上越新幹線で自動運転　運転士不在、３０年代中ごろに―ＪＲ東日本

　ＪＲ東日本は９日、運転士が乗務しない自動運転を、２０３０年代中ごろに上越新幹線で導入すると発表した。駅と車両センター間を走る回送列車では、先行して２０年代末に実現させたい考えだ。
　こうした自動運転は、国内ではモノレールで導入されているが、新幹線で実現すれば初の事例になるという。
　営業車両で目指すのは、鉄道の自動化で２番目に高度なレベル。車内には災害などの緊急時に避難誘導に当たる係員は乗務するが、運転士はおらず、発車や加減速、停車は自動で行う。一方、回送列車では係員もいない最高レベルの自動運転を計画している。（2023/05/09-19:58）

Japan Railways Group companies are moving to automate operations of their Shinkansen bullet trains.
   East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, has announced that it plans to launch driverless automated train operations achieving Grade of Automation 3, or GoA3, on the Joetsu Shinkansen Line in the mid-2030s. Such systems have already been adopted for some monorail operations, but not yet for any Shinkansen bullet trains, according to JR East.
   Trains with a GoA3 system, the second-highest level of automated train operation, have onboard personnel doing work such as evacuating passengers when a disaster or other emergency happens, but not a driver. They start and stop by themselves, and acceleration and deceleration are also done automatically.
   JR East also plans to introduce in the late 2020s the highest GoA4 level of automated operations for Joetsu Shinkansen trains that travel between Niigata Station, one of the two terminals of the bullet train line, and a nearby train yard while not in service. The GoA4 system does not need the driver or other staff attendant.
   GoA4 systems are used for some of the so-called new transportation systems.