New bullet train model \'supreme\' hits record speed of 360 km/hr in test run

New bullet train model 'supreme' hits record speed of 360 km/hr in test run

The N700s, the suffix stands for 'supreme', is the first new model of bullet train on Japan's busiest line for almost a decade.

Gearoid Reidy | Reuters 

Bullet train
Representative Image

A new model of set to enter service ahead of the hit a record speed of 360 kilometers (224 miles) per hour in a test run, operator said.

The train is lighter and uses less energy than current designs, as well as boasting additional safety features in case of earthquakes.

The record was achieved late Friday on tracks linking and Kyoto, said Central Railway Co., better known as

It’s the fastest speed a commercial model of has ever achieved, although the train is expected to run at the line’s current top speed of 285 kph when it enters service.

is spending 240 billion yen ($2.2 billion) on the introduction of the train series, and will continue tests at the top speed until mid June.

Japan’s bullet trains, which debuted the same year as the 1964 Olympics, are famed for their reliability and safety. is pitching the trains for export, with JR Central aiming to sell the Supreme model to and

Another JR company, East Railway Co., is currently testing the Alfa-X, which will operate at 360 kph when it’s introduced in 2030 on lines linking to the northern island of

First Published: Sat, May 25 2019. 11:36 IST