Singapore’s public transport operator for the rail system, may want to take a leaf out of Japan’s book on how to improve train arrival times. ‘Super Japan: On-time Metro’, gives an inside look on how trains are run in Tokyo. The video by Discovery Channel Asia is available on YouTube. At the start of the video, a driver is seen being timed while driving from one station to the next. The time taken to reach each station is calculated down to seconds.
Realising that drivers may become complacent, the operator requires that drivers go to a simulation centre after six months to train their reaction to different scenarios. The simulators capture the exact movements and vibration of a real train. Besides strict requirements on its train drivers, the operator also conscientiously maintains the tracks and trains, down to details such as levelling the pebbles under the track.
The movement of trains may cause some of the gravel to dislodge, disrupting the form of the track. A machine is used to rearrange these pebbles so that the structural integrity of the tracks is not compromised.
Every four years, the body of the train is also lifted from the wheels so that the wheels can be taken apart and washed. These parts are then taken further apart to be inspected and polished by hand. “Each piece is hand-polished, the ultimate proof that hard technology relies on a human touch,” the show’s host said. This video is third in a series of documentaries titled ‘Super Japan’, which explores Japan’s transformation from an ancient culture to a global powerhouse. Watch the video above.
(Article: Insing.com | Video: Discovery Channel Asia)
The movement of trains may cause some of the gravel to dislodge, disrupting the form of the track. A machine is used to rearrange these pebbles so that the structural integrity of the tracks is not compromised.
Every four years, the body of the train is also lifted from the wheels so that the wheels can be taken apart and washed. These parts are then taken further apart to be inspected and polished by hand. “Each piece is hand-polished, the ultimate proof that hard technology relies on a human touch,” the show’s host said. This video is third in a series of documentaries titled ‘Super Japan’, which explores Japan’s transformation from an ancient culture to a global powerhouse. Watch the video above.
(Article: Insing.com | Video: Discovery Channel Asia)
