Amazon now using Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains to deliver packages
Amazon has announced the launch of package delivery using Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, an initiative set to cut both delivery times and CO₂ emissions.
Packages are transported using non passenger space on three routes – the Tohoku Shinkansen, the Tohoku–Hokkaido Shinkansen, and the Hokuriku Shinkansen – connecting Amazon operations in the Greater Tokyo area with central and northern Japan.
Amazon commissions this through cooperation with the Japan Railway companies – JR East, JR Hokkaido, and JR West.
Compared to road transport, the use of these high speed trains is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions in the line haul segment, the long distance transportation of packages between cities.
Kohei Shimatani, vice president, Japan operations at Amazon Japan, said: ‘We are very pleased to launch package delivery using the Shinkansen. This is a unique initiative that uses non passenger space for transporting packages and enables faster deliveries – symbolising Amazon’s continuously evolving operations.
‘By leveraging Japan’s world class Shinkansen network, known for its high level of punctuality and speed, we will further advance the decarbonisation of our transportation network. We look forward to delivering packages more quickly and reliably to customers in the Hakodate, Aomori, and Kanazawa areas through a variety of delivery options.’
Bullet trains are just the latest example of Amazon thinking creatively about how to get packages to customers quickly and more sustainably. Across the globe, Amazon has embraced a range of innovative delivery methods – each tailored to the local geography, infrastructure, and needs of the communities it serves.
In cities across Europe, compact e-cargo bikes are a convenient way to make deliveries in crowded neighbourhoods. And while drones have taken flight in parts of the US, delivering packages to customers by air, more traditional methods including motorbikes, boats, and even horse drawn carriages are used in other regions. And in Venice, last mile deliveries are often made by boat on the city’s famous waterways.
Images courtesy: Amazon.
