Tōkaidō Shinkansen
Tōkaidō Shinkansen (東海道新幹線) is the original Shinkansen line that opened in 1964 between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. It is operated by the Central Japan Railway Company, and formerly by JNR, Japan National Railways.
History
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen line was originally conceptualized in 1940 as a 150 km/h dedicated railway between Tokyo and Shimonoseki, which would have been 50% faster than the fastest express train of the time. The beginning of World War II stalled the project in its early planning stages, although a few tunnels were dug that were later used in the Shinkansen route. Since the line goes through Japan's 3 largest metropolitan areas, it is the most heavily travelled of all Shinkansen routes.
Construction of the line began in 1959 and completed in 1964, with the first train travelling from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka on October 1 of that year. The opening was timed to coincide with the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which had already brought international attention to the country. Originally the line was referred to in English as the New Tōkaidō Line. It is named after the Tōkaidō route of Japan used for centuries.
The line carried its 100 millionth passenger in 1967, and its billionth in 1976, and 4.16 billionth on its 40th anniversary in 2004.
A new Shinkansen stop at Shinagawa Station opened in October 2003, accompanied by a major timetable change which increased the number of daily Nozomi services.
A new station, Biwako-Ritto, is planned to open in 2012 between Maibara and Kyoto. However, this station's future could be in jeopardy after the election of Yukiko Kada as Governor of Shiga Prefecture in July of 2006. Kada won the election on the basis of her pledge to freeze the planned construction of the station.[1] In September 2006, the Otsu district court ruled that the ¥4.35 billon bond that Ritto city had issued to fund construction was illegal under the local finance law and must be cancelled. The Ritto municipal government is unlikely to find other ways to cover the cost.[2]
Trains
There are three types of trains on the line: from fastest to slowest, they are the Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. Many continue onward to the Sanyō Shinkansen, going as far as Fukuoka's Hakata Station.
Train sets on the line include:
- 300 Series Hikari/Kodama
- 500 Series Nozomi
- 700 Series Nozomi/Hikari/Kodama
The Hikari run from Tokyo to Osaka took four hours in 1964; this was shortened to 3 hr. 10 min. in 1965. With the introduction of high-speed Nozomi service in 1992, the travel time was shortened to 2 hr. 30 min.
Stations
Kodama trains stop at all stations. Nozomi and Hikari trains have varying stopping patterns.
Notes and references
- ↑ "Kada vows to stop new Shinkansen station", The Daily Yomiuri, 2006-07-04. Retrieved on 2006-07-11.
- ↑ "Ritto Shinkansen bond ruled illegal", The Daily Yomiuri, 2006-09-26. Retrieved on 2006-09-29.
| Shinkansen |  |
|---|---|
| Lines: Tōkaidō • Sanyō • Tōhoku • Jōetsu • Hokuriku • Kyushu
Mini-Shinkansen: Yamagata • Akita • Future lines: Chuo • Hokkaido • Cancelled lines: Narita Trainsets: 0 Series • 100 Series • 200 Series • 300 Series • 400 Series • 500 Series • 700 Series • 800 Series • E1 Series • E2 Series • E3 Series • E4 Series • Export trainsets: 700T Series • CRH2 • Future trainsets: N700 Series • FASTECH 360 |
External links
- Pictures of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen route (English captions)
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