NAGOYA - Central Japan Railway Co. on Monday began commercial service of its new bullet inspection train "Dr. S," used to check tracks and overhead lines while carrying passengers on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line.
The train, which will replace one of the iconic "Doctor Yellow" trains retired in January last year, currently runs in regular passenger service but will begin using inspection equipment in January 2027 following testing. Four trainsets will be deployed -- two each for rail and overhead-line inspections.
According to JR Central, the logo features a yellow "S" to symbolize its role as Doctor Yellow's successor, with the letter appearing in 20 locations on the train's end and odd-numbered cars. Aluminum used in Doctor Yellow's body was recycled for the roof and other parts of the train.
Previously, lasers positioned beneath the floor were used as a reference to measure the distance to the rails, making the trains unsuitable for passenger service as the floor needed to be raised and the cabin ceiling lowered.
Dr. S solves this issue by instead using sensors to measure the distance between its undercarriage and the rails, preserving the interior space.
The new inspection train also detects abnormalities in overhead lines using sensors and cameras installed on current-collecting pantographs.
Images captured by a camera in the driver's cab can be processed using image-processing and artificial intelligence technology to detect trees and bird nests near utility poles and wires.
