The is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo with Tsuruga in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
The first section, between Takasaki and Nagano, opened on 1 October 1997, ahead of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, and was originally known as the . At Takasaki, the line connects with the Jōetsu Shinkansen, allowing services to continue to Tokyo. The line was extended from Nagano to Kanazawa on 14 March 2015. A further extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga opened on 16 March 2024.
An extension from Tsuruga to Ōsaka is planned. The route was initially selected in December 2016 as an Obama–Kyoto route, with construction expected to begin in the late 2020s following environmental impact assessments. On 15 July 2026, the proposed alignment was revised to bypass Kyoto Station, and instead stop at a new deep underground station in Kyoto near Katsuragawa Station.
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–Tsuruga, limited-stop service, since 14 March 2015 Hakutaka: Tokyo–Tsuruga, mostly all-stations service, since 14 March 2015 Tsurugi: Toyama–Tsuruga, mostly 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 Shin'etsu 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 and . This section included the steeply-graded Usui Pass which required the use of bank engines on all trains. Travel time between Tokyo and Tsuruga is 3 hours 8 minutes, 50 minutes shorter than using a conventional train between Kanazawa and Tsuruga.
Stations Service column legend: ● All trains stop ▲ Some trains stop| All trains pass
StationDistance in km (mi) fromServiceTransfersLocation●●● ChiyodaTokyo▲●●Taitō●●●Ōmiya-kuSaitama||● Kumagaya||●Honjō|●●TakasakiGunma||▲Annaka|▲●KaruizawaNagano|▲●Saku|▲●Ueda●●●Nagano|▲Iiyama|●JōetsuNiigata|● Itoigawa|●KurobeToyama●●●Toyama|●●Takaoka●●●KanazawaIshikawa▲●▲Komatsu▲●▲Kaga▲●▲AwaraFukui●●●Fukui▲●▲Echizen●●●TsurugaEnvironmental impact assessment is underway.ObamaFukui JR Kyoto LineMinamiKyoto Kyōtanabe Yodogawa-ku Osaka Notes The boundary between JR East and JR West lies immediately to the north of Jōetsumyōkō Station. Due to Kagayaki services skipping this stop, crew changes occur at Nagano Station, this does not apply to Hakutaka services which crew change at Jōetsumyōkō Station. Asama and Tsurugi services do not need crew changes as they stay within their respective JR boundaries Stations in italics are not currently operational.
Rolling stock
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. The fleet of W7 series was purchased at a cost of ¥32.8 billion. The remaining E2 series trainsets were withdrawn from Hokuriku Shinkansen services on 31 March 2017.
In 2019, ten trains, eight from JR East with a book value of ¥11.8 billion and two from JR West, were damaged when a train yard in Nagano was flooded as the Chikuma River overflowed during typhoon Hagibis. As a result, JR West suffered a loss of .
Non-revenue-earning types East i (E926)
Former rolling stock E2 series 8-car "N" sets on Tokyo - Nagano Asama services only E2 series 8-car "J" sets E4 series 8-car "P50/P80" sets as Max Asama 200 series 12-car set F80 during February 1998 only
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 . The last services operated using eight-car E2 series trainsets ran on 31 March 2017, from which date all Asama services were formed of E7 and W7 series trainsets.
Speeds The maximum speed on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line is between Tsuruga and Takasaki. Services continue beyond Takasaki on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line to Ōmiya, where the maximum speed is . Between Ōmiya and Tokyo, Hokuriku Shinkansen services operate over the Tōhoku Shinkansen line, with a maximum speed of between Ōmiya and Ueno and between Ueno and Tokyo.
Electrification The Hokuriku Shinkansen is electrified at 25 kV AC, but uniquely amongst Shinkansen routes, it crosses Japan’s 50 Hz/60 Hz frequency boundary three times, requiring dual-frequency rolling stock. The section between Tokyo and Karuizawa operates at 50 Hz, while the section between Karuizawa and Itoigawa operates at 60 Hz. The frequency then changes back to 50 Hz between Itoigawa and Kurobe-Unazukionsen, before returning to 60 Hz for the remainder of the line to Tsuruga. The E7 series and W7 series trainsets are equipped with onboard converters and automatic frequency-switching equipment to operate across the different power systems.
History
Nagano Shinkansen The initial section between Takasaki and Nagano opened on 1 October 1997, in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.
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 opened in March 2015. The extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga was approved for construction in June 2012.Kyodo News, "Bullet-train extensions approved", The Japan Times, 30 June 2012, p. 2
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.
Naming The line's legal name has always been Hokuriku Shinkansen. However, just before the opening of the Nagano section, JR East decided that using this name in passenger service was to be avoided. From 22 March 1997 until the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa, the primary route for Hokuriku customers (from the Tokyo area) was to use the Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa Station, then transfer to a Hakutaka service via the Hokuetsu Express, rendering using the Takasaki–Nagano section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen meaningless for them. Therefore, JR East sought other names.「北陸新幹線・東京－長野 10月開業を発表 列車愛称『あさま』」『信濃毎日新聞』 [Hokuriku Shinkansen Tokyo-Nagano will open October]. Shinano Daily News, Apr 16 1997 (in Japanese).
Alternatively, local governments in Hokuriku, fearing construction west of Nagano may be halted, petitioned that the name "Hokuriku" should remain in use for operational purposes. 「呼称は長野か北陸か新幹線揺れる―JR東日本『まだ長野まで』北陸自治体『名前は残して』」『日本経済新聞』1997年5月5日
JR East announced the following solution on 25 July 1997:「北陸新幹線ダイヤを発表 長野まで最速79分 しなの鉄道2割増」『信濃毎日新聞』1997年7月26日
Voice announcements using "Nagano Shinkansen" Tokyo area stations using depictions with "Nagano-bound Shinkansen". Stations between Annaka-Haruna Station and Nagano Station depicting "Shinkansen" only.
Soon, "Nagano-bound Shinkansen" fell out of use, and timetables by various publishers use "Nagano Shinkansen" only.JTB時刻表 時刻表80年のあゆみ-第3回- - JTB Publishing るるぶ.com Construction to Kanazawa was officially decided, thereby reducing the opposition to the name.
Extension beyond Nagano
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 two 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 opened on 16 March 2024. Beyond Jōetsumyōkō Station, the line is operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) instead of East Japan Railway Company (JR East).Kyodo News, "DPJ may OK three new bullet-train sections", The Japan Times, 17 December 2011, p. 1.
Naming issue rises again Many people speculated about and discussed what the line's operational name should be after Nagano–Kanazawa section is completed.
Nagano economic associations argued a sudden change in name will confuse customers, propose "Nagano–Hokuriku Shinkansen" to be used. In contrast government officials and economic associations in Hokuriku region defended the legal name, including statements such as "a just result should come after 3 prefectures striving for 40 years".
The section west of Jōetsumyōkō belongs to JR West, which did not state an opinion and used "Hokuriku Shinkansen" only.
On 2 October 2013, JR East announced formal line name will be Hokuriku Shinkansen (consistent with National Shinkansen Railway Development Act) and depicted as Hokuriku Shinkansen (via Nagano) to reflect its expansion into the region, resolving the naming issue.
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 of that year, test-running commenced using 10-car E2 series trainsets, with running speeds gradually increased to the full line speed of . 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 and .
Tsuruga extension In the months preceding the opening, JR West conducted various low speed runs on the new Kanazawa-Tsuruga section using "East i" test trains on 23 September 2023. Runs using regular W7 series trainsets started on 26 September. Regular passenger service began on 16 March 2024, with ceremonies at both and from the respective presidents of JR West and JR East. The extension cost to build.
In accordance with the opening of the extension, the limited express service Thunderbird ended its service between Tsuruga and Kanazawa on 15 March 2024.
Future plans