Hokuriku Shinkansen
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The Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線) is a Shinkansen rail line which opened in 1997 between Takasaki and Nagano; it is called the Nagano Shinkansen (長野新幹線) in JR East publicity and timetables. It was constructed to connect Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. The current line extends 117.4 km.
The Asama superexpress 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. There are approximately 2 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 Hokuriku Shinkansen services replaced the conventional Shin-etsu Main Line Express services, also named Asama, which previously took 2 h 50 min from Tokyo (Ueno Station) to Nagano. Following the opening of the Shinkansen, part of the conventional line was abandoned between Yokokawa and Karuizawa. This segment 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 2 (serving 4 tracks).
Smoking on all Asama trains was prohibited from December 2005.
[edit] Future
Future plans for the Hokuriku Shinkansen eventually include extension as far as Osaka via Toyama, Toyama and Kanazawa. Parts of the 162.1 km section to Toyama began as early as 1993, and as of 2005 construction is currently underway as far as Kanazawa, including the 22.2 km Iiyama tunnel which is about 40% complete as of 2005. Completion as far as Toyama is expected by 2012, with service to Kanazawa tentatively scheduled for 2014. Construction to Fukui is scheduled to begin 2008, with the final leg to Osaka not yet finalized.
Beyond Joetsu station, the line will be operated by JR West instead of JR East.
[edit] Stations
| Station name | Japanese | Total distance | Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tōhoku Shinkansen | |||||
| Tokyo | 東京 | -108.6 km | JR East: 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), ○ Tōzai Line (Ōtemachi, T-09) |
Chiyoda | Tokyo |
| Ueno | 上野 | -105 km | JR East: 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), ○ Hibiya Line (H-17) |
Taitō | |
| Ōmiya | 大宮 | -77.3 km | JR East: Jōestu Shinkansen (and Hokuriku Shinkansen), Kawagoe Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Saikyō Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Takasaki Line, Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line) Saitama New Urban Transit: Ina Line (New Shuttle) Tōbu: Noda Line |
Ōmiya-ku, Saitama | Saitama |
| Jōetsu Shinkansen | |||||
| Ōmiya | 大宮 | Ōmiya-ku, Saitama | Saitama | ||
| Kumagaya | 熊谷 | -40.7 km | Chichibu Railway: Chichibu Main Line JR East: Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Takasaki Line |
Kumagaya | |
| Honjō-Waseda | 本庄早稲田 | -19.6 km | Honjō | ||
| Takasaki | 高崎 | 0 km | Jōshin Electric Railway: Jōshin Line JR East: Agatsuma Line, Hachikō Line, Hokuriku Shinkansen, Jōetsu Line, Ryōmō Line, Shin'etsu Main Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Takasaki Line |
Takasaki | Gunma |
| Hokuriku Shinakansen | |||||
| Currently operational (Nagano Shinkansen) | |||||
| Takasaki | 高崎 | Takasaki | Gunma | ||
| Annaka-Haruna | 安中榛名 | 18.5 km | Annaka | ||
| Karuizawa | 軽井沢 | 41.8 km | Shinano Railway: Shinano Railway Line | Karuizawa, Kitasaku | Nagano |
| Sakudaira | 佐久平 | 59.4 km | JR East: Koumi Line | Saku | |
| Ueda | 上田 | 84.2 km | Shinano Railway: Shinano Railway Line Ueda Electric Railway: Bessho Line |
Ueda | |
| Nagano | 長野 | 117.4 km | JR East: Iiyama Line, Shin'etsu Main Line, Shinonoi Line Nagano Electric Railway: Nagano Line Shinano Railway: Shinano Railway Line |
Nagano | |
| Under construction, scheduled to open before April 2015 | |||||
| Nagano | 長野 | Nagano | Nagano | ||
| Iiyama | 飯山 | JR East: Iiyama Line | Iiyama | ||
| Jōetsu 1 | 上越 | JR East: Shin'etsu Main Line (Wakinoda 2) | Jōetsu | Niigata | |
| Itoigawa | 糸魚川 | JR West: Hokuriku Main Line, Ōito Line | Itoigawa | ||
| Shin-Kurobe 1 | 新黒部 | Toyama Chihō Railway: Main Line 3 | Kurobe | Toyama | |
| Toyama | 富山 | JR West: Hokuriku Main Line, Takayama Main Line Toyama Light Rail: Toyamakō Line (Toyamaekikita) Toyama Chihō Railway: Fujikoshi Line, Main Line, Tateyama Line (3 lines at Dentetsu-Toyama), Toyama City Tram Line (Toyama-Ekimae) |
Toyama | ||
| Shin-Takaoka 1 | 新高岡 | JR West: Jōhana Line 3 | Takaoka | ||
| Kanazawa | 金沢 | Hokuriku Railroad: Asanogawa Line (Hokutetsu-Kanazawa) JR West: Hokuriku Main Line, Nanao Line |
Kanazawa | Ishikawa | |
| Hakusan Classification Yard | 白山総合車両基地 | Hakusan | |||
| Planned | |||||
| Hakusan Classification Yard | 白山総合車両基地 | Hakusan | Ishikawa | ||
| Komatsu | 小松 | JR West: Hokuriku Main Line | Komatsu | ||
| Kaga-Onsen | 加賀温泉 | JR West: Hokuriku Main Line | Kaga | ||
| Awara-Onsen | 芦原温泉 | JR West: Hokuriku Main Line | Awara | Fukui | |
| Fukui | 福井 | Echizen Railway: Katsuyama Eiheiji Line, Mikuni Awara Line Fukui Railway: Fukubu Line (Fukui-Ekimae) JR West: Etsumi-Hoku Line (Kuzuryū Line), Hokuriku Main Line |
Fukui | ||
| Nan'etsu 1 | 南越 | Echizen | |||
| Tsuruga | 敦賀 | JR West: Hokuriku Main Line, Obama Line | Tsuruga | ||
| (The route between Tsuruga and Shin-Ōsaka is not yet determined.) | |||||
- 1: The name is tentative.
- 2: The current name will be changed when the Shinkansen line opens.
- 3: A new station will be constructed.
|
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