Kingfishers and Bullet Trains

In the 1990s in Japan, bullet trains were a primary source of transportation given that they moved so fast and brought travelers from one place to another in no time. However, the quick speeds going up to 300 kilometers per hour came at a cost; when the bullet trains would exit train tunnels, all the air drag and pressure within the tunnel elicited a loud booming sound. This disturbed not only the people who lived nearby but also the wildlife around the area.

The issue of this incredibly loud sound from these bullet trains had to be addressed. It just so happened that one of the engineers for the West Japan Railway Company, Eiji Nakatsu, was also a birdwatcher, and he took his observations and knowledge of the kingfisher and applied them to the design of the newly-innovated bullet trains. What Nakatsu observed from the kingfishers was that they would dive into the water and barely make a splash, which inspired him to consider the design of the front of the bullet trains. The train design would align with the design and function of the streamlined kingfisher beaks that allowed them to enter the water splashless.

With the updated design of the bullet trains, the trains could travel through tunnels without the painfully loud booms. Plus, the design was much more aerodynamic and led to a conservation of energy.