NAGOYA – Trains on Japan’s new high-speed maglev line to run between Tokyo and Nagoya will offer only non-reclining seats to maximize passenger leg and luggage space, Central Japan Railway Co. officials said recently.
The train operator decided that seat backs fixed at 15 degrees would not compromise passenger comfort as the 40-minute travel time on the under-construction Linear Chuo Shinkansen line, to link Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station and Nagoya Station in central Japan, will be less than half what it takes existing bullet trains to make the journey.
Using superconducting magnetic levitation technology, the new trains will travel at up to 500 kilometers per hour.
Non-reclining seats have been installed on the M10, a new test car for the maglev train, the exterior of which was unveiled to the media in July. The commercial maglev train will be modeled after this prototype, with specifications to be finalized after further refinements.
All previous prototype models had reclining seats.
Seats that do not recline are simpler to build and thinner, providing more room for passengers to keep suitcases and other large baggage at their feet, the officials said.
The seat cushion will be softer than those on the existing Tokaido Shinkansen trains so that passengers’ weight will be evenly distributed.
JR Central announced last year it has given up on its plan to launch the Tokyo-Nagoya leg of the high-speed rail line in 2027, amid long-running construction dispute over a section along the route, pushing back the schedule possibly to 2034 or later. The line is to be eventually extended to Osaka in western Japan.
AloJapan.com