2018 Tohoku Shinkansen Train

Are driverless trains the future of transport?

Japan is famous for its fast and efficient trains but could they run without human drivers?

Tests are about to start using automated trains on one of Tokyo’s busiest urban lines.

And there are also plans to remove human drivers from the cabs of some of the famous shinkansen bullet trains.

In this week’s Japan Story blog, I explain what lies behind the plans and why – despite inevitable staff cuts – they almost certainly won’t provoke a strike.


Japan Story’s blog is written by former BBC Tokyo Correspondent Duncan Bartlett. Each week he analyses how Japan’s story is being told to the world through the international media.