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Japanese railway company JR East recently contracted Knorr-Bremse to supply braking components for 23 new E5 Shinkansen high-speed trains.

JR East is working to extend the Tohoku line between Tokyo and Hachinohe further north to Aomori. To be competitive with air travel, trains will need to make the trip in three hours. So, JR East is looking to increase its top speed on the line from 170 mph to 198 mph. The higher speeds mean the braking system must have “substantially higher performance capabilities,” according to Knorr-Bremse.

Eight years ago, JR East began studying and testing new bogie equipment for an initial series of trains that would run at speeds higher than 186 mph. To meet those requirements, Knorr-Bremse developed an ultra-compact, lightweight type of brake caliper based on a modular design.