New Bullet Train Model ‘Supreme’ Hits Record Speed in Test Run

  • Energy-efficient shinkansen hits record speed of 360km/hour
  • First new model in a decade to run on Tokyo-Osaka line in 2020
A N700s Shinkansen bullet train during a test run on June 28, 2018.Photographer: Manabu Takahashi/Getty Images
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A new model of bullet train set to enter service ahead of the Tokyo Olympics hit a record speed of 360 kilometers (224 miles) per hour in a test run, operator JR Central said.

The N700s -- the suffix stands for ‘supreme’ -- is the first new model of bullet train on Japan’s busiest line for almost a decade. The train is lighter and uses less energy than current designs, as well as boasting additional safety features in case of earthquakes.