Hokuriku Shinkansen

Hokuriku Shinkansen
JR East E7 series train 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
Service
TypeHigh-speed rail (Shinkansen)
SystemShinkansen
Services
Operator(s) JR East (Takasaki – Jōetsumyōkō)
JR West (Jōetsumyōkō – Tsuruga)
Depot(s)Nagano, Hakusan
Rolling stock
History
Opened1 October 1997 (1997-10-01)
Last extension16 March 2024 (2024-03-16) (Kanazawa to Tsuruga)
Technical
Line length470.6 km (292.4 mi)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius4,000 m (2.5 mi; 13,000 ft)
ElectrificationOverhead line25 kV 50 Hz AC and 25 kV 60 Hz AC
Operating speed260 km/h (162 mph), 275 km/h (171 mph) (Omiya – Takasaki)
SignallingCab signalling
Train protection systemDS-ATC
Maximum incline3.0%
Route map
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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 km (78 mi) and six stations, commenced in 2012 and opened on 16 March 2024. The route of the final section to Shin-Osaka was initially 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. However as of 16 December 2025, these plans are withheld at the request of Kyoto Prefecture and Kyoto City Council.