Shinkansen

Also known as bullet train, high-speed rail in Japan

thumb|upright=1.2|Map of Shinkansen lines, as of May 2024 thumb|A lineup of JR East Shinkansen trains in October 2012. From left to right: E5, 200, E4, E2, E3, E926 "East i", and E1.

AI overview

The Shinkansen is Japan's network of high-speed railway lines operated by Japan Railways (JR) and other companies, featuring advanced trains designed to travel at very high speeds. It matters because it represents a major form of transportation infrastructure that connects different regions of Japan and demonstrates the country's technological capabilities in rail engineering.

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Wikidata facts

Image: JR East Shinkansen lineup at Niigata Depot 201210.jpg
Speed: 309

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Unicode character: 🚅
Commons category: Shinkansen
Commons gallery: Shinkansen
inception: 1964-10-01
native label: 新幹線

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~74 min read

Article

87 sections

Contents

Etymology
History
Background
Early proposal
Construction
Initial success
Network expansion
Technology
Routing
Track
Signal system
Electrical systems
Trains
Traction
Shinkansen lines
Current lines
Mini-Shinkansen
Non-Shinkansen lines operated with Shinkansen equipment
Lines under construction
Planned lines
Proposed lines
Cancelled lines
{{anchor|Service names|Services}} Services
Tōkaidō, San'yō and Kyushu Shinkansen
Tōhoku, Hokkaido, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen
Jōetsu Shinkansen
Hokuriku Shinkansen
Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen
Rolling stock
Passenger trains
Tōkaidō and San'yō Shinkansen
Kyushu and Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen
Tōhoku, Jōetsu, Hokuriku and Hokkaido Shinkansen
Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen
Experimental trains
Maintenance vehicles
Speed records
Traditional rail
Reliability
Punctuality
Safety record
Effects
Economics
Environment
Challenges
Noise pollution
Earthquake
Heavy snow
Ridership
Annual
Cumulative comparison
Passenger-kilometres
Future
Speed increases
Tōhoku Shinkansen
Hokkaido Shinkansen
Hokuriku extension
Abandoned interim Gauge Change plans
Tohoku extension/Hokkaido Shinkansen
Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen
Maglev (''Chūō Shinkansen'')
Mini-Shinkansen
Proposed Ou Base Tunnel
Gauge Change Train
Competition with air
Outside Japan
Existing
Taiwan
China
United Kingdom
Under construction
India
Under negotiation
United States
Proposed subject to funding
Thailand
Potential opportunities
Australia
Ireland
United States and Canada
Brazil
Vietnam
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links

thumb|upright=1.2|Map of Shinkansen lines, as of May 2024 thumb|A lineup of JR East Shinkansen trains in October 2012. From left to right: E5, 200, E4, E2, E3, E926 "East i", and E1.

The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. The system was developed to provide connections between Tokyo and other regions of the country. In addition to long-distance services, some sections in and around the largest metropolitan areas are used for commuter travel.