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
200 Series Shinkansen the last public operation of the 200 series trains. A refurbished 200 series train (set K25 on the "Toki" 325 service) derailed on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line while travelling at a speed of approximately 200 km/h between Nagaoka Station and Urasa Station on 23 October 2004 during the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake. Eight of the ten cars were derailed. This was the first derailment of a Shinkansen train in service. None of the 155 passengers on board was injured. Set K25 was officially withdrawn on 25 March 2005. 200 Series Shinkansen The was a Shinkansen high-speed train type introduced by Japanese