San'yō Shinkansen
The San'yō Shinkansen (山陽新幹線) is a line of the Japanese Shinkansen high-speed rail network, connecting Shin-Osaka in Osaka with Hakata Station in Fukuoka, the two largest cities in western Japan. Operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), it is a westward continuation of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and also serves other major cities in between on Honshu and Kyushu islands such as Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Hiroshima, and Kitakyushu. The Kyushu Shinkansen continues south of Hakata to Kagoshima. The San'yō Shinkansen connects Hakata with Osaka in two and a half hours, with trains operating at a maximum operating speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) for most of the journey Some Nozomi trains operate continuously on San'yō and Tōkaidō Shinkansen lines, connecting Tokyo and Hakata in five hours.
| San'yō Shinkansen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Native name | 山陽新幹線 | ||
| Owner | JR West | ||
| Locale | Osaka, Hyōgo, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and Fukuoka Prefectures | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 19 | ||
| Color on map | Blue (#24197c) | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | High-speed rail (Shinkansen) | ||
| System | Shinkansen | ||
| Services | Mizuho, Sakura, Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama | ||
| Operator(s) | JR West | ||
| Depot(s) | Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Hakata | ||
| Rolling stock | 500 series 700 series N700 series | ||
| Daily ridership | 110,004 passengers per km per day (FY2014) | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 15 March 1972 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 553.7 km (344.1 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | Double-track | ||
| 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 | 25 kV 60 Hz AC (overhead catenary) | ||
| Operating speed | 300 km/h (186 mph) | ||
| Signalling | Cab signalling | ||
| Train protection system | ATC-NS | ||
| Maximum incline | 1.5% | ||
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