is the name given to the concept of building new high-speed

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

() railway lines in Japan to extend the

Shinkansen The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...

network of high-speed lines. No Super Tokkyū routes have actually been built.

Concept

The Super Tokkyū concept involves building new narrow-gauge lines along the routes of planned Shinkansen lines. All infrastructure would be built to high-speed Shinkansen standards, including its wider loading gauge, 4,000 m minimum curve radius, and total grade separation, with the ability to

convert Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

the lines to in the future. Although they would be slower than regular Shinkansen trains, they would have a speed of more than 200 km/h, enabling some reductions in journey times to be achieved, and total construction expenditure could be spread over a longer period, with travel times gradually reduced as more sections are completed. The ultimate goal is eventual conversion to standard-gauge Shinkansen track once the entire line is completed, but with

gauge change train The Gauge Change Train (GCT) or is the name given to a Japanese project started in 1994 to develop a high-speed train with variable gauge axles to allow inter-running between the Shinkansen network, and the narrow gauge regional rail network. ...

s (GCTs), it may be possible in the future to upgrade these sections to full Shinkansen specifications even while inter-operation with conventional lines remains in place.

Proposals

In 1991, the Super Tokkyū concept was formally planned to be used as part of the following three Shinkansen extensions: *

Kyushu Shinkansen The is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed railway network. It is an extension of the San'yō Shinkansen from Honshu connecting the city of Fukuoka (Hakata Station) in the north of Japan's Kyushu Island to the city of Kagoshima ( Kagoshima-Chuo St ...

southern section between

Yatsushiro is a city located in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Geography Located at the geographic center of Kyushu, Yatsushiro City is situated on the aptly named Yatsushiro Sea in between Kumamoto and Ashikita City. Climate Yatsushiro has a humid subtro ...

and Nishi-Kagoshima * Tohoku Shinkansen extension between

Morioka is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 290,700 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . G ...

and

Hakodate is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...

through the

Seikan Tunnel The Seikan Tunnel ( ja, 青函トンネル, or , ), is a dual-gauge railway tunnel in Japan, with a portion under the seabed of the Tsugaru Strait, which separates Aomori Prefecture on the main Japanese island of Honshu from the northern isl ...

Hokuriku Shinkansen The 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 in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between and in Nagano Pr ...

extension beyond

Nagano Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

These schemes were subsequently constructed to full Shinkansen specification lines. The West Kyushu Shinkansen route to

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...

was also initially proposed as a Super Tokkyū line from Takeo-Onsen. However, after construction commenced the proposal changed to incorporate GCTs, resulting in the Takeo Onsen to Nagasaki section (due to open in March 2023) being constructed as standard gauge lines. The service is proposed by GCTs using the Hakata to Shin-Tosu section of the

, then the narrow gauge line to Takeo Onsen, then the new West Kyushu Shinkansen line for the final section of the trip.九州新幹線西九州ルート（長崎ルート） (Kyushu Shinkansen West (Nagasaki) Route)
Retrieved on 11 February 2009.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Super Tokkyu Shinkansen

Concept

Proposals

See also

References