Japan’s Tokaido Shinkansen Celebrates 60 Years of Speed; Service Carried 7 Billion Passengers Since Opening

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:30 JST, October 1, 2024

Tokaido Shinkansen commemorated 60 years of service at JR Tokyo Station on Tuesday.

The line has carried about 7 billion passengers to date. It embarked on a new start with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by many railway fans and others. Nozomi No. 1, the first Shinkansen train of the day, sounded its horn and departed at 6 a.m. from platform No. 19, the same platform that saw off the first Shinkansen train 60 years ago.

“We will work hard to make the Tokaido Shinkansen line even more loved as we move toward the future,” said Shunsuke Niwa, president of Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai).

“It’s really cool and amazing that the Shinkansen still runs at high speeds and carries so many people,” said a fifth-grade elementary school student who came to the ceremony from Mitaka, Tokyo, with his father.