Tsubasa (train)

Tsubasa
E8 series set on a Tsubasa service
Overview
Service typeShinkansen
LocaleJapan
First service1 October 1961 (Limited express)
1 July 1992 (Shinkansen)
Current operatorJR East
Former operatorJNR
Route
TerminiTokyo
Shinjo
Average journey time3 hr, 7 min (fastest)
Service frequency16 round trips daily
On-board services
ClassGreen + Standard class
Catering facilitiesTrolley service
Technical
Rolling stock
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed
  • Tokyo–Fukushima: 300 km/h (190 mph)
  • Fukushima–Shinjo: 130 km/h (81 mph)

The Tsubasa (Japanese: つばさ; lit.'wing') is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated on the Yamagata Shinkansen and Tōhoku Shinkansen by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) since July 1992. The name was formerly used for a limited express service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) and later by JR East, which ran from Ueno to Akita, and was discontinued in 1992 when the new Shinkansen service commenced.