Jōetsu Shinkansen

The Joetsu Shinkansen (Japanese上 越 新 干线) is a high-speed railway in the railway company JR East between Tokyo and Niigata in Japan.

Opening

The Joetsu Shinkansen was opened in three sections. In November 1982, the first and longest section between Niigata and Ōmiya was taken. The Tōhoku Shinkansen from Hachinohe (1982 only to Morioka ) was five months earlier tied to the train station Omiya in Saitama Prefecture. Three years later, in March 1985 the two Shinkansen was extended until after Ueno. The Joetsu Shinkansen thus got the same route as its predecessor Toki - an express train between Niigata and Ueno, which existed until 1982. The third section has not led to Shinjuku Station, but due to lack of space to Tokyo Station. Today, the main railway station is the largest hub in Tokyo with the Shinkansen connections to Osaka, Hachinohe, Nagano and Niigata.

In March 1985, the number of trains was increased on the route to 70 per day. With a top speed of 240 km / h in the late 1980s reversed 85 trains per day on the track. The 30th anniversary celebrated the Joetsu Shinkansen and Tōhoku Shinkansen in 2012.

Name

The name of the Shinkansen line is Joetsu Shinkansen. The name Joetsu (上 越) does not refer to the region Joetsu in Niigata Prefecture, but at the end points of the second section, Jō " shu (上 州) and Niigata in Echigo (越 后). During the construction of the third section was a change in plan, there have been proposed name suggestions as Kanetsu Shinkansen (Region Kantō region and Echigo ) or Niigata Shinkansen.

Fleet and operating

On the Joetsu Shinkansen Bullet Train of the E4 and E2 ranges are used.

Offered are different compounds, some of which are subject to a surcharge.

Route network

The standard gauge track of the Joetsu Shinkansen runs from Tokyo to Niigata. Runs on the Joetsu Shinkansen between Tokyo and Takasaki also the Hokuriku Shinkansen ( Nagano Shinkansen ) to be extended to 2014 to Kanazawa.

From Echigo Yuzawa - there is a branch line that leads up to Gala Yuzawa. This stretch is used in the winter months for the connection of the Gala - Yuzawa ski area in Tokyo. During this time, operate on the so-called Gala - Yuzawa- line additional trains between Tokyo and Gala Yuzawa. Traffic Legally this stretch is part of the Joetsu Line.

Accidents

The only derailment on the Joetsu Shinkansen took place on 23 October 2004, the Chuetsu region rocked when an earthquake measuring 6.8 in Niigata Prefecture. Although the automatic emergency brake was introduced in the Shinkansen, took the Shinkansen Toki 325 to Niigata more than a minute to come to a halt. The Toki 325 then derailed between the stations Urasa and Nagaoka, which had however been no personal injury. Between the cleanup, there were aftershocks measuring up to 5