Hokkaido Shinkansen

An H5 series Shinkansen undergoing testing in November 2015

Overview

Native name

北海道新幹線

Type

Shinkansen

Status

Operational

Locale

Japan

Termini

Shin-Aomori
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto

Stations

Operation

Opened

26 March 2016

Owner

JR Hokkaido

Rolling stock

E5 series, H5 series

Technical

Line length

148.9 km

Track gauge

1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)

Electrification

25 kV AC, 50 Hz, overhead catenary

Operating speed

260 km/h (160 mph)
140 km/h (85 mph) (through Seikan Tunnel)

Route map

The Hokkaido Shinkansen (北海道新幹線, Hokkaidō Shinkansen^?) is a Japanese high-speed shinkansen rail line that links up with the Tōhoku Shinkansen in northern Aomori Prefecture in Honshu and continues on into the interior of Hokkaido through the undersea Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May 2005, and the initial Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto section opened on 26 March 2016. Extension of the line to Sapporo is scheduled to open by March 2031. The line is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido).

In preparation for the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, the Seikan Tunnel (Kaikyō Line) and associated approaches (approximately 82 km in total) were converted to dual gauge, with both the Shinkansen 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard and 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge tracks.

Upon the opening of the Shinkansen line the section of the conventional (narrow gauge) Esashi Line approximately paralleling the same route between Goryōkaku and Kikonai was transferred from the control of JR Hokkaido to a newly established third-sector railway operating company, South Hokkaido Railway Company, becoming the Isaribi Line.

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Wikipedia