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
Jōetsu Shinkansen the line with the existing Tōhoku Shinkansen line at . In September 1991, a 400 Series Shinkansen train set a Japanese rail speed record of on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line, and in December 1993, the STAR21 experimental train recorded . The maximum speed for regular services on the line is except for the section between Jomo-Kogen and Urasa which is for E2 series trains travelling towards Niigata. The urban section between Tokyo and Ōmiya is . The Basic Plan specifies that the Jōetsu Shinkansen should actually start from Shinjuku, which would necessitate building of additional Shinkansen track from Ōmiya. While