Nagano Shinkansen

Nagano Shinkansen
Nagano Shinkansen E2 Series train at Nagano Station, currently the northern terminus of the line
Overview
Type	Shinkansen
Locale	Japan
Termini	Takasaki Nagano
Stations	6
Operation
Opened	1 October 1997
Owner	JR East
Depot(s)	Nagano
Rolling stock	E2 Series Shinkansen
Technical
Line length	117.4 km
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	25 kV AC, 50/60 Hz, overhead catenary
Operating speed	260 km/h (160 mph)
Route map

The Nagano Shinkansen (長野新幹線) is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano. The Nagano Shinkansen forms the first section of the planned Hokuriku Shinkansen line currently under construction to Kanazawa, Tsuruga and eventually Osaka.

Services

The Asama trains, named for Mount Asama, an active volcano alongside the line, currently connect Tokyo and Nagano in a minimum of 79 minutes, at a maximum speed of 260 km/h. These services are run by JR East E2 series trainsets. There are approximately two services an hour; stopping patterns are varied, with only a few services stopping at all stations. The trains run along the Jōetsu and Tōhoku Shinkansen lines from Tokyo to Takasaki.

The Nagano Shinkansen services replaced the conventional Shinetsu Main Line limited express services, also named Asama, which previously took 2 hours 50 minutes from Tokyo (Ueno Station) to Nagano. Following the opening of the Shinkansen, part of the conventional line was abandoned between Yokokawa and Karuizawa. This section included the steeply-graded Usui Pass which required the use of bank engines on all trains.

A new island platform was constructed at Tokyo Station to coincide with the new services; this increased the number of JR East shinkansen platforms to two (serving four tracks).

Stations

Station name	Japanese	Distance from Takasaki (km)	Transfers	Location
Tōhoku Shinkansen
Tokyo	東京	-108.6	Chūō Main Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Keiyō Line, Sōbu Line (Rapid), Tōkaidō Main Line, Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Yamanote Line, Yokosuka Line ○ Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-17), ○ Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line (Ōtemachi, T-09)	Chiyoda	Tokyo
Ueno	上野	-105	Jōban Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Takasaki Line, Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line), Yamanote Line Keisei Main Line (Keisei Ueno) ○ Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G-16), ○ Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-17)	Taitō
Ōmiya	大宮	-77.3	Jōetsu Shinkansen, Kawagoe Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Saikyō Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Takasaki Line, Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line) New Shuttle Tobu Noda Line	Ōmiya-ku, Saitama	Saitama
Jōetsu Shinkansen
Ōmiya	大宮			Ōmiya-ku, Saitama	Saitama
Kumagaya	熊谷	-40.7	Chichibu Main Line Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Takasaki Line	Kumagaya
Honjō-Waseda	本庄早稲田	-19.6		Honjō
Takasaki	高崎	0.0	Joshin Electric Railway Line Agatsuma Line, Hachikō Line, Jōetsu Line, Ryōmō Line, Shin'etsu Main Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Takasaki Line	Takasaki	Gunma
Nagano Shinkansen
Takasaki	高崎			Takasaki	Gunma
Annaka-Haruna	安中榛名	18.5		Annaka
Karuizawa	軽井沢	41.8	Shinano Railway Line	Karuizawa, Kitasaku	Nagano
Sakudaira	佐久平	59.4	Koumi Line	Saku
Ueda	上田	84.2&	Shinano Railway Line Ueda Electric Railway Bessho Line	Ueda
Nagano	長野	117.4	Iiyama Line, Shin'etsu Main Line, Shinonoi Line Nagano Electric Railway Nagano Line Shinano Railway Line	Nagano

External links

• JR East website (Japanese)