The is a line of the Japanese

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

high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...

network, connecting Shin-Osaka in

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

with Hakata Station in

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

, the two largest cities in western Japan. Operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), it is a westward continuation of the

Tōkaidō Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...

and also serves other major cities in between on

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

and

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...

islands such as

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

, Himeji,

Okayama is the prefectural capital, capital Cities of Japan, city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The Okayama metropolitan area, centered around the city, has the largest urban employment zone in the Chugoku region of western J ...

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

, and

Kitakyushu is a Cities of Japan, city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of June 1, 2019, Kitakyushu has an estimated population of 940,978, making it the second-largest city in both Fukuoka Prefecture and the island of Kyushu after the city of Fuk ...

, through the Shin-Kanmon Tunnel. The

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 Sta ...

continues south of Hakata to

Kagoshima , is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Etymology While the ...

. The San'yō Shinkansen connects Hakata with Osaka in two and a half hours, with trains operating at a maximum speed of for most of the journey. Some '' Nozomi'' trains operate continuously on San'yō and Tōkaidō Shinkansen lines, connecting Tokyo and Hakata in five hours.

Rolling stock

As of March 2020, the following types are used on San'yō Shinkansen services. * 500 series (8-Car V Set): '' Hikari'' / '' Kodama'' services * 700–7000 series: '' Hikari'' / '' Kodama'' services * N700 series: '' Nozomi'' / '' Hikari'' / '' Kodama'' services * N700-7000/8000 series: '' Mizuho'' / '' Sakura'' / '' Kodama'' services * N700S series: '' Nozomi'' services File:Shinkansen 500 (8086233447).jpg, JR West 500 series ''Kodama'', August 2010 File:JRW-700-hikari-railstar.jpg, 700 series ''Hikari Rail Star'', April 2009 File:JRW N700 series N3.jpg, JR West N700 series, April 2009 File:JRW N700-7000series S1.jpg, A JR West N700-7000 series trainset

Former rolling stock

* 0 series: '' Hikari'' / '' Kodama'' services * 100 series: '' Hikari'' / '' Kodama'' services * 300 series: '' Nozomi'' / '' Hikari'' / '' Kodama'' services * 500 series (16-Car W Set): '' Nozomi'' / '' Hikari'' services * 700-0 series: '' Nozomi'' / '' Hikari'' / '' Kodama'' services * 700-3000 series: '' Nozomi'' / '' Hikari'' / '' Kodama'' services File:R61 Kodama 635 Higashi-Hiroshima 20030719.JPG, JR West 0 series ''Kodama'' at Higashi-Hiroshima Station, July 2003 File:JRW Shinkansen Series 100 K55.jpg, JR West 100 series on a ''Kodama'' service, October 2008 File:JRW Shinkansen Series 300 F6.jpg, JR West 300 series on a ''Hikari'' service, October 2008 File:JRW-500-nozomi.jpg, JR West 500 series on a ''Nozomi'' service, May 2008 File:JRW Shinkansen Series 700 B9 set.jpg, JR West 700 series on a ''Nozomi'' service, March 2010

Non-revenue earning types

Current * 923 (Set T5) File:Dr yellow N700 T5.jpg, JR West's Class 923 "

Doctor Yellow is the nickname for a series of high-speed diagnostic trains that are used on Central Japan Railway Company, JR Central's Tokaido Shinkansen and West Japan Railway Company, JR West's San'yō Shinkansen lines. The trains have special equipment ...

" set T5 on the Sanyo Shinkansen, December 2009 Former * 922 (Set T3) (1979 to 2005) File:Doctor-yellow.jpg, JR West Class 922 "

" set T3, October 2004

Stations and service patterns

All stations on the San'yō Shinkansen are owned and operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), with the exception of Shin-Osaka station, which is run by the

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...

(JR Central). ''Kodama'' trains stop at all stations; other services have varying stopping patterns. All trains stop at Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima, Kokura, and Hakata. Foreign tourists traveling with a

Japan Rail Pass The , also called the JR Pass, is a rail pass sold by the Japan Railways Group exclusively for overseas visitors. It is valid for travel on all major forms of transportation provided by the JR Group in Japan, with a few exceptions. The pass is de ...

are required to purchase a special ticket to use ''Nozomi'' or ''Mizuho'' trains. Legend: As of 2012, the maximum line speed is, West-bound between Shin-Ōsaka and Shin-Kobe, between Shin-Kobe and Nishi-Akashi, and between Nishi-Akashi and Hakata. East-bound it is between Hakata and Himeji, between Himeji and Shin-Kobe and between Shin-Kobe and Shin-Ōsaka.

History

Construction of the San'yō Shinkansen between Shin-Ōsaka and

was authorized on 9 September 1965, and commenced on March 16, 1967. Construction between

and Hakata commenced on 10 February 1970. The Shin-Ōsaka to Okayama segment opened on March 15, 1972; the remainder of the line opened on March 10, 1975. The first Hikari trains, using 0 series trains, made the Shin-Ōsaka to Hakata run in 3 hours 44 minutes. This was shortened to 2 hours 59 minutes in 1986 with an increase in maximum speed to . 100 series trains, introduced in 1989, boosted maximum speed to and reduced travel time to 2 hours 49 minutes. 19970117 img1622

Tokyo to Hakata '' Nozomi'' services began on 18 March 1993, using 300 series trains. The Shin-Ōsaka to Hakata run was reduced to 2 hours 32 minutes, at a maximum speed of . On 22 March 1997, the 500 series entered service on ''Nozomi'' services between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata, reducing that run to 2 hours 17 minutes at a maximum speed of . The 700 series was introduced on Tokyo-Hakata ''Nozomi'' services on 13 March 1999, coinciding with the opening of

Asa Station 270px, Asa Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of San'yō-Onoda, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is also the location of a freight depot operated by the Ja ...

, and on 11 March 2000, 700 series trains were introduced on '' Hikari Rail Star'' services. Ogori Station was renamed Shin-Yamaguchi Station on 1 October 2003. The N700 series was launched on ''Nozomi'' services on 1 July 2007, with a top speed of (compared to for the 700 series). From the start of the revised timetable on 12 March 2011, new '' Mizuho'' and '' Sakura'' inter-running services commenced between Shin-Ōsaka and Kagoshima on the

using new N700-7000 and N700-8000 series 8-car trainsets. This boosted JR West's market share in the Osaka-Kagoshima passenger market from 13% in March 2011 to 35% in March 2012. JR West began offering discounted advance purchase fares on this route in July 2013 in an effort to compete for market share with new low-cost airlines such as

Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

. With the launch of ''Mizuho'' and ''Sakura'' services, nearly all of the ''Hikari'' services operating solely on the San'yō Shinkansen (mostly ''Rail Star'' services) were discontinued as it was deemed redundant.

Future plans

In an announcement by JR Central, JR West, and JR Kyushu made on 17 October 2023, the companies stated that all onboard smoking rooms on the Tokaido, San'yo, and Kyushu Shinkansen trains would be abolished by Q2 2024. In addition, all smoking rooms located on station platforms on the Sanyo Shinkansen would also be abolished. In July 2024 JR West announced that the 500 Series trains would be phased out, and trains on the San'yō Shinkansen standardized to the N700 Series. Four of the existing 500 Series trainsets are expected to be retired by 2026, with the last two retired by 2027.

Ridership

In fiscal 2005, the Sanyo Shinkansen line ridership was 58 million passengers/year, or about 159,000 daily.

References

External links

JR West website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanyo Shinkansen Lines of West Japan Railway Company High-speed railway lines in Japan Railway lines opened in 1972 Standard-gauge railways in Japan 1972 establishments in Japan 25 kV AC railway electrification