Shinkansen Shinkansen The , meaning "new trunkline," but 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, in order to aid economic growth and development. Beyond long-distance travel, some sections around the largest metropolitan areas are used as a commuter rail network. It is operated by five Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen () in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-Shinkansen lines with a maximum
Shinkansen Relay the 11 March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Trains were operated using 485 series, 583 series, and E721 series EMUs, with all seats non-reserved. Shinkansen Relay The was a train service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in Japan between 1982 and 1985. When the Tohoku Shinkansen was opened in June 1982, the planned section between in Tokyo and was not complete, with shinkansen services starting and terminating at Ōmiya Station. The "Shinkansen Relay" was therefore provided to shuttle passengers between Ueno and Ōmiya via the narrow gauge Tohoku Main Line. Initially, 13 down and 14 up services operated daily,