Hokkaidō Shinkansen

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The Hokkaidō Shinkansen (北海道新幹線) is a high-speed rail line currently under construction between Aomori (Honshū) and Hokkaidō through the Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May 2005, and the initial Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate section is projected to open in 2015. There are long-term plans to extend the line to Sapporo. The line will be operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaidō).

Tōhoku and Hokkaidō Shinkansen services are hoped to be operated at speeds of up to 360 km/h. The proposed journey time from Tokyo to Sapporo is advertised locally as 3 hours, 57 minutes.

At the present time the Seikan Tunnel can only carry narrow-gauge traffic (Kaikyō Line), but it will be upgraded to dual gauge, with both standard and narrow-gauge tracks.

In the early 1970s, two other Shinkansen routes were proposed for Hokkaidō: Sapporo - Asahikawa and Oshamanbe - Sapporo (South Route). Plans have been indefinitely shelved at the present time.

[edit] Stations

Station name Japanese Total distance Transfers Location
Under construction, scheduled to open before April 2016
Shin-Aomori 新青森 0 km JR East: Ōu Main Line, Tōhoku Shinkansen Aomori Aomori
Oku-Tsugaru 1 奥津軽 38.5 km JR East: Tsugaru Line (Tsugaru-Futamata)
JR Hokkaidō: Kaikyō Line (Tsugaru-Imabetsu 2)
Imabetsu
(Seikan Tunnel)
Kikonai 木古内 113.3 km JR Hokkaidō: Esashi Line, Kaikyō Line Kikonai Hokkaidō
Shin-Hakodate 1 新函館 148.9 km JR Hokkaidō: Hakodate Main Line (Oshima-Ōno 2) Hokuto
Planned
Shin-Hakodate 新函館 Hokuto Hokkaidō
Shin-Yakumo 1 新八雲 203 km Yakumo
Oshamanbe 長万部 236.1 km JR Hokkaidō: Hakodate Main Line, Muroran Main Line Oshamanbe
Kutchan 倶知安 290.2 km JR Hokkaidō: Hakodate Main Line Kutchan
Shin-Otaru 1 新小樽 328.2 km Otaru
Sapporo 札幌 360.2 km JR Hokkaidō: Chitose Line, Hakodate Main Line, Sasshō Line (Gakuen-Toshi Line)
Sapporo City Subway: Namboku Line, Tōhō Line
Kita, Sapporo
1: The name is tentative.
2: The current name will be changed when the Shinkansen line opens.