| Tōhoku Shinkansen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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 E5 series set coupled to anE6 series set on a combinedHayabusa/Komachi service nearNasushiobara Station, August 2023 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | 東北新幹線 | ||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | |||
| Locale | Tokyo;Saitama,Tochigi,Fukushima,Miyagi,Iwate andAomori prefectures | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 23 | ||
| Color on map | Green | ||
| 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; 43 years ago (1982-06-23) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 674.9 km (419.4 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 50 Hz AC | ||
| Operating speed | 320 km/h (200 mph) | ||
| Signalling | Cab signalling | ||
| Train protection system | DS-ATC | ||
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TheTōhoku Shinkansen (Japanese:東北新幹線;lit. 'Northeast new main line') is a Japanesehigh-speed rail line and part of the nationwideShinkansen network. Operated by theEast Japan Railway Company (JR East), it runs along theTōhoku region of Japan's main island,Honshu. It linksTokyo in the south toAomori in the north, with stops in major cities such asMorioka,Koriyama,Fukushima,Hachinohe, andSendai. With a route length of 674.9 kilometres (419.4 mi), it is Japan's longest Shinkansen line and supports the network's highest operating speed, reaching 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph) on a 387.5-kilometre (241 mi) section betweenUtsunomiya andMorioka.
The line opened in stages beginning in 1982 betweenŌmiya and Morioka, with the final section toShin-Aomori completed in 2010. It connects with theHokkaido Shinkansen, which opened in 2016 and extends services through theSeikan Tunnel toShin-Hakodate-Hokuto. The Tōhoku Shinkansen also has twomini-Shinkansen branches, theYamagata Shinkansen andAkita Shinkansen, lines operating at conventional speeds, but with widened track to permit through-running by Shinkansen trainsets. Ongoing work aims to further increase operating speeds to 360 kilometres per hour (220 mph) in the future.
Four services currently operate on the route: the expressHayabusa, the limited-stopYamabiko, and the all-stopHayate andNasuno. TheHayabusa is the only train that operates the length of the corridor, with theHayabusa andHayate providingthrough service onto the Hokkaido Shinkansen. As of 2021, the fastest travel times between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori are on theHayabusa service, at 2 hours and 58 minutes. The mini-Shinkansen also provide through service to and from Tokyo via the Tōhoku Shinkansen; typically,Komachi andTsubasa trains are coupled toHayabusa andYamabiko trains at Tokyo and are decoupled at Morioka and Fukushima, respectively, where they continue on to their mini-Shinkansen lines.
The Tōhoku Shinkansen operates with four different services:
Through trains on the Akita and Yamagata mini-Shinkansen lines also operate over Tōhoku Shinkansen tracks:
One service has been discontinued:
As of March 2021, maximum operating speeds are 110 kilometres per hour (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 (200 mph) between Utsunomiya and Morioka, and 260 km/h (160 mph) between Morioka and Shin-Aomori.[1][2][3]
Work is under way to raise the maximum speed on the section between Morioka and Shin-Aomori to 320 km/h (200 mph), primarily through the installation of improved tracksidenoise barriers. Construction began in October 2020 and is expected to take about seven years to complete.[4]
On 30 October 2012, JR East announced plans to pursue research and development aimed at increasing maximum operating speeds on the Tōhoku Shinkansen to 360 km/h (220 mph) after 2030. Operation at this speed is dependent on the successful implementation of noise-reduction and vibration-control technologies evaluated using theALFA-X experimental train.[5][6][7]
Although these technologies have progressed, the introduction of commercial service at 360 km/h (220 mph) has been postponed following delays to the extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo, now scheduled for the late 2030s. As a result, theE10 series Shinkansen—planned to enter service in fiscal 2030 and developed based on ALFA-X testing—is currently expected to operate at a maximum speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Service column legend:
| ● | All trains stop |
|---|---|
| ▲ | Some trains stop |
| | | All trains pass |
As of March 2024, the following types are used on Tōhoku Shinkansen services:
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Planning for what became the Tōhoku andJōetsu Shinkansen progressed in parallel. Following the opening of theTōkaidō Shinkansen, and amid construction of theSan'yō Shinkansen, theNational Diet passed the Nationwide Shinkansen Development Act in May 1970, which set out a framework for a nationwide high-speed rail network.[11] That led to the Japanese government formally approved both the Tōhoku and Jōetsu routes in 1971,[12] with construction beginning on 28 November.
However, the work advanced at a time when noise and vibration from the Tōkaidō and San'yō lines had become a growing public concern.[13] Opposition developed along parts of the planned Tōhoku and Jōetsu corridor, especially inSaitama Prefecture and northernTokyo (Kita Ward), where local residents and civic groups organized protests and administrative challenges that slowed construction. In response,Japanese National Railways (JNR) suspended work between Tokyo and Ōmiya and prepared to open the lines provisionally at Ōmiya while negotiations continued.
Through the late 1970s, a compromise plan was negotiated between JNR, the national government, and local authorities. A rail connection between Saitama and central Tokyo, long identified as a regional need, became a focal point of the settlement. JNR agreed to establish the connection as theSaikyō Line, along with building theNew Shuttle to serve developing areas around Saitama Prefecture. To further address community concerns over noise and vibration JNR committed to lowering operating speeds and to minimize land acquisitions by adopting a more constrained alignment approaching Tokyo, which would further reduce speeds. JNR also agreed to add a stop at Ueno Station, which was not included in the original plan.[14] With these conditions in place, construction between Tokyo and Ōmiya begun.
The first section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen, between Ōmiya and Morioka, opened on 23 June 1982,[15] followed by the Jōetsu Shinkansen on 15 November.[16] During this period, passengers on the Tōhoku and Jōetsu lines coming from or bound for central Tokyo used the "Shinkansen Relay", a non-stop conventional express service operating between Ōmiya and Ueno. The line was extended south to Ueno on 14 March 1985, allowing direct transfers to the urban rail network. Meanwhile, in April 1987, JNR wasdivided and privatized, and operation of the line was transferred to the East Japan Railway Company (JR East).
The final link into Tokyo Station opened on 20 June 1991. Later that year, as part of the privatization of JNR, the facilities of the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen were transferred to JR East.
The reach of the Tōhoku Shinkansen was expanded through the introduction of two mini-Shinkansen lines, created byconverting existing1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)narrow gauge lines to1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge to allow through operation ofShinkansen services. While thetrack gauge is widened, the originalloading gauge is retained, necessitating the use of specially designed Shinkansen rolling stock with a narrower cross-section, leading to the "mini-Shinkansen" designation. Unlike purpose-builthigh-speed Shinkansen lines, mini-Shinkansen lines are constrained by their legacy infrastructure to maximum operating speeds of up to 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph). Two mini-Shinkansen routes were constructed: theYamagata Shinkansen, which opened in 1992, and theAkita Shinkansen, which opened in 1997.[17]
Northward extensions of the main Shinkansen line proceeded in stages. The section fromMorioka toHachinohe opened in December 2002,[14] followed by the extension toShin-Aomori on 4 December 2010.[18]
Beyond Shin-Aomori, the line and some services continue as theHokkaido Shinkansen toShin-Hakodate-Hokuto, which opened on 26 March 2016 via theSeikan Tunnel, the world's longest undersea railway tunnel. A further extension toSapporo is planned, with opening currently scheduled for 2039.[19]
On 5 March 2011,Hayabusa services began operating between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori at speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph) using newE5 series trainsets.[20] Following the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March, maximum speeds were temporarily reduced to 275 km/h (171 mph). In 2013, the maximum operating speed was increased to 320 km/h (200 mph).[21]
Because the route crosses mountainous terrain, it makes extensive use of long tunnels. The 25.8-kilometre (16 mi)Iwate-Ichinohe Tunnel, completed in 2000, was briefly the world's longest land railway tunnel,[22] before being surpassed in 2005 by the 26.5-kilometre (16.5 mi)Hakkōda Tunnel on the extension toward Aomori. Both were later exceeded by Switzerland'sLötschberg Base Tunnel in 2007 and theGotthard Base Tunnel in 2010.
On the afternoon of 11 March 2011, services on the Tohoku Shinkansen were suspended as a result of the2011 Tōhoku 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.[23] Limited service on the line was restored in segments: Tokyo toNasushiobara was re-opened on 15 March, and Morioka to Shin-Aomori was re-opened on 22 March.[24] The line between Morioka andIchinoseki re-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.[25][26][27] The trains returned to full-speed operations on 23 September 2011.[28]
Amagnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Tohoku area approximately 46 km (29 mi) east ofNamie on the evening of 13 February 2021.[29] Following the quake, infrastructure damage was discovered betweenShin-Shirakawa andFurukawa stations.[30] JR East closed the Tohoku Shinkansen betweenNasushiobara andMorioka.[30] The section betweenIchinoseki and Morioka re-opened on 16 February,[31]Sendai and Ichinoseki on 22 February, and the remaining section between Nasushiobara and Sendai on 24 February.[32] Trains operated at 80% the usual timetable with top speeds reduced until 26 March, when repairs were completed and the normal timetable was restored.[33]
On 6 March 2025, at around 11:30 AM, theHayabusa-Komachi 21 train, composed of theH5 andE6 series Shinkansen, uncoupled while travelling betweenUeno andOmiya stations at around 60 km/h . Both trains made an emergency stop nearNishi-Nippori Station and no one among 642 passengers was injured. According to a JR East press conference, the problem came from the Komachi side.[34] On that day, 111 Shinkansen trains were cancelled and 166 were delayed, affecting more than 150,000 people.[34] The Tohoku Shinkansen was not the only Shinkansen to be affected, asJoetsu andHokuriku Shinkansen services were also delayed. Coupled operations withYamagata andAkita Shinkansen were cancelled. Passengers were guided to interchange atFukushima station for Yamagata Shinkansen andMorioka station for Akita Shinkansen.[35] It brought inconvenience for passengers, as interchanges require transferring from Shinkansen to conventional line platforms, with stations more congested than usual. A similar accident happened in September 2024, when Hayabusa-Komachi train travelling betweenFurukawa andSendai stations uncoupled while travelling at more than 300 km/h. Train inspections and special measures were taken.[34][36]
On 23 June 2007, 10-car set K47 was used for a specialYamabiko 931 service from Omiya to Morioka to mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen.[37]
On 23 June 2012, 10-car set K47 was used for a specialYamabiko 235 service from Omiya to Morioka to mark the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen.[38]
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