New Japanese bullet train in service

The fastest train in the world went into service Sunday in Tokyo. The train can reach speeds of 167 mph on curves and 186 mph on straight-aways. It promises a smooth ride and is easy on the environment.

Although manufacturers argue about who has the world's fastest train, the N700 may be the fastest train in service in Japan.

JR officials are touting the Type N700 as the fastest bullet train ever.

However, China's Maglev is supposed to go 267 mph. And France's TGV goes about 357 mph. Anyway, the N700 is a fast train. I'm not sure I want to 167 mph around a curve in anything. The limited speed of the N700 may be necessitated by the rails in Japan. So maybe in theory, the N700 is “the fastest bullet train ever.” The ceremony for the first official ride in the N700 took place at 6 a.m. Sunday with 1,300 passengers. The new train saves 5 to 10 minutes on travel time compared with older models depending on the travel distance. Who has enough motivation to get up for a 6 a.m. train ride on a Sunday? It's not like they got a free iPhone with the ride. The N700 is supposed to be very comfortable and use less electricity than previous models.

The substantial reduction in power consumpion and CO2 emissions," a statement said, "contributes significantly to the effort to counter global warming.

So when you ride the N700, you can be confident you are doing your part to curb global warming. Now, Japan has even faster trains than the U.S. and faster Internet. You better tell Congress. Comfortable and eco-friendly Fast French TGV N700 testing N700 background N700 on Wikipedia JR news release China's train