26 Hitachi Review Vol. 65 (2016), No. 5 Featured Articles Traffic Management Systems for Expanding Shinkansen Network with Trouble-free Operation of Mutual Direct Trains Takahiro Sugai OVERVIEW: In this time of global environmental problems and overcrowding Hitoshi Tanabe in cities, the value of railways is being reappraised because of their role as a Shuujirou Tamura means of transportation that can handle large volumes with excellent energy efficiency compared to automobiles or aircraft. The Shinkansen is Japan’s Yoshihiko Tsuchiya flagship high-speed railway, with a network that has been expanded in Masahiko Isogai accordance with plans established by the Nationwide Shinkansen Railways Kenji Ohta Construction and Improvement Act. This has included steady progress on Tetsunari Yamami expanding the network over recent years, with the opening of the extension Makoto Sato of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa in March 2015 and the launch of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in March 2016. These two new Shinkansen services include mutual direct trains, meaning through-train services that operate over more than one railway company jurisdiction. While the operation of these services is more complicated than those that only involve a single company, they still need to ensure that the Shinkansen operates reliably and that passengers can enjoy trouble-free services. To achieve this, the Shinkansen traffic management systems need to support safe and reliable operation by ensuring that services match customer needs. Hitachi has been involved in developments and improvements to the Shinkansen traffic management systems that ensure the trouble-free operation of these mutual direct trains. INTRODUCTION Hokkaido Shinkansen (between RAILWAYS are a means of transportation that can Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and Sapporo) extension planned for FY2030 handle large volumes with excellent energy efficiency Sapporo compared to automobiles or aircraft, making them Hokkaido Shinkansen an important part of the social infrastructure. The (between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto) Shinkansen is Japan’s flagship high-speed railway (commenced operation in March 2016) Shin-Aomori Hachinohe and is known around the world for providing safe and Akita Shinkansen punctual services. The Shinkansen traffic management Hokuriku Shinkansen Akita Morioka systems, meanwhile, play a major role in ensuring this (Nagano to Kanazawa) Yamagata Shinjo (commenced operation in Shinkansen March 2015) safety and punctuality. Joetsu Niigata Tohoku The expansion of the Shinkansen network is being Shinkansen Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen Fukushima undertaken in accordance with plans established by (Kanazawa to Tsuruga) Nagano extension planned for Takasaki the Nationwide Shinkansen Railways Construction FY2022 Kanazawa Omiya and Improvement Act in 1973. This expansion has Tsuruga Tokyo continued into recent years, with the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Nagano and Kanazawa Fig. 1—Expansion of Shinkansen Network. commencing operation in March 2015 and the The expansion of the Shinkansen network brings significant Hokkaido Shinkansen between Shin-Aomori and benefits to industry and other parts of society by shortening Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in March 2016 (see Fig. 1). travel times between regions. - 26 - Hitachi Review Vol. 65 (2016), No. 5 27 These two new services include “mutual direct Support for control center staff trains,” meaning through-train services operated Replan Track diagram jointly by two different railway companies. The opening of the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa includes joint services run by East Japan Temporary Engineering works Railway Company (JR-East) and West Japan Railway speed restriction time management Company (JR-West), and the launch of the Hokkaido 260 km/h 160 km/h Maintenance period Shinkansen to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto includes joint services run by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR- Automatic route Hokkaido) and JR-East. While the operation of mutual setting and direct trains must take account of the borders between passenger railway company jurisdictions, customers should be Passenger information based Route setting information on timetable able to ride on the Shinkansen without having to for XX 1 (schedule) concern themselves with such issues. This article describes the computerized safety, Fig. 2—Main Functions of the Traffic Management System. maintenance and operation systems of Shinkansen In addition to performing automatic control of train movements (COSMOS) and the CYGNUS* traffic management in accordance with the schedule, the system also provides systems used by the Shinkansen that have undergone functions that support the work of control center staff. further development and improvement to satisfy these requirements. functions such as automatic route setting and passenger information that are based on the train schedules, it OVERVIEW OF COSMOS TRAFFIC also supports the work of control center staff who MANAGEMENT SYSTEM need to coordinate traffic in accordance with changing COSMOS provides comprehensive management for operational circumstances when abnormal situations the Tohoku, Joetsu, and Hokuriku Shinkansen lines, arise. Support functions for control center staff include covering everything from operational planning to a track diagram function for presenting information traffic management, rolling stock management, and about actual operation, a replan function that supports engineering works management. It was developed same-day replan work, a temporary speed restriction with the aim of upgrading the Computer Aided Traffic function that sets speed limits based on railway line Control (COMTRAC) system installed when the conditions, and engineering works time management Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen entered service in 1982 that manages the times when the railway line is in to a total system based on a new concept that could use by trains and when it is available for performing deal with the growing volume and changing nature engineering work (see Fig. 2). of traffic, and commenced operation in 1995. The One of the major features of the COSMOS traffic traffic management system in COSMOS serves as a management system is train running prediction, which comprehensive management system for traffic on the forms part of the replan function, and predicts future Shinkansen line and supports safe and reliable train operation based on the train running result (actual operation that can cope with the increased complexity data) and constants such as predefined basic running of Shinkansen operations that has resulted from times (time between stations) and displays the results operational practices that include high-speed, high- on operators consoles in table format. Train running density services with the coupling and decoupling of prediction helps control center staff anticipate future rolling stock, diverse rolling stock configurations, and operational circumstances and assists decision-making track extensions. for same-day replan work. Traffic Management System Autonomous Decentralized System The traffic management system manages train The COSMOS traffic management system is an operation over the course of a day. In addition to autonomous decentralized system in which a traffic management hub located at the control center is linked * A name coined from a combination of letters taken from “traffic control to automatic route setting at each station via a wide- system,” “standard and narrow gauge,” “north of earth,” “united of operation and maintenance,” and “Hokkaido Shinkansen.” area optic fiber network. - 27 - 28 Traffic Management Systems for Expanding Shinkansen Network with Trouble-free Operation of Mutual Direct Trains In addition to control link redundancy and support : JR-East for open networks that include a variety of different : JR-West types of computers, autonomous decentralized systems can also adopt a hierarchical system configuration. Kurobe-Unazukionsen Joetsumyoko Because this feature simplifies the retrofitting of new Itoigawa equipment, it can easily cope with the installation Shin-Takaoka Iiyama Extension planned of station equipment, such as when a new station is Toyama for FY2022 Kanazawa commissioned. Nagano Takasaki Existing track DEVELOPMENT IN PREPARATION FOR Tsuruga OPENING OF THE EXTENSION OF THE HOKURIKU SHINKANSEN TO KANAZAWA Fig. 3—Opening of the Extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Overview of Opening of the Extension of the Kanazawa. Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa The Hokuriku Shinkansen services between Tokyo and The Hokuriku Shinkansen commenced operation Kanazawa that commenced in March 2015 include the between Takasaki and Nagano in October 1997. The operation by JR-East and JR-West of mutual direct trains. The opening of the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen newly opened railway line extends for approximately 240 km and includes seven new stations, with Joetsumyoko Station to Kanazawa added services between Nagano and being the boundary between the two railway companies. The Kanazawa, with direct trains between Tokyo and two stations on the Tokyo-side (Iiyama and Joetsumyoko) are Kanazawa commencing from March 2015. under JR-East jurisdiction and the five on the Kanazawa-side The two main features of the opening of the (Itoigawa, Kurobe-Unazukionsen, Toyama, Shin-Takaoka, and extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa Kanazawa) are under JR-West jurisdiction. are as follows. The first is that it was larger than other new Shinkansen services added in