Tokaido Shinkansen

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Tokaido Shinkansen route

Tōkaidō Shinkansen (東海道新幹線) is the original Shinkansen line that opened in 1964 between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. It is operated by the Central Japan Railway Company, and formerly by JNR, Japan National Railways.

Contents

1 History
2 Trains
3 Stations
4 Notes and references

History

The Tokaido Shinkansen line was originally conceptualized in 1940 as a 150 km/h dedicated railway between Tokyo and Shimonoseki, which would have been 50% faster than the fastest express train of the time. The beginning of World War II stalled the project in its early planning stages, although a few tunnels were dug that were later used in the Shinkansen route. Since the line goes through Japan's 3 largest metropolitan areas, it is the most heavily travelled of all Shinkansen routes.

Construction of the line began in 1959 and completed in 1964, with the first train travelling from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka on October 1 of that year. The opening was timed to coincide with the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which had already brought international attention to the country. Originally the line was referred to in English as the New Tokaido Line. It is named after the Tokaido route of Japan used for centuries.

The line carried its 100 millionth passenger in 1967, and its billionth in 1976, and 4.16 billionth on its 40th anniversary in 2004.

A new Shinkansen stop at Shinagawa Station opened in October 2003, accompanied by a major timetable change which increased the number of daily Nozomi services.

A new station, Biwako-Ritto, is planned to open in 2012 between Maibara and Kyoto. However, this station's future could be in jeopardy after the election of Yukiko Kada as Governor of Shiga Prefecture in July of 2006. Kada won the election on the basis of her pledge to freeze the planned construction of the station.

Trains

There are three types of trains on the line: from fastest to slowest, they are the Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. Many continue onward to the Sanyo Shinkansen, going as far as Fukuoka's Hakata Station.

Train sets on the line include:

300 Series Hikari/Kodama
500 Series Nozomi
700 Series Nozomi/Hikari/Kodama

The Hikari run from Tokyo to Osaka took four hours in 1964; this was shortened to 3 hr. 10 min. in 1965. With the introduction of high-speed Nozomi service in 1992, the travel time was shortened to 2 hr. 30 min.

Stations

Kodama trains stop at all stations. Nozomi and Hikari trains have varying stopping patterns.

Station in Japanese Ward / City Transfers
Tokyo 東京 Chiyoda, Tokyo Tohoku Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen, Yamanote Line Chuo Main Line, Sobu Main Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tokaido Main Line, Keiyo Line, Yokosuka Line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
Shinagawa 品川 Minato, Tokyo Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tokaido Main Line, Yokosuka Line, Keikyu Main Line
Shin-Yokohama 新横浜 Kohoku-ku, Yokohama Yokohama Line, Yokohama Subway No. 3 Line
Odawara 小田原 Odawara, Kanagawa Tokaido Main Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line, Odakyu Odawara Line, Izu-Hakone Railway Daiyuzan Line, Hakone-Tozan Line
Atami 熱海 Atami, Shizuoka Tokaido Main Line, Ito Line
Mishima 三島 Mishima, Shizuoka Tokaido Main Line, Izu-Hakone Railway Sunzu Line
Shin-Fuji 新富士 Fuji, Shizuoka
Shizuoka 静岡 Aoi-ku, Shizuoka Tokaido Main Line, Shizuoka Kiyomizu Line (Shin-Shizuoka Station)
Kakegawa 掛川 Kakegawa, Shizuoka Tokaido Main Line, Tenryu Hamanako Line
Hamamatsu 浜松 Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Tokaido Main Line, Enshu Railway (Shin-Hamamatsu Station)
Toyohashi 豊橋 Toyohashi, Aichi Tokaido Main Line, Iida Line, Nagoya Main Line, Toyohashi Atsumi Line, Toyohashi Azumada Main Line
Mikawa-Anjo 三河安城 Anjo, Aichi Tokaido Main Line
Nagoya 名古屋 Nakamura-ku, Nagoya Tokaido Main Line, Chuo Main Line, Kansai Main Line, Nagoya Subway Higashiyama Line, Nagoya Subway Sakuradori Line, Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line (Meitetsu Nagoya Station), Kintetsu Nagoya Line (Kintetsu Nagoya Station), Aonami Line
Gifu-Hashima 岐阜羽島 Hashima, Gifu Meitetsu Hashima Line (Shin-Hashima Station)
Maibara 米原 Maibara, Shiga Tokaido Main Line, Biwako Line, Hokuriku Main Line, Oumi Railway
Minami-Biwako 南びわ湖 Ritto, Shiga Planned to open in 2012
Kyoto 京都 Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line, Sagano Line, Nara Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line, Kyoto Subway Karasuma Line
Shin-Osaka 新大阪 Yodogawa-ku, Osaka Sanyo Shinkansen, JR Kyoto Line, Osaka Subway Midosuji Line

Station	in Japanese	Ward / City	Transfers
Tokyo	東京	Chiyoda, Tokyo	Tohoku Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen, Yamanote Line Chuo Main Line, Sobu Main Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tokaido Main Line, Keiyo Line, Yokosuka Line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
Shinagawa	品川	Minato, Tokyo	Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tokaido Main Line, Yokosuka Line, Keikyu Main Line
Shin-Yokohama	新横浜	Kohoku-ku, Yokohama	Yokohama Line, Yokohama Subway No. 3 Line
Odawara	小田原	Odawara, Kanagawa	Tokaido Main Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line, Odakyu Odawara Line, Izu-Hakone Railway Daiyuzan Line, Hakone-Tozan Line
Atami	熱海	Atami, Shizuoka	Tokaido Main Line, Ito Line
Mishima	三島	Mishima, Shizuoka	Tokaido Main Line, Izu-Hakone Railway Sunzu Line
Shin-Fuji	新富士	Fuji, Shizuoka
Shizuoka	静岡	Aoi-ku, Shizuoka	Tokaido Main Line, Shizuoka Kiyomizu Line (Shin-Shizuoka Station)
Kakegawa	掛川	Kakegawa, Shizuoka	Tokaido Main Line, Tenryu Hamanako Line
Hamamatsu	浜松	Hamamatsu, Shizuoka	Tokaido Main Line, Enshu Railway (Shin-Hamamatsu Station)
Toyohashi	豊橋	Toyohashi, Aichi	Tokaido Main Line, Iida Line, Nagoya Main Line, Toyohashi Atsumi Line, Toyohashi Azumada Main Line
Mikawa-Anjo	三河安城	Anjo, Aichi	Tokaido Main Line
Nagoya	名古屋	Nakamura-ku, Nagoya	Tokaido Main Line, Chuo Main Line, Kansai Main Line, Nagoya Subway Higashiyama Line, Nagoya Subway Sakuradori Line, Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line (Meitetsu Nagoya Station), Kintetsu Nagoya Line (Kintetsu Nagoya Station), Aonami Line
Gifu-Hashima	岐阜羽島	Hashima, Gifu	Meitetsu Hashima Line (Shin-Hashima Station)
Maibara	米原	Maibara, Shiga	Tokaido Main Line, Biwako Line, Hokuriku Main Line, Oumi Railway
Minami-Biwako	南びわ湖	Ritto, Shiga		Planned to open in 2012
Kyoto	京都	Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto	Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line, Sagano Line, Nara Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line, Kyoto Subway Karasuma Line
Shin-Osaka	新大阪	Yodogawa-ku, Osaka	Sanyo Shinkansen, JR Kyoto Line, Osaka Subway Midosuji Line

Notes and references

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