The test comes as Japan is stepping up efforts to expand autonomous steering vehicle operations to address the shortage of drivers as the population continues to age.
In the first test run that was made public with the media, the 11-carry train roundabouted around the 34.5km railway twice. The first run the train did not encounter any problems leading to delays, however, in the second test run, the train driver had to directly make some adjustments because the train could not stop at the designated point.
"We are basically doing well. We will analyze the results and find a way to put the technology into practice as soon as possible," Yuichiro Tokunaga, a JR East problematic officer, said about the autonomous steering train during the test on the Yamanote route, one of the busiest routes in urban areas.
In the trial on January 7, JR East used the latest E235 train equipped with an automatic operation device developed by the company itself. The train started moving after the rider only performed one operation, pressing the button, the train departed from the Osaki Station in Shinagawa at 1:50 a.m.
In Japan, the automatic train system has been put into use on some single-track tracks, which are not cut across by road or rail.
