| Tōkaidō Shinkansen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 A JR CentralN700S Series train running Tokaido Shinkansen, September 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Native name | 東海道新幹線 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner |  JR Central | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Tokyo,Kanagawa,Shizuoka,Aichi,Gifu,Shiga,Kyoto, andOsaka Prefectures | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Color on map | Blue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | High-speed rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | Shinkansen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | Nozomi · Hikari · Kodama | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | JR Central | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depot(s) | Tokyo · Mishima · Nagoya · Osaka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | N700A · N700S | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | October 1, 1964; 61 years ago (1964-10-01) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 515.4 km (320.3 mi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 285 km/h (177 mph) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signalling | Cab signalling | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Train protection system | ATC-NS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum incline | 2% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheTōkaidō Shinkansen (Japanese:東海道新幹線;lit. 'East coast route, new main line') is a Japanesehigh-speed rail line that is part of the nationwideShinkansen network. Along with theSan'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through theTaiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 1964, running betweenTokyo andShin-Ōsaka, it was the world's first high-speed rail line,[1] and it remains one of the world's busiest.[2][3] Since 1987, it has been operated by theCentral Japan Railway Company (JR Central), prior to that byJapanese National Railways (JNR).
There are three types of services on the line: from fastest to slowest, they are the limited-stopNozomi, the semi-fastHikari, and the all-stopKodama. ManyNozomi andHikari trains continue onward to theSan'yō Shinkansen, going as far asFukuoka'sHakata Station. The different services operate at mostly the same speed.
The line was named a jointHistoric Mechanical Engineering Landmark andIEEE Milestone by theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers and theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 2000.[4][5]
The predecessor for the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines was originally conceived at the end of the 1930s as a1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gaugedangan ressha (bullet train) between Tokyo andShimonoseki, which would have taken nine hours to cover the nearly 1,000-kilometer (620 mi) distance between the two cities. This project was planned as the first part of an East Asian rail network servingJapan's overseas territories. The beginning ofWorld War II stalled the project in its early planning stages, although three tunnels were dug that were later used in the Shinkansen route.[6]
By 1955, theoriginal Tokaido line between Tokyo and Osaka was congested. Even after its electrification the next year, the line was still the busiest in Japan's railway network by a long margin, with demand being around double the then capacity.[7] In 1957, a public forum was organized to discuss “The Possibility of a Three-hour Rail Trip Between Tokyo and Osaka.”[6] After substantial debate, theJapanese National Railways (JNR) decided to build a new1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge line alongside the original1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) one to supplement it.[8] The president of JNR at the time,Shinji Sogō, started attempting to persuade politicians to back the project. Realizing the high expenses of the project early on due to the use of new, unfamiliar technologies and the high concentration of tunnels and viaducts, Sogō settled for less government funding than what was needed.[6][9]
TheDiet approved the plan in December 1958, agreeing to fund¥194.8 billion out of the¥300 billion required over a five-year construction period. Then-finance ministerEisaku Satō recommended that the rest of the funds should be taken from non-governmental sources so that political changes would not cause funding issues.[9] Construction of the line began on April 20, 1959 under Sogō and chief engineerHideo Shima. In 1960, Shima and Sogō were sent to theUnited States to borrow money from theWorld Bank. Although the original request was for US$200 million, they came back with only $80 million, enough to fund 15% of the project, and could not use the loan for "experimental technology".[6][10] Severe cost overruns during construction forced both of them to resign.[11] The opening was timed to coincide with the1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which had already brought international attention to the country. Originally, the line was called theNew Tokaido Line in English. Just like the original railway line, it is named after theTokaido road that has been used for centuries.
Initially, there were two services: the fasterHikari (also called theSuper Express) made the journey between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka in four hours, while the slowerKodama (or thelimited express) made more stops and took five hours to travel the same route.[12] A test run was conducted August 25, 1964, simulating aHikari service. The run, which was deemed "very successful" by then-JNR president Reisuke Ishida, was also broadcast on television byNHK.[13] On October 1 that same year, the line was officially opened, withHikari 1 as the inaugural train from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka andHikari 2 in the other direction.
A travel time of four hours, however, did not make full use of the 210 km/h (130 mph) promise of the new system.[14] JNR were concerned that the track foundations had not sufficiently settled, and test were in fact frequently encountering issues, due to the rushed construction and testing schedule.[15] As a precautionary buffer, initial timetables were set so that trains could keep to a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph); drivers were to only exceed that speed to recover from delays.[14][16] One of the drivers of the inauguralHikari 2 skirted around the edict as a service to passengers by deliberately slowing the train before pushing the train full throttle on sections where the track was known to be most stable.[17]
In November 1965, both services had their schedule reworked so that the new timetable listed travel times of3 h 10 min for theHikari and4 h for theKodama,[18] with210 km/h running now permitted under normal circumstances.[14]
The 1970s were a difficult time for the JNR as local lines built up deficit. Profits from the Tokaido Shinkansen were used to offset the lines which were running at a loss which resulted in a lack of development and faster service over a 15-year period. Labor issues during that time steered away any attention from JNR executives, further complicating the possibility for research initiatives.[19] Despite the difficult financial situation throughout the 1970s, the loan from the World Bank made in 1959 was paid back in 1981.[20]
In 1988, one year after the privatization of JNR, the new operating company,JR Central, initiated a project to increase operating speeds through infrastructure improvement and a new train design. This resulted in the debut of the300 Series and theNozomi, the line's fastest service which took two and a half hours to traverse the route with a top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph), on March 14, 1992.[21][22][23]
New platforms for Shinkansen services atShinagawa Station opened in October 2003, accompanied by a major timetable change which increased the number of dailyNozomi services, which was now higher than the number ofHikari trains.[24][25] Initially, certainNozomi andHikari services did not stop at the station, with some skipping either Shinagawa orShin-Yokohama, and the plurality of services stopping at both. From March 2008 onward, all services stop at both stations.[26][27] Another station was planned to open in 2012 to serveRittō, a city between Maibara and Kyoto. Construction started in May 2006, but the project was canceled the next year due to political opposition from the government of the surroundingShiga Prefecture and theSupreme Court of Japan ruling the¥4.35 billion bond that the city had issued to fund construction was illegal and had to be canceled.[28]
The next speedup, which raised the top speed to its current 285 km/h (177 mph) level through the use of improved braking technology, was announced in 2014 and introduced on March 14, 2015, the 23rd anniversary of the last speed raise.[29][30] Initially, just one service per hour would run at this new speed.[31] After the replacement of the older, slower700 series with theN700 series in July 2007 and theN700S series in March 2020, a new timetable taking advantage of the speed increase with more services was planned.[32][33] However, theCOVID-19 pandemic further delayed these plans as service was temporarily cut.[34] An automated operating system is planned to be implemented for the line by 2028, with test runs starting in 2021.[35]
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Legend:
| ● | All trains stop |
|---|---|
| ▲ | Some trains stop |
| ｜ | All trains pass |
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The last services operated by 700 series sets took place on March 1, 2020, after which all Tokaido Shinkansen services are scheduled to be operated by N700A series or N700S series sets.[37] N700S series sets were then introduced on Tokaido Shinkansen services from July 1, 2020.
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All Tokaido Shinkansen trains have two classes of seating: Green Cars (First Class) offer 2+2 configured seating with all-reserved seating. Ordinary cars feature 2+3 configured seating with both reserved and unreserved seating.
Previously, all trains had an onboard trolley service that sold food and drinks. The ice cream sold by these trolleys was popularly known as "Shinkansen too hard ice cream", which eventually became an official sales name. Trolley service on the Tokaido Shinkansen was discontinued on October 31, 2023, due to falling sales and labor shortages.[38] This was replaced by a mobile order seat service exclusive for Green Car passengers from 1 November 2023. Passengers can scan a QR code on the back of their seat to purchase refreshments, which would then be brought by a cabin attendant.[39]
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 discontinued by Q2 2024.[40]
Since 2020, reservations are required to take large pieces of luggage on Tokaido Shinkansen trains.[41]
TheJapan Rail Pass is arail pass available to overseas visitors which allows travel on most major forms of transportation provided byJR Group companies, including the Tokaido Shinkansen. Japan Rail Pass holders can rideHikari orKodama services free of charge, and since October 2023, pass holders can also ride theNozomi service by purchasing a special supplementary ticket. Japan Rail Passes purchased prior to this were not valid onNozomi services, and passengers were required to purchase a full fare ticket to use this service.[42] Certain regional Rail Passes let passengers ride all services, including theNozomi. These passes typically have limited coverage and shorter usage periods compared to the full Japan Rail Pass.[43]
From 1964 to 2012, the Tokaido Shinkansen line carried approximately 5.3 billion passengers.[3] Ridership increased from 61,000 per day in 1964[44] to 391,000 per day in 2012.[3] By 2016, the route was carrying 452,000 passengers per day on 365 daily services making it one of the busiest high speed railway lines in the world.[45]
| Year | 1967 | 1976 | 2004 | Mar 2007 | Nov 2010 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridership (Cumulative) | 100 | 1,000 | 4,160[46] | 4,500[47] | 4,900[2] | 5,300[3] |
| Year | 1967 | April 1987 | April 2007 | April 2008 | April 2009 | April 2010 | April 2011 | April 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridership | 22[44] | 102[44] | 151[44] | 149[44] | 138[44] | 141[44] | 149[44] | 143[3] |
It was announced in June 2010 that a new Shinkansen station inSamukawa, Kanagawa Prefecture was under consideration by JR Central. If constructed, the station would open after theChuo Shinkansen, the newmaglev service currently under construction, begins operations.[48]
Shizuoka Prefecture has long lobbied JR Central for the construction of a station atShizuoka Airport, which the line passes directly beneath. The railway has so far refused, citing the close distance to the neighbouringKakegawa andShizuoka stations. If constructed, travel time from the center of Tokyo to the airport would be comparable to that forTokyo Narita Airport, enabling it to act as a third hub airport for the capital.[49] As the station would be built underneath an active airport, it is expected to open after the new maglev line.[50]
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