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
2004 Derailment of Joetsu Shinkansen damage, the train was abandoned from service in February 25, 2005, and replaced by E2 Series Shinkansen In November 30, 2007, Japanese Aircraft and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission released the official report regarding to this derailment of Jōetsu Shinkansen, and it gave advice re adjusting the operations of Shinkansen. 2004 Derailment of Joetsu Shinkansen The Derailment of Jōetsu Shinkansen (), is a train derailed in October 23, 2004 as earthquakes occurred in Chūetsu region, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It is first derailment accident on commercial operations of Shinkansen (high speed rail in Japan). At JST 17:56 October 23, 2004, an earthquake