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Kyūshū Shinkansen

Kyushu Shinkansen
Shinkansen-K.png
Kyushu Shinkansen 800 series Shin-Minamata 20041123.jpg
800 Series Shinkansen Tsubame at Shin-Minamata Station
Overview
Native name 九州新幹線
Type Shinkansen
Locale Kyushu
Termini Hakata
Kagoshima-Chūō
Stations 12
Operation
Opened 2004
Owner JR Kyushu
Operator(s) JR Kyushu
JR West
Depot(s) Kumamoto
Sendai
Rolling stock 800 series
N700-7000/8000 series
Technical
Line length 256.8 km (159.6 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Electrification 25 kV AC, 60 Hz overhead catenary
Operating speed 260 km/h (160 mph)
Route map
Kyushu Shinkansen map Kagoshima route and Nagasaki route.png

The Kyushu Shinkansen (九州新幹線 Kyūshū Shinkansen?) is a Japanese high-speed railway line between the Japanese cities of Fukuoka (Hakata) and Kagoshima in Kyushu (and an extension of the Sanyo Shinkansen from Honshu), running parallel to the existing Kagoshima Main Line and operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). The southern 127 km (79 mi) was constructed first because the equivalent section of the former Kagoshima Main Line is single track, and thus a significant improvement in transit time was gained when this (dual track) section opened on 13 March 2004, despite the need for passengers to change to a Relay Tsubame narrow gauge train at Shin-Yatsushiro for the remainder of the journey to Hakata. The northern 130 km (81 mi) section opened on 12 March 2011 (although opening ceremonies were canceled due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami), enabling through-services to Shin-Osaka (and with a change of train, Tokyo).

The construction of the first section (from Takeo-Onsen to Isahaya) of the West Kyushu Shinkansen route to Nagasaki, approximately 45.7 km (28.4 mi) in length, began in 2008, with construction of the 21 km (13 mi) section from Isahaya to Nagasaki commencing in 2012. The entire line is due to open by March 2023,. Service was proposed to be provided by Gauge Change Train (GCT) trainsets (which are designed to operate on both existing narrow gauge lines and standard gauge Shinkansen lines); however, technical issues with the bogies is likely to delay CGT introduction until 2025, and initial service options are now being investigated, such as a 'relay' service.


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Wikipedia

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