Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) is planning to test an automatic snow removal system on the Tokaido Shinkansen high-speed rail (HSR) line. Various measures have already been taken on the line to prevent damage to underfloor equipment caused by snow during the winter period, including measures to prevent snow from flying up, the development of snow-resistant rolling stock and the removal of adhering snow. At Nagoya station, where this work is most common, workers used to remove snow from under the platform with a snow stick. However, improvements have been made to make snow removal more efficient, including the use of high-pressure washers. Since snow removal in winter is done under difficult working conditions, JR Central intends to automate the process without manual labour. For this purpose, an automatic snow clearing device was developed at the Komaki research facility. A prototype of the system has been installed at Nagoya station to test its performance in preparation for practical use. The device is installed on the tracks and uses hot water to remove snow from the panels that cover the vehicle's underfloor equipment. The test period is planned from December 2022 to March 2023.
