Highballs All Over

On a glistening 22-mile stretch of railroad south of Tokyo one day last week, Engineer Morio Yamamoto opened his throttle for a test high-speed run on the New Tokaido Line. Almost imperceptibly, Yamamoto's electric locomotive purred into power, skimmed like an arrow past paddyfields and rolling hills. Smiling with satisfaction, a Japanese National Railways executive announced to invited passengers that the train was moving at its programmed speed of 200 kilometers an hour (124 m.p.h.). "Nothing to it at all," beamed Yamamoto.

When it opens full service on the 320-mile run between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964, the New Tokaido will be the world's fastest train. Bullet-shaped locomotives will whip 108 passenger trains daily over twelve miles of bridges, through 40 miles of tunnel and around gentle curves at speeds averaging 105 m.p.h. This is considered too fast for human engineers; computers will control the trains most of the way, with speeds and slowdowns for stops programmed on tape. Running time will be cut to three hours, from 6 1/2 hours on the parallel Old Tokaido Line. The Japanese National Railways expects the New Tokaido's speed, style and comfort to attract 60,000 passengers daily, justify its investment of close to $1 billion.

Music & Manicurists. In a number of countries abroad, where railroading still has not lost the battle with the truck, auto and plane, railroads are rapidly rolling out new super expresses in their determined drive to win passengers on middle-distance runs. The trains often outspeed the planes, counting travel time to and from airports, and they are usually faster, smoother and safer than cars.

Glossiest train now running is Italy's Settebello, which barrels along at 98 m.p.h. between Rome and Milan, has cut the rail trip by two hours to 6 hr. 20 min. It carries only 160 passengers, and they can enjoy piped music, patronize the train's barber, manicurist, telephone, newsstand and shower. Despite a 45% surcharge, the Settebello is often sold out.

West Germany's Rheingold Express also uses spiffiness and speed (100 m.p.h. at times) to lure passengers on its run from Basel to Hook of Holland. Tourists can ogle the Rhineland from picture-window observation cars and, as on all German trains, eat a full-course gourmet meal for about $2.25. Now West Germany's state-run Bundesbahn is aiming for 125-m.p.h. service. In France the Mistral, which once hit 206 m.p.h. for the world's record, rolls along at an easier 80 m.p.h. or so from Paris to Lyon. Together with Austria and Switzerland, the six Common Market nations offer what is probably the best overall railroad service in the world: a fleet of all-reserved, streamlined European expresses that connect 90 cities, average 70 m.p.h., have stenographers, stewardesses and Silberputzer to keep the chrome shining. Russia also is following the express trend, recently sent a special eleven-car train speeding 109 m.p.h. in a test between Moscow and Leningrad.

Experiments & Excuses. Unlike the nationalized railroads of Europe and Asia, the U.S.'s private lines have already surrendered by default to the airlines. Experiments with low-slung Talgo trains seven years ago failed because of excessive vibration and passenger queasiness at speeds up to 100 m.p.h. As for future attempts, Pennsylvania Railroad Chairman James M. Symes offers the prevailing view: "We do not believe we could attract patronage from the air and highways to justify the expenditure."

Europe argues otherwise. In Germany, for example, the Autobahnen are sleek, straight and alive with Volkswagens and Opels, yet the express-train business is booming. "Improved service will automatically increase the number of travelers." says a German Bundesbahn spokesman, and he finds it especially true on fast downtown-to-downtown runs.

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