High Speed Trains
Shinkansen bullet trains are the fastest and most convenient way of discovering Japan. The Japan Rail (JR) network is extensive and the trains reach a top speed of 320 km/h (199mp/h). This allows you to get to wherever you need in little time.
High Speed Trains
The Japan Rail Pass allows you to make a free reservation for these two types of trains, but you still need to pay for the ticket. The Hikari, Kodama, and Sakura bullet trains are the fastest trains you can board using the Japan Rail Pass. They make just a few more stops than the express trains.
On each of the Shinkansen lines there are fast trains, semi-fast trains, and local trains. The fast trains only stop at the main stations, semi-fast trains make a few more stops, and local trains stop at every station.
For instance, on the Tokaido Shinkansen line (which links Tokyo to Osaka) the fast train makes 6 stops, the semi-fast train makes between 7 and 12 stops, and local trains stop at all 17. See the "Shinkansen lines" section below for more information.
All Shinkansen trains are covered by the JR Pass except the Nozomi and Mizuho fast trains which run on the Takaido and Sanyo lines. JR Pass holders can catch the semi-fast and local trains on these lines instead. The semi-fast trains take just a little longer than the Nozomi and Mizuho trains.
The Hikari train connects Tokyo to Shin-Osaka in exactly 173 minutes. The maximum operating speed is 285 km/h (178 mph), which makes it the second fastest train on the Tokaido line. Hikari also runs on the Sanyo Shinkansen line with an operating speed of 300 km/h (185 mph).
Kodama is the slowest of the three trains which operate on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. This is due to the larger number of stops in comparison to the other two bullet trains on this line. The Kodama train stops at every station and takes almost four hours to reach Shin-Osaka. It runs at a speed of 285 km/h (178 mph).
The Sanyo Shinkansen line connects the city of Osaka with Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu. Completed in 1975, it is the second oldest Japanese Shinkansen line. There are 5 train categories that run on this line: Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama, Mizuho, and Sakura. The fastest train is Nozomi which reaches an operating speed of 300 km/h (185mph). The Nozomi and Mizuho trains are not covered by the JR Pass.
Hikari is the fastest train service on the Sanyo and Tokaido Shinkansen lines which is covered by the JR Pass. The majority of Hikari trains are formed of 16 cars though some have 8. There are three Green Class cars on the 16-coach Hikari train. The operating speed of the Hikari train is 300km/h (185mph). It takes a little over an hour to reach Okayama from Shin-Osaka.
This is the slowest train service on the Sanyo line, as it stops at all train stops until it reaches its final destination. Because of this, Kodama trains take almost five hours to arrive at Hakata station from Osaka. The trains have 8 cars but no Green Class cars. There are both reserved and non-reserved seating areas on the Kodama train service. The operating speed of the Kodama train is 285 km/h (185mph).
This is one of the fastest train services operating on the Sanyo Shinkansen line. Its operating speed is 300km/h (185mph), similar to the other trains on the same line, but the Sakura trains make fewer stops. It operates with 8-car trains with both reserved and non-reserved sections. There are also some Green Class seats on one of the cars.
Yamabiko is a high-speed Shinkansen. It operates at a speed of 240 km/h (150 mph) and connects Tokyo with Morioka. There is a direct train service that will take you to Morioka in exactly 198 minutes.
All seats on the Komachi train services requires seat reservation. There is a direct train service from Tokyo to Akita which takes exactly 237 minutes. The Komachi train can run at a maximum speed of 320 km/h (200 mph) on the Tohoku line. The Komachi train services are operated by E6 series trains with 7 coaches.
Yamagata Shinkansen is a Tohoku Shinkansen branch line. Tsubasa is the only type of train that runs on the Yamagata line between Tokyo and Shinjo. Tsubasa services are operated by 7-car E3 series trains.
All cars on the Yamagata Shinkansen line are non-smoking. There is a direct train service from Tokyo to Yamagata which takes 165 minutes. The maximum operating speed of the Tsubasa train is 275 km/h (170 mph).
The Toki trains include a range of models including double-decker trains called Max Toki. The operating speed of the train is 240 km/h (150 mph). The Toki Shinkansen takes you from Tokyo to Niigata in just over an hour and a half.
This is the slower of the two types of trains which operate on this line (Toki and Tanigawa). This is because Tanigawa Shinkansen stops at all train stations between Tokyo and Echigo-Yuzawa. During the winter season, the train reaches Gala-Yuzawa, getting travelers to the nearby ski resort.
There are three types of trains which operate on the Kyushu Shinkansen line connectiong Fukuoka with Kagoshima-Chuo: Tsubame, Sakura, and Mizuho. The Tsubame and Sakura trains are covered by the Japan Rail Pass. Mizuho trains are not.
Tsubame is the slowest of the trains operating on the Kyushu Shinkansen line as it stops at all stations until it reaches its final destination. It is also has the fewest cars and there are no Green Class ones. The operating speed of Tsubame trains is 260 km/h (160 mph). A trip from Kagoshima-Chuo to Hakata with the Tsubame train will take you a little over an hour and forty minutes.
The Sakura train is the second fastest train on the Kyushu line, serving fewer train stations than Tsubame Shinkansen trains. There are two different types of Sakura trains: 8-car and 6-car trains. The larger one offers both Standard and Green Class cars, while the smaller one only has Standard cars. The operating speed is 300 km/h (185 mph). It takes approximately an hour and a half to reach Hakata from Kagoshima-Chuo Station.
The majority of the trains which run on the Hokkaido line are Hayabusa Shinkansen trains. They operate between Tokyo and Hakodate with a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph). The journey from Tokyo to Hakodate takes approximately 280 minutes. The Hayabusas go all the way to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, a station located between Hakodate and Hokuto. From there, you can take the local Hakodate Liner to get to Hakodate in 19 minutes.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen line was originally opened in 1997 for the Nagano Olympic Games. The line now stretches from Tokyo to Kanazawa after it was extended in 2015. Before this development, it was commonly known as Nagano Shinkansen. There are four types of trains that operate the Hokuriku line: Kagayaki, Asama, Hakutaka, and Tsurugi.
The name Asama comes from the name of an active volcano on Mount Asama, located near Karuizawa. Two train types operate on this line: 8-coach and 12-coach trains. Both are have reserved and non-reserved seating spaces, Green Class cars, and wheelchair spaces.
The Hakutaka and Kagayaki trains are the only two on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line that runs from Tokyo, all the way to Kanazawa. Hakutaka is the slower of the two trains as it makes more stops. The operating speed of Hakutaka trains is 260 km/h (160 mph). A trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa takes under three hours.
The Tsurugi train serves as the main connection for locals between Toyama and Kanazawa. The service was first introduced in 1961 and includes a sleeping car. The trains are formed of 12 cars including a Green Class car.
Japan Rail Pass holders are entitled to book a seat on all Japan Railways trains free of charge. All seats should be booked before boarding the train. The JR Group does not allow passengers to change to a reserved seat once you have boarded the train.
The Japan Rail Pass is valid on the JR Express Trains, all Rapid and Local trains along the JR lines, JR local buses, the JR Miyajima ferry, as well as airport transfers like the Narita express and the Haruka express. All the shinkansen bullet trains are also included with the exception of the Nozomi and Mizuho trains.
Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen bullet trains (both reserved and non-reserved) are not included with the JR Pass. These two types of trains operate on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. To use these trains, JR Pass holders would need to pay full fare.
Avelia trains are, of course, compliant with local and international regulations (TSI). When running in Europe, trains have embedded ERTMS signalling technology and can work on four different traction power voltages.
When Biden was tasked with implementing the Recovery Act in 2009, the $8 billion dedicated in the bill to high-speed trains washis favorite initiative. He equated it to the beginning of the interstate highway system and sold it as a win-win for workers and environmentalists. He proposed billions more in high-speed rail funding in subsequent years to help create a nationwide bullet train system.
Republican governors in Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida saw the opportunity to score political points and prove their fiscal discipline by spurning the cash for said projects. But LaHood said part of the problem also was the high cost of building a new line from scratch.
The 142.3-kilometer (88.4-mile) railway worth $7.8 billion is being constructed by PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China, or PT KCIC, a joint venture between an Indonesian consortium of four state-owned companies and China Railway International Co. Ltd. The joint venture said the trains will be the fastest in Southeast Asia.
The CRRC claimed that the KCIC400AF train can reach speeds up to 350 kilometers (217 miles) per hour, pass curves with a minimum radius of 150 meters (492 feet), and is equipped with electric motors, each with a power of 625,000 watts. The cars will be divided into three classes: VIP, first and second, and several cars with large spaces between seats will be allocated for passengers with limited mobility. 041b061a72