Sanyō Shinkansen
| Sanyō Shinkansen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 N700 Series Shinkansen between Okayama and Aioi, April 2009 |
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| Overview | |||
| Type | Shinkansen | ||
| Locale | Japan | ||
| Termini | Shin-Ōsaka Hakata |
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| Stations | 19 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 15 March 1972 | ||
| Owner | JR West | ||
| Operator(s) | JR Central JR Kyushu JR West |
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| Depot(s) | Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Hakata | ||
| Rolling stock | 500 series 700 series N700 series |
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| Technical | |||
| Line length | 553.7 kilometres (344.1 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV AC, 60 Hz, overhead catenary | ||
| Operating speed | 300 km/h (190 mph) | ||
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The Sanyō Shinkansen (山陽新幹線 San'yō Shinkansen) is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Ōsaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan. Operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), it is a westward continuation of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and also serves other major cities in between on Honshu and Kyushu islands such as Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Kitakyushu. The Kyushu Shinkansen continues south of Hakata to Kagoshima. The Sanyō Shinkansen connects Hakata with Osaka in two-and-a-half hours, with trains operating at a maximum operating speed of 300 km/h (190 mph), with the following exceptions: east-bound trains have a maximum speed between Himeji and Shin-Kobe of 275 km/h and west-bound trains have a maximum limit of 285 km/h from Shin-Ōsaka to Shin-Kobe and 275 km/h from Shin-Kobe to Nishi-Akashi.[1] Some Nozomi trains operate continuously on Sanyō and Tōkaidō Shinkansen lines, connecting Tokyo and Hakata in five hours.
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Trains [edit]
Train sets operating on the line include:
- 500 series: Hikari / Kodama
- 700 series: Nozomi / Hikari / Hikari Rail Star / Kodama
- N700 series: Nozomi / Hikari
- N700-7000/8000 series: Mizuho / Sakura
Stations [edit]
All stations on the Sanyō Shinkansen are owned and operated by JR West, with the exception of Shin-Ōsaka which is run by Central Japan Railway Company (JR central).
History [edit]
Construction of the Sanyō Shinkansen between Shin-Ōsaka and Okayama was authorized on September 9, 1965 and commenced on March 16, 1967. Construction between Okayama and Hakata commenced on February 10, 1970. The Shin-Ōsaka to Okayama segment opened on March 15, 1972; the remainder of the line opened on March 10, 1975. The first Hikari trains, using 0 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. 100 series trains, introduced in 1989, boosted maximum speed to 230 km/h and reduced travel time to 2 hours 49 minutes.
Tokyo to Hakata Nozomi services began on March 18, 1993, using 300 series trains. The Shin-Ōsaka to Hakata run was reduced to 2 hours 32 minutes, at a maximum speed of 270 km/h. On March 22, 1997, the 500 series entered service on Nozomi services between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata, reducing that run to 2 hours 17 minutes at a maximum speed of 300 km/h.
The 700 series was introduced on Tokyo-Hakata Nozomi services on March 13, 1999, coinciding with the opening of Asa Station, and on March 11, 2000, 700 series trains were introduced on Hikari Rail Star services.
Ogori Station was renamed Shin-Yamaguchi Station on October 1, 2003.
The N700 series was launched on Nozomi services on July 1, 2007, with a top speed of 300 km/h (compared to 285 km/h for the 700 series).
From the start of the revised timetable on March 12, 2011, new Mizuho and Sakura inter-running services commenced between Shin-Ōsaka and Kagoshima on the Kyushu Shinkansen using new N700-7000 and N700-8000 series 8-car trainsets.
Ridership [edit]
In fiscal 2005, the Sanyo Shinkansen line ridership was 58 million passengers/year, or about 159,000 daily.[2]
References [edit]
- ^ "300km/hのトップランナー" [300 km/h Top Runners]. Japan Railfan Magazine (Japan: Kōyūsha Co., Ltd.) 52 (612): p.14. April 2012.
- ^ http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/english/company/con02/library/annual/2005/c06.html
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sanyō Shinkansen |
- JR West website (English)
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