Hokuriku Shinkansen

Hokuriku Shinkansen
A JR West W7 series train on the Hokuriku Shinkansen
Overview
Native name	北陸新幹線
Type	Shinkansen
Status	Operational
Locale	Japan
Termini	Takasaki Kanazawa
Operation
Opened	1 October 1997
Operator(s)	JR East, JR West
Depot(s)	Nagano, Hakusan
Rolling stock	E2 series, E7 series, W7 series
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius	4,000 m
Electrification	25 kV AC, 50/60 Hz, overhead catenary
Operating speed	260 km/h (160 mph)
Route map

The Hokuriku Shinkansen (北陸新幹線) is a high-speed shinkansen railway line jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), connecting Tokyo with Kanazawa in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between Takasaki and Nagano in Nagano Prefecture, opened on 1 October 1997, originally called the Nagano Shinkansen (長野新幹線) (Takasaki is linked to Tokyo by the Joetsu Shinkansen). The extension to Toyama in Toyama Prefecture and Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture opened on 14 March 2015. Construction of a further section onward to Fukui and Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture commenced in 2012, with scheduled opening in fiscal 2022. The options for the route of the final section to ultimately connect to the Tokaido Shinkansen are being studied, with four alignments being considered, connecting at Maibara, Kyoto, or Shin-Osaka.

Train names and service patterns

Since March 2015, services on the line are split into four types, with train names as listed below. Trains operate over the Joetsu and Tohoku Shinkansen tracks between Tokyo and Takasaki.

•      Kagayaki: Tokyo - Kanazawa, limited-stop service, since 14 March 2015
•      Hakutaka: Tokyo - Kanazawa, mostly all-stations service, since 14 March 2015
•      Tsurugi: Toyama - Kanazawa, all-stations shuttle service, since 14 March 2015
•      Asama: Tokyo - Nagano, mostly all-stations service, corresponding to existing Nagano Shinkansen service introduced in 1997

The original Nagano Shinkansen Asama services introduced in 1997 replaced the conventional Shinetsu Main Line limited express services, also named Asama, which previously took 2 hours 50 minutes from Tokyo (Ueno Station) to Nagano. Following the opening of the Shinkansen, part of the conventional line was abandoned between Yokokawa and Karuizawa. This section included the steeply-graded Usui Pass which required the use of bank engines on all trains.

Stations

Station name	Japanese	Distance from Takasaki (km)	Transfers	Location
Tohoku Shinkansen
Tokyo	東京	-108.6	Tokaido Shinkansen ■ Chuo Main Line ■ Keihin-Tohoku Line ■ Keiyo Line ■ Sobu Line (Rapid) ■ Tokaido Main Line ■ Yamanote Line ■ Yokosuka Line Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-17) Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line (Ōtemachi, T-09)	Chiyoda	Tokyo
Ueno	上野	-105	■ Joban Line ■ Keihin-Tohoku Line ■ Takasaki Line ■ Tohoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line) ■ Yamanote Line Keisei Main Line (Keisei Ueno) Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G-16) Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-17)	Taitō
Ōmiya	大宮	-77.3	Joetsu Shinkansen ■ Kawagoe Line ■ Keihin-Tohoku Line ■ Saikyo Line ■■ Shonan-Shinjuku Line ■ Takasaki Line ■ Tohoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line) ■New Shuttle Tobu Urban Park Line	Ōmiya-ku, Saitama	Saitama
Joetsu Shinkansen
Ōmiya	大宮			Ōmiya-ku, Saitama	Saitama
Kumagaya	熊谷	-40.7	■ Chichibu Main Line ■■ Shonan-Shinjuku Line ■ Takasaki Line	Kumagaya
Honjō-Waseda	本庄早稲田	-19.6		Honjō
Takasaki	高崎	0.0	■ Joshin Electric Railway Line ■ Agatsuma Line ■ Hachiko Line ■ Joetsu Line ■ Ryomo Line ■ Shinetsu Main Line ■■ Shonan-Shinjuku Line ■ Takasaki Line	Takasaki	Gunma
Hokuriku Shinkansen
Takasaki	高崎			Takasaki	Gunma
Annaka-Haruna	安中榛名	18.5		Annaka
Karuizawa	軽井沢	41.8	■ Shinano Railway Line	Karuizawa, Kitasaku	Nagano
Sakudaira	佐久平	59.4	■ Koumi Line	Saku
Ueda	上田	84.2	■ Shinano Railway Line Ueda Electric Railway Bessho Line	Ueda
Nagano	長野	117.4	■ Iiyama Line ■ Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line Nagano Electric Railway Nagano Line	Nagano
Iiyama	飯山	147.3	■ Iiyama Line	Iiyama
Jōetsumyōkō	上越妙高	176.9	■ Echigo Tokimeki Railway Myōkō Haneuma Line	Jōetsu	Niigata
Itoigawa	糸魚川	213.9	■ Ōito Line ■ Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line	Itoigawa
Kurobe-Unazukionsen	黒部宇奈月温泉	253.1	Toyama Chihō Railway Main Line	Kurobe	Toyama
Toyama	富山	286.9	Takayama Main Line ■■ Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line Toyama Light Rail Toyamako Line (Toyamaeki-Kita Toyama Chiho Railway Fujikoshi Line, Main Line, Tateyama Line (3 lines at Dentetsu-Toyama) Toyama City Tram Line (Toyama-Ekimae)	Toyama
Shin-Takaoka	新高岡	305.8	■ Jōhana Line	Takaoka
Kanazawa	金沢	345.4	■ Hokutetsu Asanogawa Line (Hokutetsu-Kanazawa) ■ Hokuriku Main Line ■ IR Ishikawa Railway Line ■ Nanao Line	Kanazawa	Ishikawa
Under construction; scheduled to open in fiscal 2022
Komatsu	小松	372.6	■ Hokuriku Main Line	Komatsu	Ishikawa
Kagaonsen	加賀温泉	387.2	■ Hokuriku Main Line	Kaga
Awaraonsen	芦原温泉	403.4	■ Hokuriku Main Line	Awara	Fukui
Fukui	福井	421.4	Katsuyama Eiheiji Line Mikuni Awara Line Fukubu Line (Fukui-Ekimae) ■ Etsumi-Hoku Line (Kuzuryū Line) ■ Hokuriku Main Line	Fukui
Nanetsu	南越	440.4		Echizen
Tsuruga	敦賀	466.1	■ Hokuriku Main Line ■ Obama Line	Tsuruga
(Route between Tsuruga and Shin-Osaka not yet finalized.)

• The boundary between JR East and JR West lies immediately to the north of Jōetsumyōkō Station.
• Stations in italics are not currently operational.

Rolling stock

• E2 series 8-car "N" sets, used on Tokyo - Nagano Asama services only
• E7 series 12-car "F" sets" (since 15 March 2014)
• W7 series 12-car "W" sets" (since 14 March 2015)

With the start of Nagano Shinkansen services, trains were operated by a new fleet of JR East E2 series 8-car sets. A fleet of 17 new E7 series 12-car trainsets were phased in from March 2014, and these were augmented by a fleet of 10 JR West W7 series 12-car sets introduced from March 2015. As of March 2015, the original Nagano Shinkansen 8-car E2 series trains remain on services as far as Nagano.

• 

  A Nagano Shinkansen E2 series "N" set, June 2002

• 

  An E7 series train, April 2014

Former rolling stock

• E2 series 8-car "J" sets
• E4 series 8-car "P50/P80" sets as Max Asama
• 200 series 12-car set F80, February 1998

The original E2 series 8-car "J" sets, primarily used on Tohoku Shinkansen services were also used on some Asama services until they were subsequently lengthened to 10 cars. One specially-modified 200 series set, numbered F80, was used on additional Asama services in February 1998 during the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano. The train was modified to operate on both 25 kV AC 50 Hz and 60 Hz overhead power supplies, incorporated weight-saving measures to comply with the 16 tonne axle load restriction, and included additional control equipment to cope with the 30‰ gradient of the Nagano Shinkansen. Its maximum speed was limited to 210 km/h.

• 

  A Nagano Shinkansen E2 series "J" set, February 1998

• 

  An E4 series set

• 

  Modified set F80 on a Nagano Shinkansen Asama service, February 1998

History

Nagano Shinkansen

The initial section between Takasaki and Nagano opened on 1 October 1997.

Between May 2012 and March 2014, station platforms on the Nagano Shinkansen had their platform roofs extended to handle the E7 series 12-car trains which entered service in March 2014 ahead of the March 2015 opening of the extension beyond Nagano. The Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to Kanazawa opened in March 2015. The 113-km extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga was approved for construction in June 2012.

From the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014, E7 series trainsets were introduced on Asama services. Initially used on seven return services daily, this number was increased to eleven return services daily from 19 April 2014.

Extension beyond Nagano

Construction of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension near Kanazawa Station in March 2008

Construction of the extension from Nagano to Kanazawa was completed on 24 May 2014. When services commenced in March 2015, the travel time from Tokyo to Toyama was reduced to about 2 hours, with Kanazawa an additional 30 minutes away. Final permission to start construction to Fukui was granted in December 2011, with modification works to Fukui Station already in progress for several years in anticipation of the extension. The extension to Tsuruga was approved for construction on 30 June 2012, and is scheduled to open in fiscal 2022. Beyond Jōetsumyōkō Station, the line is operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) instead of East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

Test-running

Test-running on the JR East section of the line between Nagano and Kurobe-Unazukionsen commenced on 1 December 2013, initially at low speeds using the "East i" test train. From 6 December, test-running commenced using 10-car E2 series trainsets, with running speeds gradually increased to the full line speed of 260 km/h. Test-running continued until the end of March 2014. Test-running on the entire line between Nagano and Kanazawa (Hakusan Depot) started on 1 August 2014, using the "East i" test train. Test-running using W7 series trains commenced on 5 August 2014, initially at low speed, on the JR West section between Kanazawa and Jōetsumyōkō.

Future plans

Construction of the Hokuriku Shinkansen near Fukui Station in August 2007

The route of the final section from Tsuruga to Osaka is not yet finalized. The following four options under consideration.

1. Maibara Route (米原ルート): This involves building a full standard shinkansen track to Maibara Station. It is one third of the length of the Obama Route, and provides good access to both Kyoto and Nagoya. It would result in longer travel time to Osaka than the other options, and trains would have to use the existing, already near-capacity Tokaido Shinkansen tracks between Maibara and Shin-Osaka, although capacity constraints may become less of an issue when the Chuo Shinkansen opens to Osaka, proposed for 2045.
2. Kosei Route (湖西ルート): This involves no new track construction; instead, this proposal would upgrade the Kosei Line to Kyoto, either by regauging or dual-gauging the line to support Mini-Shinkansen, or alternatively utilising Gauge Change Train (GCT) operations. This is the cheapest option, but means train speeds will likely be limited to a maximum of 160 km/h (100 mph) and hence travel times will be longer than the other options. If the West Kyushu Shinkansen to Nagasaki (due to open by 2023) is successfully operating with GCTs by that time, it may increase the attractiveness of this option.
3. Obama Route (小浜ルート): First proposed in 1973, this route involves building a full standard shinkansen track via Obama and Kameoka. It is the shortest route to Osaka, but also the most expensive (approximately 1 trillion yen), and would bypass Kyoto.
4. Obama-Kyoto Route (小浜・京都ルート): This option was first made public in August 2015, and involves following the proposed Obama Route west as far as Obama and then building shinkansen track southward to link with the Tokaido Shinkansen at Kyoto. Including Kyoto on the route is seen as important to increase tourism.

Conventional lines running parallel to the Hokuriku Shinkansen

With the opening of the initial Nagano Shinkansen section in October 1997, the section of the conventional (narrow gauge) Shinetsu Main Line running along approximately the same route between Karuizawa and Shinonoi was transferred from the control of JR East to a newly established third-sector railway operating company, Shinano Railway, becoming the Shinano Railway Line.

With the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension north of Nagano on 14 March 2015, the conventional lines running along approximately the same route were transferred from the control of their respective JR owning companies to newly established third-sector railway operating companies funded primarily by the prefectural and municipal governments through which the lines pass. A total of 252.2 km of route between Nagano and Kanazawa was transferred to four separate operating companies, including 75.0 km of the Shinetsu Main Line between Nagano and Naoetsu, and 177.2 km of the Hokuriku Main Line between Naoetsu and Kanazawa. Details of the four third-sector operating companies and their respective lines are as shown below.

Section	Length (km)	Former line name	Former operating company	Date transferred	New line name	Operating company
Karuizawa - Shinonoi	65.1	Shinetsu Main Line	JR East	1 October 1997	Shinano Railway Line	Shinano Railway
Nagano - Jōetsumyōkō	37.3			14 March 2015	Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line
Jōetsumyōkō - Naoetsu	37.7				Myōkō Haneuma Line	Echigo Tokimeki Railway
Naoetsu - Ichiburi	59.3	Hokuriku Main Line	JR West		Nihonkai Hisui Line
Ichiburi - Kurikara	100.1				Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line	Ainokaze Toyama Railway
Kurikara - Kanazawa	17.8				IR Ishikawa Railway Line	IR Ishikawa Railway

External links

• JR East website (Japanese)
• JR West website (Japanese)
• Ishikawa Prefecture: Hokuriku Shinkansen construction page (Japanese)
• Fukui Prefecture: Hokuriku Shinkansen Construction Promotion Division (Japanese)