicians rather than for economic reasons, this is not widely known outside Japan. Indeed, stories about the shinkansen in the UK are often as misinformed as other stories on Japan, though what is significant is that the stories tend to paint an overly positive picture. The shinkansen has become the Holy Grail of high-speed railways. If a true analysis and comparison is to be done, it is essential that such misinformation is got away with. The common perception is that the UK has much to learn from the shinkansen and little to offer in return. How different things are since Britain introduced the first railways to Japan in the nineteenth century. However, as unlikely as it seems in the light of recent train disasters and other problems within the British rail industry, perhaps there are still things that Japan could learn from Britain. This paper will aim to address these various points – specifically to give information about the real state of the shinkansen and to suggest what can be learnt by both countries