| Hokuriku Shinkansen | |
| Native Name: | 北陸新幹線 |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Mapcolor: |
|
| Logo2: | shinkansen jrw.svg |
| Logo Width2: | 50 |
| Type: | High-speed rail (Shinkansen) |
| System: | Shinkansen |
| Status: | Operational |
| Locale: | Tokyo, Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui Prefectures |
| Start: | , (Through services) |
| Stations: | 24 |
| Routes: | Kagayaki, Hakutaka, Tsurugi, Asama |
| Lastextension: | , to |
| Owner: | JRTT |
| Operator: | (from Takasaki to) (from Jōetsumyōkō to Tsuruga) |
| Depot: | Nagano, Hakusan |
| Stock: | E7 series, W7 series |
| Tracks: | Double-track |
| Electrification: | 25 kV AC, 50/60 Hz (overhead line) |
| Speed: | , (Between Omiya and Takasaki Stations) |
| Trainprotection: | DS-ATC |
| Signalling: | Cab signalling |
| Maxincline: | 3.0% |
| Map State: | show |
The Hokuriku Shinkansen (ja|北陸新幹線) is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo with Tsuruga in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
The first section, between and in Nagano Prefecture, opened on 1 October 1997 in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics, and was originally called the . The extension to in Toyama Prefecture and Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture opened on 14 March 2015.[1] Construction of a further section onward to and in Fukui Prefecture, covering 125 kilometers and six stations, commenced in 2012 and opened on 16 March 2024.[2] The route of the final section to Shin-Osaka was decided on 20 December 2016 as the Osaka–Kyoto route,[3] with construction expected to begin in the late 2020s and take about 25 years, after impact assessment procedures for areas along the line are completed.[4]
Since March 2015, services on the line are split into four types, with train names as listed below.[5] Trains operate over the Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen tracks between Tokyo and Takasaki.
The original Nagano Shinkansen Asama services, introduced in 1997, replaced the conventional Shin'etsu 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. Travel time between Tokyo and Tsuruga is 3 hours 8 minutes, 50 minutes shorter than using a conventional train between Kanazawa and Tsuruga.[6]
Legend:
| ● | All trains stop | |
|---|---|---|
| ▲ | Some trains stop | |
| ｜ | All trains pass |
| Line | Station | Japanese | Distance from (km) | Location | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from (km) | |||||||||||
| Kagayaki | |||||||||||
| Hakutaka | |||||||||||
| Asama | |||||||||||
| Tsurugi | |||||||||||
| Transfers | |||||||||||
| Tōhoku Shinkansen | Japanese: 東京 | 108.6 | 0.0 | ● | ● | ● | Chiyoda | Tokyo | |||
| Japanese: 上野 | 105.0 | 3.6 | ▲ | ● | ● | Taitō | |||||
| Jōetsu Shinkansen | Japanese: 大宮 | 77.3 | 31.3 | ● | ● | ● | Ōmiya-ku, Saitama | Saitama | |||
| Japanese: 熊谷 | 40.7 | 67.9 | ｜ | ｜ | ● | Kumagaya | |||||
| Japanese: 本庄早稲田 | 19.6 | 89.0 | ｜ | ｜ | ● | Honjō | |||||
| Hokuriku Shinkansen | Japanese: 高崎 | 0.0 | 108.6 | ｜ | ● | ● | Takasaki | Gunma | |||
| Japanese: 安中榛名 | 18.5 | 127.1 | ｜ | ｜ | ▲ | Annaka | |||||
| Japanese: 軽井沢 | 41.8 | 150.4 | ｜ | ▲ | ● | Karuizawa, Kitasaku | Nagano | ||||
| Japanese: 佐久平 | 59.4 | 168.0 | ｜ | ▲ | ● | Saku | |||||
| Japanese: 上田 | 84.2 | 192.8 | ｜ | ▲ | ● | Ueda | |||||
| Japanese: 長野 | 117.4 | 226.0 | ● | ● | ● | Nagano | |||||
| Japanese: 飯山 | 147.3 | 255.9 | ｜ | ▲ | Iiyama | ||||||
| Japanese: 上越妙高 | 176.9 | 285.5 | ｜ | ● | Jōetsu | Niigata | |||||
| Japanese: 糸魚川 | 213.9 | 322.5 | ｜ | ● | Itoigawa | ||||||
| Japanese: 黒部宇奈月温泉 | 253.1 | 361.7 | ｜ | ● | Kurobe | Toyama | |||||
| Japanese: 富山 | 286.9 | 395.5 | ● | ● | ● | Toyama | |||||
| Japanese: 新高岡 | 305.8 | 414.4 | ｜ | ● | ● | Takaoka | |||||
| Japanese: 金沢 | 345.5 | 454.1 | ● | ● | ● | Kanazawa | Ishikawa | ||||
| Japanese: 小松 | 372.6 | 481.2 | ▲ | ● | ▲ | Komatsu | |||||
| Japanese: 加賀温泉 | 387.1 | 495.7 | ▲ | ● | ▲ | Kaga | |||||
| Japanese: 芦原温泉 | 403.5 | 512.0 | ▲ | ● | ▲ | Awara | Fukui | ||||
| Japanese: 福井 | 421.5 | 530.0 | ● | ● | ● | Fukui | |||||
| [7] | Japanese: 越前たけふ | 440.5 | 549.0 | ▲ | ● | ▲ | Echizen | ||||
| Japanese: 敦賀 | 470.6 | 579.2 | ● | ● | ● | Tsuruga | |||||
| Environmental impact assessment is underway.[8] | |||||||||||
| Hokuriku Shinkansen | [9] | Japanese: 東小浜 [10] | Obama | Fukui | |||||||
| Japanese: 京都 | Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto | Kyoto | |||||||||
| Japanese: 松井山手 | Kyōtanabe | ||||||||||
| Japanese: 新大阪 | Yodogawa-ku, Osaka | Osaka | |||||||||
As of 2024, the maximum line speed is 110round=5NaNround=5 between Tokyo and Ueno, 130km/h between Ueno and Omiya,[11] 275round=5NaNround=5 between Omiya and Takasaki,[12] and 260round=5NaNround=5 between Takasaki and Tsuruga.[13]
With the start of Nagano Shinkansen services, trains were operated by a new fleet of JR East E2 series 8-car sets. A fleet of 17 new E7 series 12-car trainsets were phased in from March 2014, and these were augmented by a fleet of 10 JR West W7 series 12-car sets introduced from March 2015. The fleet of W7 series was purchased at a cost of ¥32.8 billion. The remaining E2 series trainsets were withdrawn from Hokuriku Shinkansen services on 31 March 2017.[15]
In 2019, ten trains, eight from JR East with a book value of ¥11.8 billion and two from JR West, were damaged when a train yard in Nagano was flooded as the Chikuma River overflowed during typhoon Hagibis.[16] As a result, JR West suffered a loss of .[17]
The original E2 series 8-car "J" sets, primarily used on Tohoku Shinkansen services were also used on some Asama services until they were subsequently lengthened to 10 cars. One specially-modified 200 series set, numbered F80, was used on additional Asama services in February 1998 during the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano. The train was modified to operate on both 25 kV AC 50 Hz and 60 Hz overhead power supplies, incorporated weight-saving measures to comply with the 16 tonne axle load restriction, and included additional control equipment to cope with the 30‰ gradient of the Nagano Shinkansen.[18] Its maximum speed was limited to 210km/h.[18] The last services operated using eight-car E2 series trainsets ran on 31 March 2017, from which date all Asama services were formed of E7 and W7 series trainsets.[19]
The initial section between Takasaki and Nagano opened on 1 October 1997, in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.
Between May 2012 and March 2014, station platforms on the Nagano Shinkansen had their platform roofs extended to handle the E7 series 12-car trains which entered service in March 2014 ahead of the March 2015 opening of the extension beyond Nagano.[20] The Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to opened in March 2015.[20] The 113-km extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga was approved for construction in June 2012.[21]
From the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014, E7 series trainsets were introduced on Asama services.[14] Initially used on seven return services daily, this number was increased to eleven return services daily from 19 April 2014.[14]
The line's legal name has always been Hokuriku Shinkansen. However, just before the opening of the Nagano section, JR East has decided that using this name in passenger service is to be avoided. From March 22, 1997, until the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa, the primary route for Hokuriku customers (from the Tokyo area) is to use the Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa Station, then transfer to Hakutaka via the Hokuetsu Express, rendering using the Takasaki–Nagano section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen meaningless for them. Therefore, JR East sought other names.[22]
On the other hand, local governments in Hokuriku, fearing construction west of Nagano may be halted, petitioned that the name "Hokuriku" should remain in use for operational purposes.[23]
JR East announced the following solution at July 25, 1997:[24]
Soon, "Nagano-bound Shinkansen" fell out of use, and timetables by various publishers use "Nagano Shinkansen" only.[25] Construction to Kanazawa was officially decided, thereby reducing the opposition to the name.
Construction of the extension from Nagano to Kanazawa was completed on 24 May 2014.[26] When services commenced in March 2015, the travel time from Tokyo to Toyama was reduced to about 2 hours, with Kanazawa an additional 30 minutes away.[26] Final permission to start construction to Fukui was granted in December 2011, with modification works to Fukui Station already in progress for several years in anticipation of the extension.[27] The extension to Tsuruga was approved for construction on 30 June 2012,[28] and opened on 16 March 2024.[29] Beyond Jōetsumyōkō Station, the line is operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) instead of East Japan Railway Company (JR East).[30]
Many people speculated about and discussed what the line's operational name should be after Nagano–Kanazawa section is completed.
Nagano economic associations argued a sudden change in name will confuse customers, propose "Nagano–Hokuriku Shinkansen" to be used.[31] In contrast government officials and economic associations in Hokuriku region defended the legal name, including statements such as "a just result should come after 3 prefectures striving for 40 years".[32] [33] [34]
Section west of Jōetsumyōkō belongs to JR West, which did not state an opinion and used "Hokuriku Shinkansen" only.[35]
On October 2, 2013, JR East announced formal line name will be Hokuriku Shinkansen (consistent with National Shinkansen Railway Development Act) and depicted as Hokuriku Shinkansen (via Nagano) to reflect its expansion into the region, resolving the naming issue.[36]
Test-running on the JR East section of the line between Nagano and Kurobe-Unazukionsen commenced on 1 December 2013, initially at low speeds using the "East i" test train.[37] From 6 December, test-running commenced using 10-car E2 series trainsets, with running speeds gradually increased to the full line speed of 260km/h.[37] Test-running continued until the end of March 2014.[37] Test-running on the entire line between Nagano and Kanazawa (Hakusan Depot) started on 1 August 2014, using the "East i" test train.[38] Test-running using W7 series trains commenced on 5 August 2014, initially at low speed, on the JR West section between and .[39]
In the months preceding the opening, JR West conducted various low speed runs on the new Kanazawa-Tsuruga section using "East i" test trains on 23 September 2023.[40] Runs using regular W7 series trainsets started on 26 September. Regular passenger service began on 16 March 2024, with ceremonies at both and from the respective presidents of JR West and JR East.[41] The extension cost to build.[42]
In accordance with the opening of the extension, the limited express service Thunderbird ended its service between Tsuruga and Kanazawa on 15 March 2024.[43]
The route of the final section from to was finalized on 20 December 2016 as the Obama–Kyoto route.[3] JRTT proposed three possible stations in Kyoto at an August 8, 2024 meeting.[44] Two options include a new station underground near Kyoto Station. The third option is a newly constructed station near Katsuragawa Station, also underground. The route extension is estimated to cost up to 5.3 trillion yen and require up to 28 years to complete construction.[45]
Including the Obama-Kyoto route, the following four options were under consideration before the December 2016 announcement,[46] with a fifth unofficial option suggested by a local politician.[47]
A government committee deliberating the proposals decided in April 2016 to narrow the proposed route to three alignments between and and two alignments between Kyoto and (a northern route through Minoh and a southern route through the Kansai Science City). On 6 March 2017 the government committee announced the chosen route from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka is to be via Kyotanabe, with a station at Matsuiyamate on the Katamachi Line.[48] [49] There are also requests from Kyoto City and Kyoto Prefecture, local governments along the route, to further extend the line to .[50] [51]
In an attempt to extend the benefits of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to stations west of Tsuruga before the section to Shin-Osaka is completed, JR West was working in partnership with Talgo on the development of a Gauge Change Train (GCT), which was proposed to be capable of operating under both the 25 kV AC electrification used on the Shinkansen and the 1.5 kV DC system employed on conventional lines. The six-car train was due to start trials on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the 1067 mm-gauge Hokuriku and Kosei lines in 2017. As part of the project JR West had begun trials with a purpose-built 180 m-long gauge-changer at Tsuruga.[52] However, as a result of the abandonment of the proposed use of a GCT on the West Kyushu Shinkansen to Nagasaki by JR Kyushu, in August 2018 JR West announced that the proposed GCT between Tsuruga and Osaka had been abandoned.[53]
With the opening of the initial Nagano Shinkansen section in October 1997, the section of the conventional (narrow gauge) Shinetsu Main Line running along approximately the same route between and was transferred from the control of JR East to a newly established third-sector railway operating company, Shinano Railway, becoming the Shinano Railway Line.
With the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension north of Nagano on 14 March 2015, the conventional lines running along approximately the same route were transferred from the control of their respective JR owning companies to newly established third-sector railway operating companies funded primarily by the prefectural and municipal governments through which the lines pass. A total of 252.2km (156.7miles) of route between Nagano and Kanazawa was transferred to four separate operating companies, including 75km (47miles) of the Shinetsu Main Line between Nagano and, and 177.2km (110.1miles) of the Hokuriku Main Line between Naoetsu and Kanazawa.[54] Details of the five third-sector operating companies and their respective lines are as shown below.[54]
In 2019, it was decided that the section of the Hokuriku Main Line between Tsuruga and Fukui would be transferred to third-sector railway operating companies.[55] Three years later in 2022, it was determined that the section would be split among two operators. The IR Ishikawa Railway would extend their operations from Kanazawa to Daishoji,[56] while a new company, Hapi-Line Fukui,[57] established during the preparation phase, would take over the section between Daishoji and Tsuruga. Hapi-Line Fukui is expected to overtake the 84.3km (52.4miles) section of the Hokuriku Main Line effective the 16 March 2024 timetable revision.[58]
| Former line name | Former operating company | Date transferred | Section | Length (km) | New line name | Operating company |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 October 1997 | – | 65.1 | Shinano Railway | |||
| 14 March 2015 | – | 37.3 | ||||
| – | 37.7 | Echigo Tokimeki Railway | ||||
| – | 59.3 | Nihonkai Hisui Line | ||||
| – | 100.1 | Ainokaze Toyama Railway | ||||
| – | 17.8 | IR Ishikawa Railway | ||||
| 16 March 2024 | – | 46.4 | ||||
| – | 84.3 | Hapi-Line Fukui Line | Hapi-Line Fukui |