The southernmost 127 km (79 mi) section was constructed first, opening on 13 March 2004. The double-track section offered a significant improvement in travel time over the equivalent single-track portion of theKagoshima Main Line, despite the need for passengers to change to aRelay Tsubamenarrow gauge train at Shin-Yatsushiro for the remainder of the journey toHakata Station. The northernmost 130 km (81 mi) section opened on 12 March 2011, enabling through services toShin-Ōsaka Station (and, with an interchange, toTōkyō Station).
Construction of the Kagoshima route (鹿児島ルート) began in 1991, and the first segment between Kagoshima andShin-Yatsushiro opened on 13 March 2004. This initial section cut travel times between the two cities from 2 hours and 10 minutes to 35 minutes and reduced the time between Hakata and Kagoshima from 4 hours to 2 hours. When the entire line was completed, the travel time from Hakata to Kagoshima was further reduced to about an hour and 20 minutes. As of 2012, the maximum line speed is 260 km/h (160 mph) between Hakata and Kagoshima.[1] Like allShinkansen lines, the Kyushu Shinkansen is standard gauge.[citation needed]
In September 2011, six months after the line's completion, JR Kyushu reported a year-over-year increase in ridership of 64% to the southern part of Kyushu (between Kumamoto and Kagoshima), easily surpassing the 40% increase projected by the company. By the first anniversary, ridership had increased, mainly from tourists from Kansai and Chugoku.[2] In northern Kyushu, where there is fierce competition with conventional JR rapid service, the privateNishi-Nippon Railroad, and expressway buses, Shinkansen ridership increased by only 38% (compared to the now-discontinued conventional expressRelay Tsubame), falling short of estimates.[3]
Services not leaving the Kyushu Shinkansen are operated by 6-car800 Series trains, with a maximum speed of 260 km/h (160 mph).[1] The trains were developed byHitachi, and based on the 700 series trains already in service on the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen line.
Eight-carN700 series trains are used on through-running services between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chūō. The first set (S1) was delivered to Hakata Depot in October 2008.[5]
Three services operate on the line, in order of speed:Mizuho,Sakura, andTsubame. TheMizuho makes two return trips between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chūō during the morning hours, and two return trips during the evening, with an end-to-end journey time of 3 hours 45 minutes.Sakura services run once per hour throughout the day between Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chūō making additional stops, with an end-to-end travel time of 4 hours 10 minutes. There are also one to twoSakura services every hour between Hakata and either Kumamoto or Kagoshima-Chūō.Tsubame trains operate the all-stations shuttle service between Hakata and Kumamoto once to twice per hour, with some services operating to/from Kagoshima-Chūō.[6]Mizuho trains can be used by foreign passengers traveling with aJapan Rail Pass only upon payment of a supplement.
On the evening of 14 April 2016, the entire length of the Kagoshima Route was shut down after the first oftwo powerful earthquakes struck Kumamoto prefecture. There was extensive damage along the route, including cracks in elevated support structures at 25 locations[7] and collapsed sound insulation walls in nearly 80 locations.[8]
An800 series train wasderailed nearKumamoto Station after the first tremor, while the train wasdeadheading. On 18 April, JR Kyushu began attempts to return the derailed train to the tracks.[7]
On 27 April 2016, the line reopened with reduced speed and service frequency.[9]
On the morning of 8 November 2021, a 69-year old man fromFukuoka attempted to set aSakura Shinkansen service on fire.[10] The train, Sakura #401, was travelling between Kumamoto and Shin-Yatsuhiro stations at the time of the attempted arson. No casualties were reported. According to the perpetrator, the motive of the incident was to replicate theOctober 2021 Tokyo attack.
JRTT
JR Kyushu
.svg){kind=logo}
.svg){kind=logo}
.svg){kind=logo}
.svg){kind=logo}
.svg){kind=logo}
.svg){kind=logo}
.svg){kind=logo}
