page_title: Shinkansen
section_title: Trains
hierarchical_section_title: Shinkansen / Technology / Trains
caption_attribution_description: English: A passanger's view of Shinkansen coaches
context_page_description: The Shinkansen, colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond long-distance travel, some sections around the largest metropolitan areas are used as a commuter rail network. It is operated by five Japan Railways Group companies.
  Over the Shinkansen's 50-plus-year history, carrying over 10 billion passengers, there has been not a single passenger fatality or injury due to train accidents.
  Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of 2,764.6 km of lines with maximum speeds of 240–320 km/h, 283.5 km of Mini-Shinkansen lines with a maximum speed of 130 km/h, and 10.3 km of spur lines with Shinkansen services. The network presently links most major cities on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, and Hakodate on northern island of Hokkaido, with an extension to Sapporo under construction and scheduled to commence in March 2031. The maximum operating speed is 320 km/h.
context_section_description: Shinkansen trains are electric multiple units, offering fast acceleration, deceleration and reduced damage to the track because of the use of lighter vehicles compared to locomotives or power cars. The coaches are air-sealed to ensure stable air pressure when entering tunnels at high speed.
caption: A passenger's view of Shinkansen coaches (E2-1000 Series)
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