The Hokkaido Shinkansen was launched on March 26 – decades since a high-speed rail link between Tokyo and Japan’s northern island was first proposed.
High-speed services have now begun operating between Shin-Aomori, on Honshu – Japan’s main island, and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, in southern Hokkaido. The route includes a 54-kilometre stretch through the Seikan Tunnel, which runs beneath the Tsungaru Strait.
In a statement, Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi said the opening of the link was a “historic event” for the whole country. The new line has created a high-speed rail link between Hokkaido in the north and Japan’s southern island, Kyushu.
Ten return services will operate a day between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, a journey that now takes just over four hours. To coincide with the launch, the number of regional services from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo and Hakodate have been significantly increased.
The Hokkaido Railway Company says it hopes to extend the line to Sapporo by the end of 2030.
More information about the route can be found here.
54 kilometers tunnel! That’s longer than the famous Chunnel.