Kyushu Shinkansen
| Kyushu Shinkansen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Native name | 九州新幹線 | ||
| Owner | JRTT | ||
| Locale | Kyushu (Fukuoka, Saga, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima prefectures) | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 12 | ||
| Color on map | Red | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | High-speed rail | ||
| System | Shinkansen | ||
| Services | Mizuho · Sakura · Tsubame | ||
| Operator(s) | JR Kyushu | ||
| Depot(s) | Kumamoto · Sendai | ||
| Rolling stock | 800 series · N700 series | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 13 March 2004 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 256.8 km (159.6 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Minimum radius | 4,000 m (2.5 mi; 13,000 ft) | ||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 25 kV 60 Hz AC | ||
| Operating speed | 260 km/h (162 mph) | ||
| |||
The Kyushu Shinkansen (Japanese: 九州新幹線, Hepburn: Kyūshū Shinkansen) is a Japanese high-speed rail line and part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. It is an extension of the San'yō Shinkansen from Honshu, connecting Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka on Japan's island of Kyūshū to Kagoshima-Chuo Station in the city of Kagoshima in the south. The line runs parallel to the existing Kagoshima Main Line and is operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).
The southernmost 127 km (79 mi) section was constructed first, opening on 13 March 2004. The double-track section offered a significant improvement in travel time over the equivalent single-track portion of the Kagoshima Main Line, despite the need for passengers to change to a Relay Tsubame narrow gauge train at Shin-Yatsushiro for the remainder of the journey to Hakata Station. The northernmost 130 km (81 mi) section opened on 12 March 2011, enabling through services to Shin-Ōsaka Station (and, with an interchange, to Tōkyō Station).