Kodama (train)
JR West 8-car 500 Series Shinkansen on a Kodama service at Himeji Station, August 2009 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Shinkansen (Local) |
| Status | Operational |
| First service | 1958 (Limited express) 1 October 1964 (Shinkansen) |
| Current operators | JR Central, JR West |
| Route | |
| Termini | Tokyo (Tōkaidō Shinkansen) Shin-Osaka (Tokaido Shinkansen and San'yō Shinkansen) Hakata or Hakataminami (San'yō Shinkansen) |
| Lines used | Tokaido Shinkansen San'yō Shinkansen |
| On-board services | |
| Class | Green/ordinary |
| Catering facilities | None |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | 500/700/N700 series |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC |
| Operating speed | 285 km/h (175 mph) |
Kodama (Japanese: こだま; lit. 'Echo') is the slowest, all-stops train service operating on Japan's Tōkaidō and San'yō Shinkansen lines. The Kodama trains are used primarily for travel to and from smaller cities along the line. Travelers between major cities generally take the super-express Nozomi or express Hikari services, which make fewer stops, although the Nozomi requires paying a supplement under the Japan Rail Pass while the Kodama and Hikari do not, making these services an affordable, but slower, alternative.