Yamagata Shinkansen

The Yamagata Shinkansen (山形新幹線) is a Mini-shinkansen route in Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It provides service between Tokyo and Shinjō in Yamagata Prefecture over the tracks of the Tohoku Shinkansen and the Ōu Main Line.

Yamagata Shinkansen
An E3-1000 series train on the Yamagata Shinkansen in March 2015
Overview
Native name	山形新幹線
Owner	JR East
Locale	Fukushima and Yamagata Prefectures
Termini	Fukushima Shinjō
Stations	11
Service
Type	Mini-shinkansen
Rolling stock	E3-1000 series/E3-2000 series
History
Opened	1 July 1992
Technical
Line length	148.6 km
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Electrification	20 kV AC, 50 Hz, overhead catenary
Operating speed	130 km/h (80 mph)
Route Map (from Fukushima in blue)

The term Yamagata Shinkansen refers to the segment that connects Fukushima and Shinjō. Because the shinkansen trains share tracks with regular service trains, it is often referred to as a "mini-shinkansen".

Operations

An aerial view showing the Yamagata Shinkansen diverging to the left from the Tohoku Shinkansen north of Fukushima Station

Trains consist of 7-car E3 series trainsets operating as Tsubasa services. Between Tokyo and Fukushima, the trains run coupled to Yamabiko trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen. Between Fukushima and Shinjō, the trains run on their own at a maximum speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) and share the line with regular Ōu Main Line trains.[1]

As of July 2012, about 62 million passengers had ridden the line since it opened in July 1992.[2] The fastest trains connected Tokyo and Yamagata stations in two hours and 29 minutes.[2]

Station list

Route map
Tohoku Main Line 0.0 Fukushima Soneda Tohoku Shinkansen 25 kV / 20 kV Fukushima Kōtsū Iizaka Line Tōhoku Main Line, Abukuma Express Line 3.8 Sasakino 6.9 Niwasaka No. 2 Yoshigasawa Tunnel Matsukawa Tunnel Higashi-Akaiwa (temp., 1st) Higashi-Akaiwa (temp., 2nd) Akaiwa Until 1990 14.6 Akaiwa Since 1990 大日向 Tunnel 環金 Tunnel Itaya Until 1990 21.2 Itaya Since 1990 Itayatoge Tunnel 2nd Itayatoge Tunnel 24.5 Toge Since 1990 Toge Until 1990 28.8 Ōsawa Since 1990 Ōsawa Until 1990 34.8 Sekine Yonesaka Line 40.1 Yonezawa 45.6 Oitama 49.9 Takahata Yamako Takahata Line 56.1 Akayu Yamagata Railway Flower Nagai Line 61.6 Kita-Akayu (Signal Box) 64.4 Nakagawa 68.3 Uzen-Nakayama 75.0 Kaminoyama-Onsen 77.8 Mokichi Memorial Museum 81.8 Zaō Yamagata Locomotive Depot 87.1 Yamagata 89.0 Kita-Yamagata Aterazawa Line 91.9 Uzen-Chitose Senzan Line 93.6 Minami-Dewa 94.9 Urushiyama 97.0 Takatama 98.3 Tendō-Minami 100.4 Tendō 103.4 Midaregawa Yachikidō 106.3 Jimmachi 108.1 Sakuranbo Higashine 109.0 Kanisawa Until 1999 110.6 Higashine 113.5 Murayama 117.9 金谷 (Signal Box) Until 1999 121.5 Sodesaki Yamako Obanazawa Line 126.9 Ōishida 130.8 Kita-Ōishida 133.7 Ashisawa 140.3 Funagata Rikuu East Line Minami-Shinjō 144.1 Torigoe (Signal Box) Until 1999 148.6 Shinjõ Yamako Obanazawa Line Rikuu West Line Ōu Main Line

• All stations listed below are located on the Ōu Main Line.
• Beyond Fukushima, trains bound for Tokyo run with Tohoku Shinkansen trains.

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Transfers	Location
		From Tokyo	From Fukushima
Fukushima	福島	272.8	0.0	Tōhoku Shinkansen (for Morioka), Tōhoku Main Line AbukumaExpress: Abukuma Express Line Fukushima Transportation: Iizaka Line	Fukushima	Fukushima
Yonezawa	米沢	312.9	40.1	Yonesaka Line	Yonezawa	Yamagata
Takahata	高畠	322.7	49.9		Takahata, Higashiokitama District
Akayu	赤湯	328.9	56.1	Flower Nagai Line	Nanyō
Kaminoyama-Onsen	かみのやま温泉	347.8	75.0		Kaminoyama
Yamagata	山形	359.9	87.1		Yamagata
Tendō	天童	373.2	100.4		Tendō
Sakurambo-Higashine	さくらんぼ東根	380.9	108.1		Higashine
Murayama	村山	386.3	113.5		Murayama
Ōishida	大石田	399.7	126.9		Ōishida, Kitamurayama District
Shinjō	新庄	421.4	148.6	Ōu Main Line, Rikuu East Line, Rikuu West Line	Shinjō

Rolling stock

E3-2000 series (left) and E3-1000 series (right) at Shinjō

• E3-1000 series 7-car sets, since 4 December 1999 (to be replaced by E8 series after 2024)
• E3-2000 series 7 car sets, since 20 December 2008

Past rolling stock

A 400 series set on a Tsubasa service, March 2005

• 400 series 7-car sets (originally 6-car sets) withdrawn by April 2010

History

• July 1, 1992: Tsubasa services start from Tokyo to Yamagata with six-car 400 Series Shinkansen attached to a 200 Series Shinkansen on Tōhoku Shinkansen tracks between Tokyo and Fukushima.
• December 1, 1995: Trains are extended to seven cars.
• December 4, 1999: Line is extended to Shinjō.
• September 21, 2001: Double-decker E4 Series Shinkansen replace the 200 series trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen.
• March 18, 2007: All cars are made non-smoking.
• December 20, 2008: E3-2000 series trains enter service
• April 18, 2010: 400 series trains cease operations.
• March 11, 2011: All services are suspended due to the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
• March 31, 2011: Partial services resume between Fukushima and Shinjō.
• April 12, 2011: Through-service resumed between Tokyo and Shinjō but at half of previous capacity.[3]

References

1. "300km/hのトップランナー" [300 km/h Top Runners]. Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 52 no. 612. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. April 2012. p. 14.
2. "Yamagata Shinkansen Line turns 20". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. 3 July 2012. p. 2. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
3. NHK, "Yamagata Shinkansen fully resumes operations", 12 April 2011.

External links

• Stations of Yamagata Shinkansen (JR East) (in Japanese)