The Bullet Train:

The Shinkansen (Japanese: 新幹線), known as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. The bullet trains are streamlined and designed to operate over the new rail lines developed by civil/transportation engineers. Over the Shinkansen’s 50-plus-year history, it has carried over 10 billion passengers.

The prominent feature of the bullet train is how quickly it can travel, and it was this speed that revolutionized rail travel and shortened the time it takes to get from some cities to others. This high speed travel is not possible everywhere…for example on suburban train lines where there are frequent stops.

While the rails impact the speed, the bullet train needed to be as aerodynamic as possible and have surfaces which would not create unnecessary friction. Just as airplanes are often tested in wind tunnels to make sure the design does not slow down the plane in flight, the bullet train was designed to make sure that at higher speeds, the wind would not restrict speed.

And, bullet trains are up to sixteen cars long. With each car measuring 25 m (82 ft) in length, the longest trains are 400 m (1/4 mile) end to end. Unlike conventional trains that use wheels, the Shinkansen train uses superconducting magnetic levitation (maglev) to achieve these incredible speeds. As the train leaves the station, it rolls on wheels, but when it reaches higher speeds, the wheels retract, and the power of magnets allows the vehicle to hover four inches above the ground and propel the train forward.

How fast do they go? In 1964, Shinkansen started at speeds of 210 kmph. In 1973, West Germany’s TR04 Maglev broke that record at 250 kmph. 1975 saw West Germany’s Komet Maglev achieve 401 kmph, with an acceleration boost driven by steam rockets.  In 1979, Japan’s ML-500R Maglev sped along at 504 kmph. And, in 2015, the Japanese LO Maglev hit a record 603 kmph. Likely this record will be broken as well!

Find out more:

• How MagLev Trains Work (US Department of Energy)

Transportation Engineers work primarily in the transportation industry, working on automotive, aerospace, rail and subway system – anywhere people or materials need to be moved. These professionals are also employed by

governments looking to improve their transportation systems and research and development firms who seek to improve current vehicle technologies.

The following is just a sample of some companies, in addition to government agencies, which employ vehicle engineers (note that aerospace engineers are described separately):

• Alstom
• CRRC
• Fiat Chrysler
• Ford
• General Motors
• Honda Motor Group
• Hyundai Motor
• Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance
• Siemens
• TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company
• Toyota
• Volkswagen Group
• Wabtec Corp.
• Yutong

For most engineering careers:

• a bachelor’s degree is required
• a master’s degree may be recommended for those specializing or interested in management
• students may also start with a related associate degree and then move on to a bachelor’s when they have settled on a degree path.

  

• many students are required to participate in a co-op program while at university to gain real world experience in their chosen field.
• education doesn’t really stop…engineers need to stay current as technology changes and materials and processes improve over time.
• many professional societies offer certificates and coursework to support continuing education for their members.

At the undergraduate level, some people working in this area earn an undergraduate degree in mechanical, computer, software, or electrical engineering, and then specialize in the vehicle area with a Master’s degree in automotive or vehicle engineering. It varies in different countries. There are also undergraduate degrees in automotive and vehicle engineering. These degrees would cover basic topics such as the operating principles of the mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and electronic systems of automobiles, and specialty coursework on topics such as self-driving car controls, hybrid electric vehicles, battery systems, and microprocessor control systems.

It is important to select an engineering degree that has been accredited to meet basic standards.  Find out more and browse TryEngineering’s global database of accredited engineering and computing programs.