Jōetsu Shinkansen

	Jōetsu Shinkansen
	; Jōetsu Shinkansen bilevel E1 series train
Info
Type	Shinkansen
Locale	Japan
Termini	Ōmiya Station; Niigata
Stations	10
Operation
Opened	15 November 1982
Owner	JR East
Depot(s)	Niigata
Rolling stock	200/E1/E4 series
Technical
Line length	269.5 km
Track gauge	1,435 mm
Electrification	25 kV AC, 50 Hz, overhead catenary
Operating speed	240 km/h
Route map

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The Jōetsu Shinkansen (上越新幹線^?) is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company.

History

The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei. Built at a cost of $6.3 billion^[1]　through the mountainous, sparsely populated spine of Japan, the line was known from the start to be unprofitable, but was built "to establish closer ties with Tokyo and promote regional development".^[2]

Trial runs over the line began in November 1980, reaching a record 210 km/h in 1981. Regular service began on 15 November 1982. The line was initially planned to terminate at Shinjuku Station, but economic considerations pushed JNR to merge the line with the existing Tōhoku Shinkansen line at Ōmiya.

In September 1991, a 400 Series Shinkansen train set a speed record of 345 km/h on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line, and in December 1993, the STAR21 experimental train managed 425 km/h. The maximum speed for regular services on the line is currently 240 km/h.

The Basic Plan specifies that the Jōetsu Shinkansen should actually start from Shinjuku, which would necessitate building 30 km of additional Shinkansen track from Ōmiya. While some land acquisitions along the existing Saikyō Line were made, no construction ever started. To this day, a portion of underground land near Shinjuku Station remains reserved, causing the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line to be built further underground than would otherwise have been necessary.

If the capacity, however, on the current Tokyo-Ōmiya section proves insufficient once the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension between Nagano and Kanazawa, the Tōhoku Shinkansen extension between Hachinohe and Aomori and the opening of the Hokkaidō Shinkansen between Aomori and Hakodate, the construction of the link between Shinjuku and Ōmiya stations may proceed.

Provisions were also made for extending the line from Niigata to Niigata Airport.

Trains and services

Toki (200 Series)
Max Toki (E1 Series, E4 Series)
Tanigawa (200 Series) - Commenced October 1997
Max Tanigawa (E1 Series, E4 Series) - Commenced October 1997

Discontinued services

Asahi - Discontinued December 2002
Max Asahi - Discontinued December 2002

Stations

Station name	in Japanese	Distance	Location	Connections
Tokyo Station	東京	0	Chiyoda, Tokyo	Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Chūō Main Line, Tōkaidō Main Line, Yokosuka Line, Sōbu Main Line, Keiyō Line
Ueno Station	上野	3.6	Taitō, Tokyo	Jōban Line, Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line), Takasaki Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Keisei Main Line (Keisei Ueno Station)
Ōmiya Station	大宮	31.3	Ōmiya-ku, Saitama	Tōhoku Shinkansen, Tōbu Noda Line, New Shuttle, Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Saikyō Line, Kawagoe Line, Tōhoku Main Line(Utsunomiya Line), Takasaki Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line
Kumagaya Station	熊谷	67.9	Kumagaya, Saitama	Chichibu Railway, Takasaki Line
Honjō-Waseda Station	本庄早稲田	88.0	Honjō, Saitama	(none)
Takasaki Station	高崎	108.6	Takasaki, Gunma	Nagano Shinkansen(Hokuriku Shinkansen), Joshin Electric Railway, Takasaki Line, Hachikō Line, Ryōmō Line, Jōetsu Line, Shin'etsu Line, Agatsuma Line
Jomo-Kogen Station	上毛高原	150.4	Minakami, Gunma	(none)
Echigo-Yuzawa Station	越後湯沢	182.7	Yuzawa, Niigata	Jōetsu Line, Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line
Urasa Station	浦佐	212.3	Minamiuonuma, Niigata	Jōetsu Line
Nagaoka Station	長岡	245.1	Nagaoka, Niigata	Shin'etsu Line, Jōetsu Line
Tsubame-Sanjō Station	燕三条	268.7	Tsubame, Niigata and Sanjō, Niigata	Yahiko Line
Niigata Station	新潟	300.8	Chūō-ku, Niigata	Shin'etsu Line, Hakushin Line, Echigo Line, Uetsu Main Line(limited express), West Ban'etsu Line

There is also a 1.8 km spur from Echigo-Yuzawa to Gala-Yuzawa Station, which is used in the winter months to bring passengers to the adjoining ski resort.

References

↑ Hayes, Louis D. Introduction to Japanese Politics, p.107.
↑ Takashima, Shuichi. [http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr29/s40_tak.html Railway Operators in Japan 3: Tohoku and Niigata Region]. Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 29 (pp.40–49)