General News

Tohoku Shinkansen line celebrates 40th anniversary

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:36 JST, June 23, 2022

The Tohoku Shinkansen line on Thursday marked 40 years since its opening.

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) is currently operating a special Shinkansen bullet train that replicates the colors and design of the first Tohoku Shinkansen trains in service. Passengers and train fans avidly took photos of the special train as it entered Tokyo Station on Thursday morning.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
A Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train that replicates the design and colors of 40 years ago arrives at Tokyo Station on Thursday.

The Tohoku Shinkansen line was opened between Omiya and Morioka stations in 1982, during the days of the Japanese National Railways. The line was extended to Tokyo Station in 1991 and to Shin-Aomori Station in 2010. The total length is now 674.9 kilometers, the longest in Japan.

The maximum speed has risen from 210 kph when the line was first opened, to 320 kph today. It currently takes 2 hours and 58 minutes to travel between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations.

A ceremony will be held at Sendai Station on Saturday.