| San'yō Shinkansen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Overview | |||
| Native name | 山陽新幹線 | ||
| Owner |  JR West | ||
| Locale | Osaka,Hyōgo,Okayama,Hiroshima,Yamaguchi andFukuoka prefectures | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 19 | ||
| Color on map | Blue | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | High-speed rail (Shinkansen) | ||
| System | Shinkansen | ||
| Services | Mizuho,Sakura,Nozomi,Hikari,Kodama | ||
| Operator(s) | JR West | ||
| Depot(s) | Osaka · Okayama · Hiroshima · Hakata | ||
| Rolling stock | 500 · 700 · N700A · N700S | ||
| Daily ridership | 110,004 (FY2014)[1] | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 15 March 1972; 53 years ago (1972-03-15) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 553.7 km (344.1 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge | ||
| Minimum radius | 4,000 m (2.5 mi; 13,000 ft) | ||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC | ||
| Operating speed | 300 km/h (190 mph) | ||
| Signalling | Cab signalling | ||
| Train protection system | ATC-NS | ||
| Maximum incline | 1.5% | ||
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TheSan'yō Shinkansen (山陽新幹線) is a line of the JapaneseShinkansenhigh-speed rail network, connectingShin-Osaka inOsaka withHakata Station inFukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan. Operated by theWest Japan Railway Company (JR West), it is a westward continuation of theTōkaidō Shinkansen and also serves other major cities in between onHonshu andKyushu islands such asKobe,Himeji,Okayama,Hiroshima, andKitakyushu, through theShin-Kanmon Tunnel. TheKyushu Shinkansen continues south of Hakata toKagoshima. The San'yō Shinkansen connects Hakata with Osaka in two and a half hours, with trains operating at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) for most of the journey.[2] SomeNozomi trains operate continuously on San'yō and Tōkaidō Shinkansen lines, connecting Tokyo and Hakata in five hours.
As of March 2020, the following types are used on San'yō Shinkansen services.
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Current
Former
All stations on the San'yō Shinkansen are owned and operated by theWest Japan Railway Company (JR West), with the exception of Shin-Osaka station, which is run by theCentral Japan Railway Company (JR Central).Kodama trains stop at all stations; other services have varying stopping patterns. All trains stop at Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kokura, and Hakata. Foreign tourists traveling with aJapan Rail Pass are required to purchase a special ticket to useNozomi orMizuho trains.
Legend:
| ● | All trains stop |
|---|---|
| ▲ | Some trains stop |
| ｜ | All trains pass |
As of 2012, the maximum line speed is, West-bound 285 km/h (175 mph) between Shin-Ōsaka and Shin-Kobe, 275 km/h (170 mph) between Shin-Kobe and Nishi-Akashi, and 300 km/h (185 mph) between Nishi-Akashi and Hakata. East-bound it is 300 km/h (185 mph) between Hakata and Himeji, 275 km/h (170 mph) between Himeji and Shin-Kobe and 300 km/h (185 mph) between Shin-Kobe and Shin-Ōsaka.[2]
Construction of the San'yō Shinkansen betweenShin-Ōsaka andOkayama was authorized on 9 September 1965, and commenced on March 16, 1967. Construction betweenOkayama andHakata commenced on 10 February 1970. The Shin-Ōsaka to Okayama segment opened on March 15, 1972; the remainder of the line opened on March 10, 1975.[6] The firstHikari trains, using0 series trains, made the Shin-Ōsaka to Hakata run in 3 hours 44 minutes. This was shortened to 2 hours 59 minutes in 1986 with an increase in maximum speed to 220 km/h (140 mph).100 series trains, introduced in 1989, boosted maximum speed to 230 km/h (140 mph) and reduced travel time to 2 hours 49 minutes.
Tokyo to HakataNozomi services began on 18 March 1993, using300 series trains. The Shin-Ōsaka to Hakata run was reduced to 2 hours 32 minutes, at a maximum speed of 270 km/h (170 mph). On 22 March 1997, the500 series entered service onNozomi services between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata, reducing that run to 2 hours 17 minutes at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).
The700 series was introduced on Tokyo-HakataNozomi services on 13 March 1999, coinciding with the opening ofAsa Station, and on 11 March 2000, 700 series trains were introduced onHikari Rail Star services.
Ogori Station was renamed Shin-Yamaguchi Station on 1 October 2003.
TheN700 series was launched onNozomi services on 1 July 2007, with a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) (compared to 285 km/h or 177 mph for the 700 series).
From the start of the revised timetable on 12 March 2011, newMizuho andSakura inter-running services commenced between Shin-Ōsaka and Kagoshima on theKyushu Shinkansen using newN700-7000 and N700-8000 series 8-car trainsets. This boosted JR West's market share in the Osaka-Kagoshima passenger market from 13% in March 2011 to 35% in March 2012. JR West began offering discounted advance purchase fares on this route in July 2013 in an effort to compete for market share with newlow-cost airlines such asPeach.[7] With the launch ofMizuho andSakura services, nearly all of theHikari services operating solely on the San'yō Shinkansen (mostlyRail Star services) were discontinued as it was deemed redundant.
In an announcement by JR Central, JR West, and JR Kyushu made on 17 October 2023, the companies stated that all onboard smoking rooms on the Tokaido, San'yo, and Kyushu Shinkansen trains would be abolished by Q2 2024.[8] In addition, all smoking rooms located on station platforms on the Sanyo Shinkansen would also be abolished.[8]
In July 2024 JR West announced that the500 Series trains would be phased out, and trains on the San'yō Shinkansen standardized to theN700 Series. Four of the existing 500 Series trainsets are expected to be retired by 2026, with the last two retired by 2027.[9]
As of the San'yō Shinkansen's 50th birthday, the line has carried to date 3 billion riders.[10]
| Year | FY2005 | FY2009 | FY2013 | FY2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridership | 58[11] | 62[12] | 65[13] | 83[14] |
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