Passengers transported by the Shinkansen systems were as many as 245 million a year (in 2003). It is literally a trunk line of Japan that transports about twice the population of the country. The challenge still continues to achieve 300 km/h commercial operations.

The Shinkansen runs at speeds as high as 270 km/h. What makes it possible to smoothly walk down the isle of the Shinkansen running at the speed of a Formula One machine is the semi-active suspension system. To ensure ride comfort and stability, it dampens the roll of the train on curves, from the wind pressure in passing with opposing trains, or when entering a tunnel.

Drinks will not spill from cups, walking down the isle is easy, read newspapers and magazines in comfort, and so on…. All these things are made possible by the performance of this system. It maintains ride comfort by freely controlling the dampers and by reacting softly to the roll transmitted from the bogie trucks and reacting strongly to the roll of the body due to wind pressure. A feature of the system is that no separate power source is required to activate this system; the energy of the vibration transmitted to the semi-active dampers is used.

The new Shinkansen trains currently under development will use the Advanced Semi-active Suspension System in all cars.