Japan's Alpha-X next-generation Shinkansen on Oct. 27 smashed all speed records to date by bullet trains running commercially, hitting a top speed of 382 kph in a test run. The test train, comprising 10 vehicles, left Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture with media along for ride at 11:38 p.m. for Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture. It clocked 382 kph near Ichinoseki Station in Iwate Prefecture, trembling slightly, but the ride felt as comfortable as any other Shinkansen trains in service. The current maximum speed record set by a Shinkansen in commercial operation is 320 kph. East Japan Railway Co. plans to introduce the Alpha-X, running at 360 kph, for commercial operation in around fiscal 2030, when the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line is expected to extend to Sapporo from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto.