New Hokkaido Shinkansen High Speed Train Service Unveiled In Japan

Japan, September 21, 2015 -

The Hokkaido Shinkansen is ready to fly this coming March. With an agreement between Japan Railways JR East and JR Hokkaido subsidiaries, four new H5 model Shinkansen trainsets for the new line to Japan’s northern-most island.

The daily service pattern breaks down as follows:

·         Ten Hayabusa service trains from Tokyo to Hakodate on Hokkaido island;

·         One round trip from Sendai with two Hayate services, one of them from Morioka and the other from Shin-Aomori;

·         Sixteen 3-car emus will operate between Shin-Hakodate Hokuto and Hakodate city center, and;

·         The existing conventional line between Sapporo and Shin-Hakodate Hokuto will be increased to 12 trains from 9 per day.

In recent years, the trackage through the 53km Seikan tunnel and on Hokkaido have been dual-gauged in anticipation of the new service.

With the start of standard gauge Shinkansen, all of the 1067mm-gauge trains operating between Honshu and Hokkaido, including Cassiopeia, Super Hakucho, Hakucho, and Hamanasu trains will be terminated.

The long term goal is to provide Hokkaido Shinkansen second phase service to Sapporo by 2030 on a 211 kilometer route.

PHOTO CAPTION:  JR East's E5 Shinkansenin Tokyo station.