Hokuriku Shinkansen

Hokuriku Shinkansen
JR East E7 series train set F19 on the Hokuriku Shinkansen
Overview
Native name北陸新幹線
StatusOperational
Owner JRTT
LocaleTokyo, Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui Prefectures
Termini
Stations24
Color on map
  •      JR East (#800080)
  •      JR West (#24197c)
Service
TypeHigh-speed rail (Shinkansen)
SystemShinkansen
ServicesKagayaki, Hakutaka, Tsurugi, Asama
Operator(s) JR East (from Takasaki to Jōetsumyōkō)
JR West (from Jōetsumyōkō to Tsuruga)
Depot(s)Nagano, Hakusan
Rolling stockE7 series, W7 series
History
Opened1 October 1997 (1997-10-01)
Last extension16 March 2024 (2024-03-16), to Tsuruga
Technical
Line length470.6 km (292.4 mi)
Number of tracksDouble-track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius4,000 m (2.5 mi; 13,000 ft)
ElectrificationOverhead line, 25 kV 50 Hz AC and 25 kV 60 Hz AC
Operating speed260 km/h (162 mph), 275 km/h (171 mph) (Between Omiya and Takasaki Stations)
SignallingCab signalling
Train protection systemDS-ATC
Maximum incline3.0%
Route map

The Hokuriku Shinkansen (Japanese: 北陸新幹線) is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo with Tsuruga in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West).

The first section, between Takasaki and Nagano in Nagano Prefecture, opened on 1 October 1997 in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics, and was originally called the Nagano Shinkansen (長野新幹線). The extension to Toyama in Toyama Prefecture and Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture opened on 14 March 2015. Construction of a further section onward to Fukui and Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture, covering 125 kilometers and six stations, commenced in 2012 and opened on 16 March 2024. The route of the final section to Shin-Osaka was decided on 20 December 2016 as the Osaka–Kyoto route, with construction expected to begin in the late 2020s and take about 25 years, after impact assessment procedures for areas along the line are completed.