thumb|upright=1.2|Map of Shinkansen lines, as of May 2024
thumb|A lineup of [[JR East Shinkansen trains in October 2012. From left to right: E5, 200, E4, E2, E3, E926 "East i", and E1.]]
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. The system was developed to provide connections between Tokyo and other regions of the country. In addition to long-distance services, some sections in and around the largest metropolitan areas are used for commuter travel.
The first line, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, opened shortly before the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the route connects Tōkyō, Yokohama, Nagoya, and Ōsaka, the four largest cities in Japan. It remains the busiest line in the network, carrying 161million passengers in fiscal 2023 and more than 6.5billion passengers in total since opening. During peak periods, up to 16trains per hour operate in each direction, using 16-car trainsets with a seating capacity of 1,323 and a minimum scheduled headway of three minutes.
Since the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, the network has expanded to include of lines with maximum operating speeds ranging from , the latter achieved on a section of the Tōhoku Shinkansen. The network also includes of mini-Shinkansen lines with maximum speeds of and of spur lines with Shinkansen services. Shinkansen services operate to most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu and extend to Hakodate on Hokkaido, with an extension to Sapporo under construction and scheduled to open at the end of fiscal year 2038. In 2024, the Shinkansen network recorded 385.9 million passenger journeys.
Etymology
literally means or in Japanese. The term is used to refer both to the dedicated high-speed railway infrastructure and to the trains that operate on it.
In English, Shinkansen trains are commonly referred to as the bullet train. This expression is a literal translation of the Japanese nickname , which dates to 1939 and was originally applied to early high-speed rail proposals during the initial planning stages of the project. The name later became firmly associated with Shinkansen services due to their high operating speeds and the distinctive, bullet-like profile of the original 0 Series Shinkansen trains.
History
Background
thumb|A JNR map from the October 1964 English-language timetable, showing the then-new Tokaido Shinkansen line (in red) and conventional lines
Japan was the first country to construct railway lines dedicated to high-speed travel. Owing to the country's mountainous terrain, the pre-existing rail network was built primarily to a narrow-gauge and followed indirect alignments. These lines could not be readily adapted for sustained high-speed operation because of inherent technical limitations, including lower permissible speeds on curves compared with wider gauges. For example, a curve allowing a maximum speed of on standard-gauge track would typically be limited to around on narrow-gauge track. This train gave designers the confidence that they could safely build an even faster standard-gauge train. Thus the first Shinkansen, the 0 series, was built on the success of the Romancecar.
In the 1950s, prevailing opinion in Japan held that railways would soon become obsolete, following trends in the United States toward air travel and highway construction. In contrast, Shinji Sogō, president of Japanese National Railways (JNR), strongly advocated the viability of high-speed rail and played a decisive role in securing political support for the Shinkansen project. Technical leadership was provided by Hideo Shima, JNR's chief engineer. Other major contributors included , Tadashi Matsudaira, and Hajime Kawanabe of the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI), then part of JNR. This group was responsible for much of the engineering work on the first Shinkansen line, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen. All three had prior experience in aircraft design during World War II.
Government approval came in December 1958, and construction of the first segment of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka started in April 1959. The cost of constructing the Shinkansen was at first estimated at nearly 200 billion yen,() which was raised in the form of a government loan, railway bonds and a low-interest loan of US$80 million () from the World Bank. Initial estimates, however, were understated and the actual cost was about 380 billion yen. As the budget shortfall became clear in 1963, Sogō resigned to take responsibility.
A test facility for rolling stock, called the Kamonomiya Model Section, opened in Odawara in 1962.
Initial success
thumb|1964 JNR Passenger Timetable showing first Shinkansen services
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen began service on 1 October 1964, shortly before the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics on 10 October 1964. Prior to the introduction of the high-speed line, conventional limited express services required approximately 6 hours and 40 minutes to travel between Tokyo and Osaka. With the opening of the Shinkansen, the limited-stop Hikari service reduced the journey time to four hours, while the all-stations Kodama service completed the trip in five hours. The first Shinkansen trains, the 0 series, ran at speeds of up to , later increased to , reducing end-to-end trip times on Hikari services to three hours and ten minutes.
The new service enabled same-day travel between Tokyo and Osaka, Japan's two largest metropolitan areas, significantly influencing business practices and daily life while generating substantial new passenger demand.
The line was an immediate success, carrying 100 million passengers within three years, a milestone reached on 13 July 1967, and surpassing one billion passengers in 1976. Sixteen-car trainsets were introduced in time for Expo '70 in Osaka.
By 1992, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen carried an average of approximately 23,000 passengers per hour in each direction, making it the world's busiest high-speed rail line at the time. As of 2014, the line's 50th anniversary year, average daily ridership had increased to about 391,000 passengers, which, over an 18-hour operating day, represented an average of just under 22,000 passengers per hour.
Network expansion
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen's rapid success prompted an extension westward to Okayama, Hiroshima and Fukuoka (the San'yō Shinkansen), which was completed in 1975. Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka was an ardent supporter of the Shinkansen, and his government proposed an extensive network paralleling most existing trunk lines. Two new lines, the Tōhoku Shinkansen and Jōetsu Shinkansen, were built following this plan. Many other planned lines were delayed or scrapped entirely as JNR slid into debt throughout the late 1970s, largely because of the high cost of building the Shinkansen network and the effects of the 1973 oil crisis. By 1987, the company was deeply in debt, leading to its privatization.
Development of the Shinkansen by the privatised regional JR companies has continued, with new train models developed, each generally with its own distinctive appearance (such as the 500 series introduced by JR West). Since 2014, Shinkansen trains run regularly at speeds up to on the Tōhoku Shinkansen; only the Shanghai maglev train, China Railway High-speed networks, and the Indonesian Jakarta-Bandung High-speed railway have commercial services that operate faster.
Since 1970, development has also been underway for the Chūō Shinkansen, a planned maglev line from Tokyo to Osaka. On 21 April 2015, a seven-car L0 series maglev trainset, planned to be used on the line, set a world speed record of . The line is expected to operate at , with the estimated travel time between Tokyo and Osaka taking 67 minutes. Construction commenced in 2011 and was originally scheduled to open in 2027, though it has since been delayed to at least 2034.
Technology
To enable high-speed operation, Shinkansen uses a range of advanced technology compared with conventional rail, achieving not only high speed but also a high standard of safety and comfort. Its success has influenced other railways in the world, demonstrating the importance and advantages of high-speed rail.
Routing
The majority of Shinkansen routes never intersect with slower, narrow-gauge conventional lines. Consequently, the Shinkansen is not affected by slower trains and has the capacity to operate many high-speed trains punctually. Routes are also completely grade separated from road traffic and tracks are strictly off-limits, with penalties against trespassing regulated by law. The routes make extensive use of tunnels and viaducts to go through and over obstacles rather than around them, with a minimum curve radius of , although the older Tōkaidō Shinkansen line has a minimum of .
While most Shinkansen routes follow this pattern, two exceptions exist. These are the mini-shinkansen lines, which run on conventional lines converted to standard gauge; and the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which shares trackage with narrow-gauge freight trains through the Seikan Tunnel.
Track
thumb|Shinkansen standard-gauge track, with welded rails to reduce vibration
The Shinkansen uses standard gauge in contrast to the narrow gauge of most other lines in Japan. Continuous welded rail and swingnose crossing points are employed, eliminating gaps at turnouts and crossings. Long rails are used, joined by expansion joints to minimize gauge fluctuation due to thermal elongation and shrinkage.
A combination of ballasted and slab track is used, with slab track exclusively employed on concrete bed sections such as viaducts and tunnels. Slab track is significantly more cost-effective in tunnel sections, since the lower track height reduces the cross-sectional area of the tunnel, reducing construction costs up to 30%.
However, the smaller diameter of Shinkansen tunnels, compared to some other high-speed lines, has resulted in the issue of tunnel boom becoming a concern for residents living close to tunnel portals.
The slab track consists of rails, fasteners and track slabs with a cement asphalt mortar. On the roadbed and in tunnels, circular upstands, measuring in diameter and high, are located at 5-metre intervals. The prefabricated upstands are made of either reinforced concrete or pre-stressed reinforced concrete; they prevent the track slab from moving latitudinally or longitudinally. One track slab weighs approximately 5 tons and is wide, long and thick.
Signal system
thumb|Braking curve for the original ATC-1 used on the [[Tokaido Shinkansen (Vertical axis represents the speed of the train whereas the horizontal axis represents the distance.)]]
thumb|Replica of the Shinkansen CTC as seen at the [[Kyoto Railway Museum]]
The Shinkansen employs an ATC (automatic train control) system, eliminating the need for trackside signals. It uses a comprehensive system of automatic train protection. This larger loading gauge permits wider coaches, allowing for 5-abreast seating (2+3) in Standard Class coaches, compared to the more common 4-abreast (2+2) seating usually found elsewhere. On occasions, this wider loading gauge was also used to allow 6-abreast seating (3+3) on certain trains, such as the E1 and E4 series sets. This, combined with a lack of power cars, allows for a higher passenger capacity within a shorter train length. However, since mini-Shinkansen lines are effectively track-regauged conventional lines, the conventional loading gauge for 1,067mm lines still applies on mini-Shinkansen lines.
Traction
The Shinkansen has used EMUs from the outset, with the 0 Series Shinkansen having all axles powered. Other railway manufacturers were traditionally reluctant or unable to use distributed traction configurations (Talgo, the German ICE 2 and the French (and subsequently South Korean) TGV (and KTX-I and KTX-Sancheon) use the locomotive (also known as power car) configuration with the Renfe Class 102 and continues with it for the Talgo AVRIL because it is not possible to use powered bogies as part of Talgo's bogie design, which uses a modified Jacobs bogie with a single axle instead of two and allows the wheels to rotate independently of each other; on the ICE 2, TGV and KTX it is because it easily allows for a high ride quality and less electrical equipment.) In Japan, significant engineering desirability exists for the electric multiple unit configuration. A greater proportion of motored axles permits higher acceleration, so the Shinkansen does not lose as much time if stopping frequently. Shinkansen lines have more stops in proportion to their lengths compared to high-speed lines elsewhere in the world owing to the distribution of major population centers across the country.
Shinkansen lines
Current lines
The main Shinkansen lines are:
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Line
!Start
!End
!Top speed
!Length
!Operator
!Opened
!Passengers<br />(2024, thousands)
!Passenger km<br />(2024, thousands)
|-
!20x20px
!Tōkaidō
|
|
|
|
|
|1964
|170,516
|55,407,825
|-
!20x20px|■
!San'yō
|
|
|
|
|
|1972
|73,856
|19,114,179
|-
!20x20px
!Tōhoku
|
|
|
|
|
|1982
|87,052
|14,989,300
|-
!20x20px
!Jōetsu
|
|
|
|
|
|1982
|44,053
|5,020,645
|-
!20x20px<br>20x20px|■
!Hokuriku
|
|
|
|
|<br />
|1997
|41,385
|5,262,356
|-
!20x20px
!Kyushu
|
|
|
|
|
|2004
|rowspan="2"|17,020
|rowspan="2"|2,022,711
|-
!
!Nishi Kyushu
|
|
|
|
|
|2022
|-
!20x20px
!Hokkaido
|
|
|
|
|
|2016
|1,616
|246,139
|}
The Tōkaidō, San'yō, and Kyūshū lines form a contiguous west- and southbound corridor from Tōkyō station. Train services operate between the Tōkaidō and San'yō lines and between the San'yō and Kyūshū lines, even though they are operated by different companies.
The Tōkaidō and Tōhoku lines are not physically connected at Tokyo Station, as they use different electrification standards, signaling systems, and earthquake-mitigation devices.
All northbound services from Tōkyō station travel along the Tōhoku line until at least Ōmiya before diverging to other Shinkansen or mini-Shinkansen routes.
Mini-Shinkansen
Instead of constructing a new right of way, two further lines known as mini-Shinkansen have been constructed by re-gauging existing sections of conventional lines. The mini-Shinkansen trains are coupled to a Tōhoku Shinkansen train between Tokyo and their start station where they couple/decouple on the platform before continuing their journey. While operating on the mini-Shinkansen lines trains have a maximum speed of .
{| class="wikitable"
!Line
!Start
!End
!Conventional lines used
!Top speed
!Length
!Operator
!Opened
|-
!Yamagata
|
|
|Ōu Main
|
|
|rowspan="2"|
|1992
|-
!Akita
|
|
|Tazawako, Ōu Main
|
|
|1997
|}
Non-Shinkansen lines operated with Shinkansen equipment
There are two standard-gauge lines that are not classified as Shinkansen or mini-Shinkansen lines but are operated with Shinkansen equipment, as they use tracks leading to Shinkansen storage yards:
{| class="wikitable"
!Line
!Start
!End
!Top speed
!Length
!Operator
!Opened
|-
!Hakataminami
|
|
|
|
|
|1990
|-
!Gala-Yuzawa
|
|
|<!-- -->
|
|
|1990
|}
Lines under construction
The following lines are under construction. These lines except Chūō Shinkansen, called Seibi Shinkansen or planned Shinkansen, are the Shinkansen projects designated in the decided by the government.
- The Hokkaido Shinkansen from to is under construction and scheduled to open by 2038.
- The Chūō Shinkansen (Tokyo–Nagoya–Osaka) is the first maglev Shinkansen line, which has been under construction since 2014. JR Central originally aimed to begin commercial service between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027. However, in 2024, Central Japan Railway Co President Shunsuke Niwa said that due to construction delays a 2027 opening was now impossible and it is not expected to open until at least 2034.
|
|2012
|JFY2038
|
|}
Planned lines
- The extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen to Osaka is proposed, with the route via Obama and Kyoto selected by the government on 20 December 2016.
{| class="wikitable"
! Line
! Start
! End
! Top speed
! Length
! Construction<br />proposed
! Expected<br />opening
|-
!Chūō Phase 2
|
|
|
|
|
|2037
|-
!Hokuriku Phase 4
|
|
|
|
|2030
|JFY2045
|-
!Nishi Kyushu Phase 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
Proposed lines
thumb|upright=1.2|Map of proposed Shinkansen lines
Many Shinkansen lines were proposed during the boom of the early 1970s but have yet to be constructed and have subsequently been shelved indefinitely.
- Hokkaido Shinkansen northern extension: Sapporo–Asahikawa
- : Oshamanbe–Muroran–Sapporo
- : Toyama–Niigata–Aomori
- Toyama–Jōetsu-Myōkō exists as part of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and Nagaoka–Niigata exists as part of the Jōetsu Shinkansen, with provisions for the Uetsu Shinkansen at Nagaoka.
- : Fukushima–Yamagata–Akita
- Fukushima–Shinjō and Ōmagari–Akita exist as the Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen, respectively, but as "Mini-shinkansen" upgrades of existing track, they do not meet the requirements of the Basic Plan.
- : Nagoya–Tsuruga
- : Osaka–Tottori–Matsue–Shimonoseki
- : Okayama–Matsue
- : Osaka–Tokushima–Takamatsu–Matsuyama–Ōita
- : Okayama–Kōchi–Matsuyama
- There have been some activity regarding the Shikoku and Trans-Shikoku Shinkansen in recent years. In 2016, the Shikoku and Trans-Shikoku Shinkansen were identified as potential future projects in a review of long-term plans for the Shikoku area and funds allocated towards the planning of the route. A profitability study has also been commissioned by the city of Oita in 2018 that found the route to be potentially profitable
- : Fukuoka–Ōita–Miyazaki–Kagoshima
- : Ōita–Kumamoto
In addition, the Basic Plan specified that the Jōetsu Shinkansen should start from Shinjuku, not Tokyo Station, which would have required building an additional of track between Shinjuku and Ōmiya. While no construction work was ever started, land along the proposed track, including an underground section leading to Shinjuku Station, remains reserved. If capacity on the Tokyo–Ōmiya section proves insufficient at some point, construction of the Shinjuku–Ōmiya link may be reconsidered.
In December 2009, then transport minister Seiji Maehara proposed a bullet train link to Haneda Airport, using an existing spur that connects the Tōkaidō Shinkansen to a train depot. JR Central called the plan "unrealistic" due to tight train schedules on the existing line, but reports said that Maehara wished to continue discussions on the idea. The succeeding minister has not indicated whether this proposal remains supported. While the plan may become more feasible after the opening the Chūō Shinkansen (sometimes referred to as a bypass to the Tokaido Shinkansen) frees up capacity, construction is already underway for other rail improvements between Haneda and Tokyo station expected to be completed prior to the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so any potential Shinkansen service would likely offer only marginal benefit. Despite these plans ultimately not being realized (owing in part due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic), rail projects in the vicinity of Haneda Airport, including the Haneda Airport Access Line and the Tokyo Rinkai Subway Line, continue to undergo planning.
Cancelled lines
The Narita Shinkansen project to connect Tokyo to Narita International Airport, initiated in the 1970s but halted in 1983 after landowner protests, has been officially cancelled and removed from the Basic Plan governing Shinkansen construction. Parts of its planned right-of-way were used by the Narita Sky Access Line which opened in 2010, and the Keiyo Line reused space originally set aside for the Narita Shinkansen terminus at Tokyo Station. Although the Sky Access Line uses standard-gauge track, it was not built to Shinkansen specifications and there are no plans to convert it into a full Shinkansen line.
Services
thumb|Tokyo Station Tokaido Shinkansen platforms, September 2021
thumb|The Shinkansen fare system is integrated with Japan's conventional lines. In this example, a base-fare ticket from Tokyo to Takamatsu is paired with a Shinkansen express surcharge ticket from Tokyo to Okayama, allowing travel by Shinkansen to Okayama and by conventional lines to Takamatsu.
Originally intended to carry passenger trains by day and freight trains by night, the Shinkansen lines carried exclusively passengers for the first five and a half decades of their operation. Light freight has been carried on some passenger services since 2019, and there are plans to expand this with freight-only trains in the future.
The system shuts down between midnight and 06:00 every day for maintenance. Japan's few remaining overnight passenger trains run on the older, narrow-gauge network that the Shinkansen parallels.
There are three principal service types on the Shinkansen:
- Express – stop only at major stations and are the fastest services in terms of average journey time.
- Local – stop at every station along the section they operate over, and therefore have the lowest average speeds. These services typically operate over only part of a line rather than end to end.
- Tanigawa (local)
Hokuriku Shinkansen
- Kagayaki (express)
- Hakutaka (limited-stop)
- Tsurugi (local)
- Asama (local)
Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen
- Kamome (local)
- E7/W7 series – 12-car trainsets introduced in March 2014 for the Hokuriku Shinkansen and later introduced on the Jōetsu Shinkansen in 2019. Maximum operating speed is on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and on the Jōetsu Shinkansen. The E7 series is owned by JR East and the W7 series by JR West; the two types are otherwise identical.
<gallery class="center">
File:JR East Shinkansen 200(renewal).jpg|200 series
File:JReastE1 Omiya 20120918.jpg|E1 series
File:Series-E2-1000-J70.jpg|E2 series
File:Series-E4-P13.jpg|E4 series
File:JRE-TEC-E5 omiya.JPG|E5 series
File:H5kei hayabusa and E6kei komachi.JPG|H5 series
File:Series-E7-F19.jpg|E7/W7 series
</gallery>
Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen
- 400 series – The first mini-Shinkansen train type, introduced in 1992 for services on the Yamagata Shinkansen. It had a maximum operating speed of and was withdrawn from service in April 2010.
- E3 series – Introduced in 1997 for the Akita Shinkansen, with a maximum operating speed of . Additional trainsets were built for use on the Yamagata Shinkansen. From 2014 onward, the type has been used exclusively on the Yamagata Shinkansen.
- E6 series – Introduced in March 2013 as the replacement for the E3 series on the Akita Shinkansen, featuring a maximum operating speed of on the mainline Tōhoku shinkansen, however limited to on the Akita Shinkansen.
- E8 series – Introduced in March 2024 as the replacement for the E3 series on the Yamagata Shinkansen. The type has a maximum operating speed of on the mainline Tōhoku shinkansen, however limited to on the Yamagata Shinkansen..
<gallery class="center">
File:400 L3 Tsubasa Yamagata 20020824.jpg|400 series
File:E3-2000 L67 Akayu Tsubasa 128 20150905.jpg|E3 series
File:E6 series Z12 Komachi 20161013.jpg|E6 series
File:Shinkansen E8 series test.jpg|E8 series
</gallery>
Experimental trains
- Class 1000 – 1961
- Class 951 – 1969
- Class 961 – 1973
- Class 962 – 1979
- 500-900 series "WIN350" – 1992
- Class 952/953 "STAR21" – 1992
- Class 955 "300X" – 1994
- Gauge Change Train – 1998 to present
- Class E954 "Fastech 360S" – 2004
- Class E955 "Fastech 360Z" – 2005
- Class E956 "ALFA-X" – 2019
<gallery class="center">
Class 1000 Shinkansen Photograph.png|Class 1000
File:951-1 RTRI Kokubunji 199711.jpg|Class 951
File:JNR shinkansen 961 sendai.jpg|Class 961
File:925-10 S2 Takasaki 20020925.jpg|Class 962
File:WIN350 Maibara 19981011.jpg|WIN350
File:STAR21 952-1 Maibara 20060727.JPG|STAR21
File:Shinkansen955-1-2.jpg|300X
File:Gauge Changing Train 20120912.jpg|Gauge change train (2nd generation)
File:E954 S9 Sendai 20060421.jpg|Fastech 360S
File:E955 Sendai General Shinkansen Depot 20080726.jpg|Fastech 360Z
File:E956S13Sendai.jpg|ALFA-X
</gallery>
Maintenance vehicles
- 911 Type diesel locomotive
- 912 Type diesel locomotive
- DD18 Type diesel locomotive
- DD19 Type diesel locomotive
- 941 Type (rescue train)
- 921 Type (track inspection car)
- 922 Type (Doctor Yellow sets T1, T2, T3)
- 923 Type (Doctor Yellow sets T4, T5)
- 925 Type (Doctor Yellow sets S1, S2)
- E926 Type (East i)
<gallery class="center">
File:Class 922 Doctor Yellow set T2.jpg|Doctor Yellow Type 922
File:Type923-T4.jpg|Doctor Yellow Type 923
File:925-10 S2 Takasaki 20020925.jpg|Doctor Yellow Type 925
File:TypeE926.jpg|Type E926 East-i
File:911 dl.JPG|Type 911 locomotive
File:Tokaido Shinkansen Kyoto station railway track maintenancea line 02.jpg|Track maintenance vehicles stabled along sidings outside Kyoto station
File:Multiple Tie Tamper.jpg|Tamping machine
File:バラスト整理車.jpg|Ballast cleaner
File:延線車.jpg|Overhead line replacement vehicle
File:装柱車.jpg|Loading vehicle
</gallery>
Speed records
Traditional rail
thumb|Class 955 "300X"
{|class="wikitable"
!colspan=2| Speed
!rowspan=2| Train
!rowspan=2| Location
!rowspan=2| Date
!rowspan=2| Comments
|-
!km/h
!mph
|-
|
| Class 1000 Shinkansen
| Kamonomiya test track in Odawara, part of Tōkaidō Shinkansen
|align=right| 31 October 1962
|
|-
|
| Class 1000 Shinkansen
| Kamonomiya test track
|align=right| 30 March 1963
| Former world speed record for EMU trains.
|-
|
| Class 951 Shinkansen
| San'yō Shinkansen
|align=right| 24 February 1972
| Former world speed record for EMU trains.
|-
|
| Class 961 Shinkansen
| Oyama test track, part of Tōhoku Shinkansen
|align=right| 7 December 1979
| Former world speed record for EMU trains.
|-
|
| 300 series
| Tōkaidō Shinkansen
|align=right| 28 February 1991
|
|-
|
| 400 series
| Jōetsu Shinkansen
|align=right| 26 March 1991
|
|-
|
| 400 series
| Jōetsu Shinkansen
|align=right| 19 September 1991
|
|-
|
| 500-900 series "WIN350"
| San'yō Shinkansen
|align=right| 6 August 1992
|
|-
|
| 500–900 series "WIN350" || San'yō Shinkansen
|align=right| 8 August 1992
|
|-
|
| Class 952/953 "STAR21"
| Jōetsu Shinkansen
|align=right| 30 October 1992
|
|-
|
| Class 952/953 "STAR21"
| Jōetsu Shinkansen
|align=right| 21 December 1993
|
|-
|
| Class 955 "300X"
| Tōkaidō Shinkansen
|align=right| 11 July 1996
|
|-
|
| Class 955 "300X"
| Tōkaidō Shinkansen
|align=right| 26 July 1996
|
|}
Reliability
Punctuality
The Shinkansen is very reliable thanks to several factors, including its near-total separation from slower traffic. In 2016, JR Central reported that the Shinkansen's average delay from schedule per train was 24 seconds. This includes delays due to uncontrollable causes, such as natural disasters.
Safety record
Over the Shinkansen's 60-plus year history, carrying over 10 billion passengers, there have been no passenger fatalities due to train accidents such as derailments or collisions, despite frequent earthquakes and typhoons. Injuries and a single fatality have been caused by doors closing on passengers or their belongings; attendants are employed at platforms to prevent such accidents. There have, however, been suicides by passengers jumping both from and in front of moving trains.
There have been two derailments of Shinkansen trains in passenger service. The first one occurred during the Chūetsu earthquake on 23 October 2004. Eight of ten cars of the Toki No. 325 train on the Jōetsu Shinkansen derailed near Nagaoka Station in Nagaoka, Niigata. There were no casualties among the 154 passengers.
Another derailment happened on 2 March 2013 on the Akita Shinkansen when the Komachi No. 25 train derailed in blizzard conditions in Daisen, Akita. No passengers were injured.
In the event of an earthquake, an earthquake detection system can bring the train to a stop very quickly; newer trainsets are lighter and have stronger braking systems, allowing for quicker stopping. New anti-derailment devices were installed on tracks after analysis of the Jōetsu derailment.
Kobe Steel is one of the suppliers of high-strength steel for Shinkansen trainsets and, during inspections following the Kobe Steel data falsification scandal, cracks were found in a single bogie which was then removed from service on 11 December 2017.
On 23 January 2024, a massive power outage struck the Tohoku, Hokuriku and Joetsu Shinkansen lines, resulting in the cancellation of 283 trains and affecting about 120,000 passengers. JR East said that the outage was caused by a Kagayaki service train touching an overhead power cable which was left dangling after the metal rod supporting it fractured between Omiya Station in Saitama and Ueno Station in Tokyo. The incident damaged the train's pantographs and a window, while two railway employees were hospitalized following an explosion that occurred at the site during repairs. Most Shinkansen services were restored the following morning.
In September 2024 and March 2025, two decoupling incidents took place on trains servicing the Tohoku line.
On 15 August 2025, a burning smell was noticed by crew members aboard a Kodama service of the Tokaido Shinkansen. At the time, the N700S set was travelling between Maibara and Gifu-Hashima station, where the train was stopped and white smoke was found coming from underneath car number 9. The fire department was called, and identified a fire on the underside of the vehicle. There were no reported injuries, but the 250 passengers were forced to disembark and take a later Nozomi service.
Effects
Economics
The Shinkansen has had a significant beneficial effect on Japan's business, economy, society, environment and culture beyond mere construction and operational contributions. The resultant time savings alone from switching from a conventional to a high-speed network have been estimated at 400 million hours, and the system has an economic contribution of per year. The privatized JRs eventually paid to acquire JNR's Shinkansen network.
Environment
Traveling by the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka produces only around 16% of the carbon dioxide of the equivalent journey by car, a saving of 15,000 tons of per year.
Improvement and reduction of the pantograph, weight saving of cars, and construction of noise barriers and other measures have been implemented. Research is primarily aimed at reducing operational noise, particularly the tunnel boom phenomenon caused when trains transit tunnels at high speed.
Earthquake
Because of the risk of earthquakes in Japan, the Urgent Earthquake Detection and Alarm System (UrEDAS) (an earthquake warning system) was introduced in 1992. It enables automatic braking of Shinkansen trains in the event of large earthquakes.
Heavy snow
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen often experiences heavy snow in the area around Maibara Station between December and February, requiring trains to reduce speed thus disrupting the timetable. Snow-dispersing sprinkler systems have been installed, but delays of 10–20 minutes still occur during snowy weather. Snow-related treefalls have also caused service interruptions. Along the Jōetsu Shinkansen route, snow can be very heavy, with depths of two to three metres; the line is equipped with stronger sprinklers and slab track to mitigate the snow's effects. Despite having multiple days with delays longer than 30 minutes, the Tōhoku Shinkansen still presents a slight advantage in reliability compared to air travel on days with significant snowfall.
|-
! !! Tokaido !! Tohoku !! San'yō !! Joetsu !! Nagano (Hokuriku) !! Kyushu !! Hokkaido !! Sum* !! Total<br />(excl. transfers)
|-
! FY2007
| 151.32
| 84.83
| 64.43
| 38.29
| 10.13
| 4.18
| -
| 353.18
| 315.77
|-
! FY2015
| 162.97
| 90.45
| 72.06
| 42.96
| 31.84
| 13.65
| **0.10
| 414.03
| 365.71
|-
! FY2016
| 167.72
| 91.09
| 72.53
| 43.06
| 30.75
| 13.27
| 2.11
| 420.53
|
|-
! FY2017
|170.09
|91.98
|74.46
|43.80
|31.03
|14.24
|2.19
| 427.78
|
|-
! FY2018
|174.11
|93.44
|75.92
|44.53
|31.76
|14.6
|1.64
| 436.00
|-
! FY2023
|160.71
|81.55
|70.30
|39.78
|30.31
|16.09
|1.40
| 356.45
|-
! FY2024
|170.52
|87.05
|73.86
|44.05
|41.39
|17.02
|1.62
| 385.93
|-
|}
<nowiki/>* The sum of the ridership of individual lines does not equal the ridership of the system because a single rider may be counted multiple times when using multiple lines, to get proper ridership figures for a system, in the above case, is only counted once.
<nowiki/>** Only refers to 6 days of operation: 26 March 2016 (opening date) to 31 March 2016 (end of FY2015).
Until 2011, Japan's high-speed rail system had the highest annual patronage of any system worldwide, when China's HSR network's patronage reached 1.7 billion and became the world's highest.
Cumulative comparison
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Cumulative high-speed rail passengers (in millions of passengers)
|-
! Year !! Shinkansen (see notes) !! Asia (other) !! Europe !! World !! Shinkansen share (%)
|-
| 1964 || 11.0 || 0 || 0 || 11.0 || 100%
|-
| 1980 || 1,616.3 || 0|| 0 || 1,616.3 || 100%
|-
| 1985 || 2,390.3 || 0 || 45.7 || 2,436.0 || 98.1%
|-
| 1990 || 3,559.1 || 0 || 129.9 || 3,689.0 || 96.5%
|-
| 1995 || 5,018.0 || 0 || 461 || 5,479 || 91.6%
|-
| 2000 || 6,531.7 || 0 || 1,103.5 || 7,635.1 || 85.5%
|-
| 2005 || 8,088.3 || 52.2 || 2,014.6 || 10,155.1 || 79.6%
|-
| 2010 || 9,651.0 || 965 || 3,177.0 || 15,417 || 70.8%
|-
| 2012 || 10,344 || 2,230 || 3,715 || 16,210 || 64.5%
|-
| 2014 || 11,050 || 3,910 || 4,300 || 19,260 || 57.4%
|}
Notes:
- Data in italics includes extrapolated estimations where data is missing. Turkey and Russia data here is included in "Europe" column, rather than split between Asia and Europe. Only systems with 200 km/h or higher regular service speed are considered.
- "Shinkansen share(%)" refers to percent of Shinkansen ridership (including fully assembled exported trainsets) as a percent of "World" total. Currently this only pertains to Taiwan, but may change if Japan exports Shinkansen to other nations.
- "Shinkansen" column does not include Shinkansen knock down kits made in Japan exported to China for assembly, or any derivative system thereof in China
- "Asia (other)" column refers to sum of riderships of all HSR systems geographically in Asia that do not use Shinkansen. (this data excludes Russia and Turkey, which geographically have parts in Asia but for sake of convenience included in Europe column)
- For 2013, Japan's Ministry of Transport has not updated data, nor is summed European data available (even 2012 data is very rough), however Taiwan ridership is 47.49 million and Korea with 54.5 million and China with 672 million in 2013.
Cumulative ridership since October 1964 is over 5 billion passengers for the Tokaido Shinkansen Line alone and 10 billion passengers for Japan's entire shinkansen network.
Passenger-kilometres
Indicates that multiple sources are available, and report different values