TheTōhoku Shinkansen(Đông Bắc Shinkansen)is a Japanese high-speedShinkansenrail line that runs through the more sparsely populatedTōhoku regionof Japan's main island,Honshu.Operated by theEast Japan Railway Company,it linksTokyoin the south toAomoriin the north, with stops in population centers such asMorioka,Koriyama,Fukushima,Hachinohe,andSendai.With a route length of 674.9 km (419.4 mi), it is Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It also has the highest operating speeds on the Shinkansen network, reaching a maximum of 320 km/h (199 mph) on a 387.5 km (241 mi) section betweenUtsunomiyaandMorioka.
| Tōhoku Shinkansen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 E5 Series Shinkansenset U2 coupled to anE6 Series Shinkansenset on aHayabusaservice towards Tokyo, August 2023 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | Đông Bắc Shinkansen | ||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | |||
| Locale | Tokyo;Saitama,Tochigi,Fukushima,Miyagi,IwateandAomori Prefectures | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 23 | ||
| Color on map | Green (#41934c) | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | High-speed rail(Shinkansen) | ||
| System | Shinkansen | ||
| Services | |||
| Operator(s) |  JR East | ||
| Depot(s) | Tokyo, Oyama, Nasushiobara, Sendai, Morioka, Shin-Aomori | ||
| Rolling stock | |||
| History | |||
| Opened | 23 June 1982(Ōmiya–Morioka) 4 December 2010(Full line) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 674.9 km (419.4 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | Double-track | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm(4 ft8+1⁄2in)standard gauge | ||
| Minimum radius | 4,000 m (2.5 mi; 13,000 ft) | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz ACoverhead catenary | ||
| Operating speed | 110 km/h (68 mph) (Tokyo to Ueno),[1]130 km/h (81 mph) (Ueno to Omiya)[1]320 km/h (200 mph) Around 2027: 360 km/h (225 mph) | ||
| Signalling | Cab signalling | ||
| Train protection system | DS-ATC | ||
| |||
The first section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen opened in 1982 betweenŌmiyaand Morioka, with additional sections gradually built over the following decades; the final section betweenHachinoheandShin-Aomoriwas completed in 2010. A continuation of the line opened as theHokkaido Shinkansenin 2016, which links Shin-Aomori toShin-Hakodate-Hokutovia theSeikan Tunnel.The Tōhoku Shinkansen also has twoMini-Shinkansenbranch lines, theYamagata ShinkansenandAkita Shinkansen.Future plans include ongoing upgrade work to increase operating speeds throughout the line.
Four services currently operate on the Tōhoku Shinkansen, the all-stopNasuno,and the limited-stopYamabiko,Hayate,andHayabusa,with the latter two providing through service onto the Hokkaido Shinkansen. As of 2021, the fastest travel times between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori are on theHayabusaservice, at 2 hours and 58 minutes.[2]The Mini-Shinkansen also provides through service from Tokyo via the Tōhoku Shinkansen; typically,TsubasaandKomachitrains are coupled toHayabusa,Yamabiko,orNasunotrains at Tokyo and are decoupled at Fukushima and Morioka respectively, where they continue on to their Mini-Shinkansen lines.
Services
editThere are four services in operation:
- Hayabusa,Tokyo – Shin-Aomori/Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto limited-stop, starting 5 March 2011
- Hayate,Morioka/Shin-Aomori – Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto limited-stop, starting 26 March 2016 (the name has been in use since 1 December 2002)
- Yamabiko,Tokyo – Sendai limited-stop, and all-stations to Morioka, starting June 1982
- Nasuno,Tokyo – Oyama/Nasushiobara/Kōriyama all-stations, starting 1995
One service has been discontinued:
- Aoba,Tokyo – Sendai all-stations, June 1982 – October 1997 (consolidated withNasuno)
Through trains on theAkita ShinkansenandYamagata Shinkansenlines also run on Tōhoku Shinkansen tracks fromMoriokaandFukushimarespectively.
As of March 2021, the maximum line speed is 110 km/h (68 mph) between Tokyo and Ueno, 130 km/h (81 mph) between Ueno and Ōmiya, 275 km/h (171 mph) between Ōmiya and Utsunomiya, 320 km/h (199 mph) between Utsunomiya and Morioka, and 260 km/h (162 mph) between Morioka and Shin-Aomori.[3][4][1]
On 30 October 2012, JR East announced that it is pursuing research and development to increase speeds to 360 km/h (224 mph) on the Tohoku Shinkansen.[5]Work seems to be ongoing to upgrade the section between Morioka and Shin-Aomori to 320 km/h (199 mph), primarily in the form of improved sound barriers. This should make operating at 360 km/h (224 mph) possible, if the improved noise dampening techniques being tested using theALFA-Xtest train are successful.[6]Upgrade works on this section started in October 2020, and are expected to take seven years to complete.[7]
List of stations
editLegend:
| ● | All trains stop |
|---|---|
| ▲ | Some trains stop |
| All trains pass |
Rolling stock
editAs of March 2024, the following types are used on Tohoku Shinkansen services.
- E2 series:Yamabiko/Nasunoservices
- E3 series:Tsubasa/Yamabiko/Nasunoservices
- E5 series:Hayabusa/Hayate/Yamabiko/Nasunoservices
- E6 series:Komachi/Hayabusa/Yamabiko/Nasunoservices
- E8 series:Tsubasa/Yamabiko/Nasunoservices[8]
- H5 series:Hayabusa/Hayate/Yamabiko/Nasunoservices
-
E2 series -
E3 series -
E5 series -
E6 series -
E8 series -
H5 series
Former rolling stock
edit
- 200 series:Yamabiko/Nasuno/Aobaservices (1982 – November 2011)[9]
- 400 series:Tsubasa/Nasunoservices (July 1992 – April 2010)
- E1 series:Max Yamabiko/Max Aobaservices (July 1994 – December 1999)
- E4 series:Max Yamabiko/Max Nasunoservices (1999 – September 2012)
-
200 series -
A 400 series train on aTsubasaservice at Yonezawa Station in March 2005 -
E1 series -
E4 series
Non-revenue-earning types
edit-
E926 East i train at Omiya Station, May 2001
Timeline
editHistory
edit- 28 November 1971: Construction starts on the line.
- 23 June 1982: TheŌmiya–Moriokasection opens.[10]
- 14 March 1985: TheUeno–Ōmiyasection opens.
- 20 June 1991: TheTokyo–Uenosection opens.
- October 1998: 1 billionth passenger carried on Tōhoku, Joetsu and Nagano Shinkansen lines.
- 1 December 2002: TheMorioka–Hachinohesection opens.
- 13 April 2010: Test running starts on the extension from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori.[11]
- 4 December 2010: The extension fromHachinohetoShin-Aomoriopens.[12]
- 5 March 2011: NewHayabusaservices operating at 300 km/h (190 mph) commence operation between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori using newE5 seriestrainsets.[13]
- 23 June 2012: The line's 30th anniversary was celebrated, with approximately 1.93 billion passengers having been transported on the line.[14]
From Shin-Aomori, the line continues toShin-HakodateinHokkaido(148.9 km or 92.5 mi, since March 26, 2016 under the nameHokkaido Shinkansen), passing through the world's longest undersea railway tunnel, theSeikan Tunnel.A further 211.3 km (131.3 mi) toSapporois due to open by 2030.
The mountainous terrain that the line passes through has necessitated heavy reliance on tunnels. TheIwate-Ichinohe Tunnelon the Morioka–Hachinohe stretch, completed in 2000, was briefly the world's longest land rail tunnel at 25.8 km (16.0 mi), but in 2005 it was superseded by theHakkōda Tunnelon the extension to Aomori, at 26.5 km (16.5 mi). In 2007 theLötschberg Base Tunnel(34.57 km or 21.48 mi), and in 2010 theGotthard Base Tunnel(57 km or 35 mi, bored through and due in service by 2016) inSwitzerlandsuperseded both.
2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami
editOn the afternoon of 11 March 2011, services on the Tohoku Shinkansen were suspended as a result of theTōhoku earthquake and tsunami.JR East estimated that around 1,100 repairs would be required for the line between Omiya and Iwate-Numakunai, ranging from collapsed station roofs to bent power pylons.[15]
Limited service on the line was restored in segments: Tokyo toNasushiobarawas re-opened on 15 March, and Morioka to Shin-Aomori was re-opened on 22 March.[16]The line between Morioka andIchinosekire-opened on 7 April, Nasushiobara and Fukushima on 12 April, and the rest of the line on or around 30 April, although not at full speed or a full schedule.[17][18][19]The trains returned to full-speed operations on 23 September 2011.[20]
2021 Tohoku earthquake
editAmagnitude 7.1 earthquakestruck the Tohoku area approximately 46 km (29 mi) east ofNamieon the evening of 13 February 2021.[21]Following the quake, infrastructure damage was discovered betweenShin-ShirakawaandFurukawastations.[22]
East Japan Railway closed the Tohoku Shinkansen betweenNasushiobaraandMorioka.[22]The section betweenIchinosekiand Morioka re-opened on 16 February,[23]Sendaiand Ichinoseki on 22 February, and the remaining section between Nasushiobara and Sendai on 24 February.[24]Trains operated at 80% the usual timetable with top speeds reduced until 26 March, when repairs were completed and the normal timetable was restored.[25]
Special event train services
edit25th anniversary
edit
On 23 June 2007, 10-car set K47 was used for a specialYamabiko931 service from Omiya to Morioka to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen.[26]
30th anniversary
editOn 23 June 2012, 10-car set K47 was used for a specialYamabiko235 service from Omiya to Morioka to mark the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen.[27]
References
edit- JR Timetable, December 2008
- ^abc"JR East to speed up Tohoku Shinkansen".Railway Gazette International.12 October 2020.Retrieved21 August2021.
- ^JR East timetable revision:"2021 năm 3 nguyệt ダイヤ sửa lại について" (18 December 2020).Retrieved on 5 September 2024.(in Japanese)
- ^"300km/h の トップランナー" [300 km/h Top Runners].Japan Railfan Magazine.Vol. 52, no. 612. Japan: Kōyūsha Co., Ltd. April 2012. p. 14.
- ^JR East press release:"Đông Bắc Shinkansen tám hộ 〜 tân thanh sâm gian の khai trương thời kỳ について" (10 November 2008).Retrieved on 11 November 2008.(in Japanese)
- ^グループ kinh 営 tư tưởng V[Group Business Vision V](PDF)(in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. 30 October 2012. p. 5. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2 December 2012.Retrieved17 November2012.
- ^"Đông Bắc Shinkansen, thịnh cương 〜 tân thanh sâm gian を khi tốc 320キロへ cao tốc hóa へ の chọn chiến ( tiểu lâm thác thỉ ) – Yahoo!ニュース".Yahoo!ニュース cá nhân(in Japanese).Retrieved14 February2019.
- ^"Shinkansen の tốc độ hướng về phía trước に hướng けた lấy り tổ みについて"(PDF)(Press release). Đông Nhật Bản lữ khách thiết nói. 6 October 2020. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 6 October 2020.Retrieved6 October2020.
- ^"JR đông Nhật Bản, E8 hệ" つばさ "の vận 転を ngày 16 tháng 3 から bắt đầu"[E8 Series Shinkansen to Enter Service 16 March 2024].Japan Railfan Magazine Online(in Japanese). 15 December 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 15 December 2023.Retrieved16 March2024.
- ^Đông Bắc Shinkansen: はやてにもE5 hệ 200 hệ は tư tiêu す[E5 for Tohoku Shinkansen "Hayate" also – 200 series to disappear].Mainichi.jp(in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers. 12 September 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 10 July 2012.Retrieved12 September2011.
- ^Taniguchi, Mamoru (1993)."The Japanese Shinkansen".Built environment.19(3/4): 216.JSTOR23288577.
- ^4 nguyệt から tám hộ ・ tân thanh sâm gian で thí nghiệm đi hành bắt đầu(in Japanese). 3 February 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 20 November 2017.Retrieved3 February2010.
- ^Đông Bắc Shinkansen tân thanh sâm khai trương chờ について[Opening of Tōhoku Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori](PDF)(in Japanese). JR East. 11 May 2010.Retrieved11 May2010.
- ^Tân しい Đông Bắc Shinkansen の đoàn tàu ái xưng chờ の quyết định について[Name selected for new Tohoku Shinkansen services](PDF)(in Japanese). JR East. 11 May 2010.Retrieved11 May2010.
- ^[1]ArchivedJuly 7, 2012, at theWayback Machine
- ^[2][dead link]
- ^[3]ArchivedMarch 25, 2011, at theWayback Machine
- ^"Đông Nhật Bản đại chấn tai: Đông Bắc Shinkansen, 7 ngày に thịnh cương - một ノ quan gian vận 転 lại khai".Mainichi Shimbun.4 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 16 April 2011.Retrieved4 April2011.
- ^Kyodo News,"Tohoku Shinkansen to resume services on more sections", 12 April 2011.
- ^NHK,"Tohoku Shinkansen to fully resume April 30", 18 April 2011.
- ^Kyodo News,"Tohoku Shinkansen Line back to normal",Japan Times,24 September 2011, p. 2.
- ^Ogura, Junko (13 February 2021)."Japan rocked by 'aftershock' from devastating 9.0-magnitude quake that hit in 2011".cnn.Retrieved13 February2021.
- ^ab"Japan braces for aftershocks as M7.3 quake injures over 150".Kyodo News.14 February 2021.Retrieved14 February2021.
- ^"Japan scrambles to cover railway artery severed by powerful quake".Kyodo News.Retrieved15 February2021.
- ^"Phúc đảo huyện hướng động đất に bạn う Đông Bắc Shinkansen の vận 転 lại khai thấy 込みについて"[About the prospect of resuming operation on the Tōhoku Shinkansen due to the Fukushima Prefecture Offshore Earthquake](PDF)(Press release) (in Japanese). East Japan Railway Company. 19 February 2021.Retrieved19 February2021.
- ^"Đông Bắc Shinkansen が thông thường ダイヤ phục quy sở muốn thời gian や bổn số, nguyên thông りに".news.yahoo.co.jp(in Japanese). Kyodo News. 26 March 2021. Archived fromthe originalon 19 June 2021.Retrieved26 March2021.
- ^"JR đông Nhật Bản" Đông Bắc Shinkansen đại cung khai trương 25 đầy năm kỷ niệm hào "Vận 転" [JR East runs Tohoku Shinkansen 25th anniversary special train].Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine.Vol. 36, no. 280. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. August 2012. p. 75.
- ^"JR đông Nhật Bản Đông Bắc Shinkansen が khai trương 30 đầy năm を nghênh える" [JR East Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Tohoku Shinkansen Opening].Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine.Vol. 41, no. 340. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. August 2012. p. 74.
External links
edit
- JR East website(in English)
- Japan blasts longest land tunnel