Hokkaido Shinkansen

Associated actions

In preparation for the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, the Seikan Tunnel (Kaikyō Line) and its approaches, totaling approximately 82 km, were converted to dual gauge, accommodating both the Shinkansen's standard-gauge and conventional narrow gauge tracks.

With the opening of the Shinkansen line, the parallel narrow-gauge Esashi Line between and was transferred from JR Hokkaido to a newly established third-sector operator, the South Hokkaido Railway Company, and rebranded as the Isaribi Line.

Operations

Service types

Two types of Shinkansen services operate on the Hokkaido Shinkansen: express Hayabusa services between and , with through services continuing to Tokyo or Sendai via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, and local Hayate services operating between Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and Shin-Aomori, with some trains continuing to Morioka via the Tōhoku Shinkansen.

Under the initial timetable, ten daily round-trip Hayabusa services operate between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, along with one daily round trip between Sendai and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. Hayate services include one daily round trip each between Morioka and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, and between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto.

Operating speed

Upon commencement of services in 2016, the maximum speed on the approximately 82 km dual-gauge section approaching and through the Seikan Tunnel was limited to 140 km/h, later increased to 160 km/h in March 2019. This restriction is necessary because the shock wave from a Shinkansen train traveling at full speed could destabilize a narrow-gauge freight train travelling in the opposite direction. Approximately 50 freight trains use the dual-gauge section each day, so operations cannot be limited to times outside Shinkansen services. Because of this restriction, the fastest journey time between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto is currently 3 hours, 57 minutes.

During holiday periods, when freight traffic is reduced and passenger demand increases, the maximum speed on the dual-gauge section is raised. This scheme was first implemented during the 2020–21 New Year holiday and the Golden Week period from 3–6 May 2021, when speeds were increased to 210 km/h, and continued until January 2024, when JR Hokkaido announced that speeds would be raised to 260 km/h during major holiday periods.

To operate Shinkansen trains at 260 km/h through the dual-gauge section, proposals include a system to automatically reduce speed when passing narrow-gauge trains and loading freight trains onto specially designed "train on train" standard-gauge vehicles capable of withstanding the shock waves from passing Shinkansen trains. If such a train on train system is implemented, it could reduce travel times by 12 minutes.

Effects of winter weather on train operation

Operating in areas that see significant snowfall during the winter months, accumulation of snow has effects on various train operations. It can cause damage to equipment or can cause a moving train to miss a switch. In particular, accretion of snow in the bogies of the train has been shown to be significant, causing damage or causing schedule delays. Methods have been used to estimate snow accumulation on trains running up to 130 km/h, and newer estimates based on weather data can predict accumulation of up to 3 cm in bogies upon arrival at a station.

The winter season also adversely impacts the occupancy rates of the rail line, with recorded occupancy reaching a low of 19% in the months of January and February.

Stations

Legend:

Rolling stock

All services are formed of 10-car JR East E5 or JR Hokkaido H5 series trainsets.

In February 2014, JR Hokkaido placed an order for four 10-car H5 Series Shinkansen trainsets for use on Hokkaido Shinkansen services from March 2016. Based on the E5 series trainsets operated by JR East since 2011, the order for 40 vehicles cost approximately 18 billion yen. The first two sets of the order are scheduled to be delivered to Hakodate Depot by road from Hakodate Port in October 2014, with test running commencing before the end of the year. The remaining two sets on order were scheduled to be delivered in 2015. The vehicles feature the usual upper green and lower white livery, with a purple stripe in the middle. The color purple was chosen to represent the purple flowers of Hokkaido: lilacs, lupine and lavender. Inside, the ordinary-class cars feature wood paneling and carpet with a snowflake motif. Green class features cream-colored walls representing the local dairy industry and carpet with a drift-ice motif. Gran class features dark blue carpets, said to be modeled after the shimmering lakes and bodies of water along the route.

File:Series-E5-U15 Yamabiko-50.jpg|A JR East E5 series train in May 2022 File:JRH Series-H5 H1.jpg|A JR Hokkaido H5 series train in June 2022

Non-revenue-earning types

• East i (E926)

History

In the early 1970s, two other Shinkansen routes were proposed for Hokkaido: Sapporo – Asahikawa (Hokkaido Shinkansen extension) and Oshamambe – Muroran – Sapporo (Hokkaido South Route). There were also further unofficial plans to connect to Abashiri, Kushiro and Nayoro/Wakkanai. These plans have been indefinitely shelved.

Hokkaido along with Shikoku was, prior to the opening of the line, the only of the four main islands of Japan without a Shinkansen connection. Similarly, JR Hokkaido and JR Shikoku along with JR Freight are the only parts of JR Group that have yet to undergo privatization. In 2024, the air route between Sapporo and Tokyo was the second busiest in the world by passenger numbers. A faster train connection would shift some of those passengers from air to rail as happened when other Shinkansen services were inaugurated.

On 1 November 2014, a ceremony was held at Kikonai Station to mark the completion of track-laying for the line between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. Test-running on the Hokkaido Shinkansen tracks within Hokkaido commenced from 1 December 2014, initially at low speeds, with the speed raised to the maximum of 260 km/h later that month. Test-running was extended through the Seikan Tunnel to Okutsugaru-Imabetsu in December 2014. Test-running south of Okutsugaru-Imabetsu commenced on 21 April 2015, with the first train reaching Shin-Aomori Station from the north in the early hours of 24 May.

Sapporo extension

JR Hokkaido is extending the Hokkaido Shinkansen from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to , originally planned to open by 2030. However, in May 2024, the JRTT reported to the MLIT that it would be 'extremely difficult' to extend the line to Sapporo by 2030. In December 2024, MLIT announced the opening will be delayed until FY2038. There is potential for the opening date to be revised in either direction, and a further announcement will be made after discussions at a panel of experts which will commence in January 2025.

Tunneling work on the 5265 m Murayama Tunnel, situated about 1 km north of Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station commenced in March 2015. However in July 2016 the short section between the Murayama Tunnel and the next tunnel (26,470 m) was deemed unnecessary so the construction altered and the planned two tunnels were integrated into the Toshima Tunnel with a total length of 32,675 m. When opened, it will be the longest land tunnel in the country.

The 211.3 km extension will be approximately 76% in tunnels, including major tunnels such as Toshima (mentioned above), Oshima (26.5 km), Teine (18.8 km) and Shiribeshi (18 km).

When the section to Sapporo opens, the estimated journey time from Tokyo to Sapporo will be at most 5 hours and 1 minute.

In May 2019, JR Hokkaido announced that it had requested permission from the MLIT to increase the speed limit on the 212 km of new track to be constructed between Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and Sapporo to 320 km/h. This would involve the extension of buffers on about 170 km of tunnels, installation of sound barriers on about 30 km of the remaining 42 km of surface track and strengthening of viaducts.

References

References

1. link
2. (12 August 2015). "". link. Doshin. The Hokkaido Shimbun Press
3. Ayateru, Hosozawa. (8 June 2018). "Next Shinkansen will not only be faster, safer, but save on power". Asahi Shimbun.
4. "北海道新幹線札幌開業、2038年度が軸 国交省が調整 1月以降に決定 開業時期変更は2度目（北海道新聞）".
5. "Hokkaido bullet train extension delayed 8 years, rattling local communities".
6. Sato, Yoshihiko. (16 February 2016). "Hokkaido Shinkansen prepares for launch". Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc..
7. (26 May 2015). "First Shinkansen train through the Seikan Tunnel". Railway Gazette.
8. (23 March 2015). link. Response. IID Inc.
9. (16 September 2015). link. News release. East Japan Railway Company
10. "Seikan tunnel Shinkansen speed-up saves 3 min".
11. (19 January 2024). "北海道新幹線、青函トンネル内初の260キロ走行 大型連休の5日間".
12. (17 November 2021). "Method for Estimating Snow Accretion on Shinkansen Bogies using Weather Data". Quarterly Report of RTRI.
13. (23 June 2022). "Lots of empty seats on Hokkaido Shinkansen". Nikkei Asia.
14. (16 April 2014). link. Yomiuri Online. The Yomiuri Shimbun
15. (19 March 2014). link. Doshin Web. The Hokkaido Shimbun Press
16. (25 February 2016). "Special Preview: Hokkaido Shinkansen – Hopes and Challenges". NHK.
17. (2017). "Long-term impact of the Shinkansen on rail and air demand: Analysis with data from Northeast Japan". Transportation Planning and Technology.
18. (2016). "Time Series Analysis of Shinkansen (High Speed Rail) Construction Impact on Rail and Air Demand: Analysis with Tohoku".
19. (2017). "Long-term impact of the Shinkansen on rail and air demand: Analysis with data from Northeast Japan". Transportation Planning and Technology.
20. (19 September 2014). link. Press release. Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency
21. Suzuki. Katsuichi. (1 December 2014). link. Mainichi Shimbun. The Mainichi Newspapers
22. (24 May 2015). link. Asahi Shimbun Digital. The Asahi Shimbun Company
23. Ayateru, Hosozawa. (8 June 2018). "Next Shinkansen will not only be faster, safer, but save on power". Asahi Shimbun.
24. (8 May 2024). link
25. "北海道新幹線札幌開業、2038年度が軸 国交省が調整 1月以降に決定 開業時期変更は2度目(北海道新聞)".
26. "Microsoft PowerPoint – 00-2全体概要図ver2 [互換モード]".
27. "Shinkansen to get 3 new sections". The Yomiuri Shimbun.
28. (15 May 2019). "北海道新幹線でも最高320km/hへ...JR北海道が新函館北斗以北の高速化を要請".