- Japanese:
- “New Trunk Line”
- Byname:
- bullet train
Shinkansen
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What is the Shinkansen?
The Shinkansen, Japan's high-speed passenger rail system, serves the islands of Honshu, Kyushu, and Hokkaido. The first section, between Tokyo and Osaka, opened in 1964 and was named the New Tōkaidō Line. The Shinkansen was quickly nicknamed the "bullet train" because of its high speeds and bullet-shaped front.
Innovations such as prestressed concrete ties and long welded track sections were introduced during its construction. The fastest trains can travel from Tokyo to Hakata in about five hours, and from Tokyo to Aomori in about three hours. The electric multiple-unit trains can seat 1,000 or more passengers and get power from overhead wires.
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Where does the Shinkansen operate in Japan?
The Shinkansen, Japan's high-speed passenger rail system, operates on the islands of Honshu, Kyushu, and Hokkaido. The first line, connecting Tokyo and Osaka, opened in 1964 and was extended to Hakata in northern Kyushu by 1975. Other lines were built northward from Tokyo to Niigata and Morioka by 1982, with extensions and branches added over the years. The Shinkansen now connects all three main Japanese islands via tunnels and lines, with ongoing construction to extend the Hokkaido line to Sapporo.
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How fast do Shinkansen trains travel?
The Shinkansen, Japan's high-speed passenger rail system, was inaugurated in 1964 with the Tokyo-Ōsaka line Shinkansen. Known as the "bullet train" due to its speed and shape, the Shinkansen has expanded to include lines on Honshu, Kyushu, and Hokkaido Shinkansen.
Initially, Shinkansen trains reached top speeds of 130 miles (210 km) per hour, but advancements have increased maximum speeds to between 150 and 185 miles (240 and 300 km) per hour Shinkansen. In 2011, the Hayabusa train on the Tohoku line was introduced, reaching speeds of 185 miles (300 km) per hour railroad. Some trains began operating at speeds up to 200 miles (320 km) per hour in early 2013 Shinkansen.
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When did the first Shinkansen line begin service?
The first segment of the Shinkansen line, a 320-mile (515-km) stretch between Tokyo and Ōsaka, opened in October 1964. Known as the New Tōkaidō Line, it was built for the exclusive use of streamlined electric passenger trains and was an immediate commercial success. The inauguration of the line coincided with the start of the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. The Shinkansen was quickly dubbed the "bullet train" because of the great speed the trains obtained and for the aerodynamic bullet shape of their noses.
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What features make Shinkansen trains special or advanced?
The Shinkansen high-speed passenger rail system in Japan is known for its advanced features, including:
- High Speed With improvements in track, train cars, and other components, Shinkansen trains can reach maximum speeds of between 150 and 185 miles (240 and 300 km) per hour. In early 2013, some trains began operating at up to 200 miles (320 km) per hour.
- Safety Features Each car is equipped with brakes consisting of cast-iron discs and metallic pad linings specially designed not to distort under emergency braking. A central computerized facility in Tokyo monitors and controls all train movements.
- Electric Multiple-Unit Trains The trains derive their power from an overhead wire system.
- Capacity Shinkansen trains can seat 1,000 passengers or more.
- Innovative Construction Many innovations, such as the use of prestressed concrete ties and mile-long welded sections of track, were introduced in the line’s construction.
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How has the Shinkansen influenced transportation and society in Japan?
The Shinkansen has greatly influenced transportation and society in Japan since its first line opened in 1964 between Tokyo and Osaka. As the world's first high-speed rail, it inspired similar projects globally.
The Shinkansen has become the mainstay of Japan's passenger rail network, operated by the Japan Railways (JR) Group. Its success spurred expansions to connect major cities on Honshu, Kyushu, and Hokkaido. The Shinkansen enhanced mobility and connectivity, allowing passengers to move away from air and road travel. It also helped to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and relieve congestion on highways and at airports. Speeds have steadily increased to compete with air transport.
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Shinkansen, pioneer high-speed passenger rail system of Japan, with lines on the islands of Honshu, Kyushu, and Hokkaido. It was originally built and operated by the government-owned Japanese National Railways and has been part of the private Japan Railways Group since 1987.
The first section of the original line, a 320-mile (515-km) stretch between Tokyo and Ōsaka, was opened in 1964. Known as the New Tōkaidō Line, it generally follows and is named for the historic and celebrated Tōkaidō (“Eastern Sea Road”) highway that was used especially during the Edo (Tokugawa) period (1603–1867). Inauguration of the line, just before the start of the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games, was greeted by widespread international acclaim, and the Shinkansen was quickly dubbed the “bullet train” for the great speed the trains obtained and for the aerodynamic bullet shape of their noses. Many innovations, such as the use of prestressed concrete ties and mile-long welded sections of track, were introduced in the line’s construction. A 100-mile (160-km) extension of that line westward from Ōsaka to Okayama was completed in 1972, and its final segment, a 244-mile (393-km) stretch between Okayama and the Hakata station in Fukuoka, northern Kyushu, opened in 1975.
Other lines radiating northward from Tokyo were completed in 1982 to the cities of Niigata (the Jōetsu line) and Morioka (the Tōhoku line), the Tōhoku line subsequently being extended northward to Hachinohe in 2002. Work to build a link to Aomori, northwest of Hachinohe, began in the late 1990s. When that segment opened in 2010, the Shinkansen was essentially complete for the entire length of Honshu. However, plans had long been in place to connect all three main Japanese islands by Shinkansen with a line northward into Hokkaido (via the Seikan Tunnel under Tsugaru Strait). Construction on the Hokkaido line began in 2005 on the segment between Aomori and Hakodate in southern Hokkaido, the ultimate goal being to extend the line to Sapporo. The line between Aomori and Hakodate opened in 2016. Construction on the section from Hakodate to Sapporo was begun in 2012 and expected to be completed in 2031.
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Branches from the Tōhoku line to Yamagata opened in 1992 (extended north to Shinjo in 1999) and to Akita in 1997; a branch from the Jōetsu line to Nagano also opened in 1997. Segments of a further extension of the Nagano branch westward to Toyama and Kanazawa opened in 2015. In addition, a line was completed between Yatsushiro and Kagoshima in southwestern Kyushu in 2004. In the late 1990s work commenced to extend that line northward from Yatsushiro to Hakata, and the opening of the segment in 2011 completed the full north-south route of the Shinkansen on Kyushu. Work began in 2008 on a branch from the Kyushu line southwestward to Nagasaki, and it opened in 2022.
Much of the system’s track runs through tunnels, including one under Shimonoseki Strait between Honshu and Kyushu, another on the Tokyo-Niigata line that is 14 miles (23 km) long, and another near Aomori with a record length (for a double-tracked inland tunnel) of 16.5 miles (26.5 km) when the bore was finished in 2005. Several hundred trains operate daily on the Shinkansen system. The most-frequent service is between Tokyo and Ōsaka, especially during the morning and evening rush hours, when trains depart at intervals of 10 minutes or less. The fastest trains can make the trip from Tokyo to Hakata in about five hours, and the quickest from Tokyo to Aomori take about three hours.
The electric multiple-unit trains, which can seat 1,000 passengers or more, derive their power from an overhead wire system. Trains originally reached top speeds of 130 miles (210 km) per hour, but improvements in track, train cars, and other components have made possible maximum speeds of between 150 and 185 miles (240 and 300 km) per hour. In early 2013 some trains began operating at up to 200 miles (320 km) per hour. Such high speeds made it necessary to develop elaborate safety features. Each car, for example, is equipped with brakes consisting of cast-iron discs and metallic pad linings specially designed not to distort under emergency braking. Moreover, all movements of the trains are monitored and controlled by a central computerized facility in Tokyo.