Yamagata Shinkansen

Yamagata Shinkansen
Train the E3-2000 series in Akayu
Route length:	148.6 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system :	20 kV 50 Hz (25 kV 50 Hz)  ~
Top speed:	130 km / h
Legend - 0.0 Tokyo (東京 駅) JR East : Tōhoku Shinkansen JR East: Main Tōhoku Line 0.0 272.8 Fukushima (福島 駅) ↓ JR East: Ōu Main Line Soneda (曽 根 田 駅) JR East: Tōhoku Shinkansen ↑ 25 kV / ↓ 20 kV, Fukushima traffic: Iizaka line JR East: Main Tōhoku Line 3.8 Sasakino (笹 木 野 駅) 6.9 Niwasaka (庭 坂 駅) First Yoshigasawa Tunnel (528 m) Second Yoshigasawa Tunnel (1,091 m) Matsukawa Tunnel (1,048 m) formerly Akaiwa (赤 岩 駅) 14.6 Akaiwa (赤 岩 駅) Ōhinata Tunnel (1,025 m) Kankane Tunnel (2,142 m) formerly Itaya (板 谷 駅) 21.2 Itaya (板 谷 駅) Itaya Pass Tunnel (1,964 m) 24.5 Tōge (峠 駅) formerly Tōge (峠 駅) Taikozawa Tunnel (406 m) 28.8 Ōsawa (大 沢 駅) formerly Ōsawa (大 沢 駅) Osakizaka Tunnel (237 m) 34.8 Sekine (関 根 駅) JR East: Yonesaka Line 40.1 312.9 Yonezawa (米 沢 駅) 45.6 Oitama (置 賜 駅) 49.9 322.7 Takahata (高 畠 駅) Yamagata Traffic: Takahata Line 56.1 328.9 Akayu (赤 湯 駅) Yamagata Railway: Furawā-Nagai Line 61.6 North Akayu (北 赤 湯 信号 場) 64.4 Nakagawa (中 川 駅) 68.3 Uzen-Nakayama (羽 前 中山 駅) 75.0 347.8 Kaminoyama Onsen (か み の や ま 温泉 駅) 77.8 Mokichi-Kinenka-Mae (茂 吉 記念 館 前 駅) 81.8 Zaō (蔵 王 駅) Yamagata Bw 87.1 359.9 Yamagata (山形 駅) 89.0 North Yamagata (北山 形 駅) JR East: Aterazawa Line 91.9 Uzen-Chitose (羽 前 千 歳 駅) JR East: Senzan Line 93.6 South Dewa (南 出 羽 駅) 94.9 Urushiyama (漆 山 駅) 97.0 Takatama (高 擶 駅) 100.4 373.2 Tendō (天 童 駅) 103.4 Midaregawa (乱 川 駅) 106.3 Jin'machi (神 町 駅) 108.1 380.9 Sakurambo-Higashine (さ く ら ん ぼ 東 根 駅) 109.0 Kanisawa (蟹 沢 駅) 110.6 Higashine (東 根 駅) 113.5 386.3 Murayama (村 山 駅) Kanaya Bbf (金谷信 号 場) 121.5 Sodezaki (袖 崎 駅) Yamagata Traffic: Obanazawa Line 126.9 399.7 Ōishida (大 石田 駅) 130.8 North Ōishida (北大 石田 駅) 133.7 Ashisawa (芦 沢 駅) 140.3 Funagata (舟 形 駅) JR East: Riku East Line South Shinjō (南 新 庄 駅) Torigoe Bbf (鳥 越 信号 場) 148.6 421.4 Shinjō (新 庄 駅) JR East: Rikū West Line / Ōu Main Line

The Yamagata Shinkansen ( Japanese 山形 新 幹線 ) is a mini-Shinkansen expanded Japanese railway line between Shinjō and Fukushima operated by the JR East operating company .

history

In order to remain competitive with the ever-growing domestic air traffic, the Japanese state railway company JNR decided in the 1980s to expand the Shinkansen network. Since there are no metropolises in the north of the Japanese main island of Honshū in particular , and therefore an exorbitant demand was not to be expected, independent Shinkansen routes were not built. Instead, it was decided to convert an existing line of the conventional railway network and upgrade it for higher speeds.

The conversion was necessary in particular because the conventional railway network of Japan has Cape Gauge , whereas the Shinkansen network has standard gauge . Since the construction of the mini Shinkansen was supposed to create connections to Tokyo without changing trains, a conversion to standard gauge was essential in order to be able to tie trains through .

The Yamagata Shinkansen opened in 1992 as the first mini-Shinkansen. For this purpose, the Ōu main line between Fukushima and Shinjō was converted from Cape gauge to standard gauge and converted to Shinkansen standard in terms of signaling and safety. The Ōu main line is thus now divided into four, as it continues to have sections in Cape Gauge.

The maximum permissible speed has been increased from 100 km / h to 130 km / h, but is now well below the maximum speeds achieved in the Shinkansen network.

Connections and fleet

Trains of the E3-1000 and -2000 series are currently running on the Yamagata Shinkansen as a Tsubasa connection between Tokyo and Shinjō . Between Tokyo and Fukushima , the trains use the Tōhoku Shinkansen and are coupled with trains of the E2 or E5 series. The E3 series must therefore both meet the requirements for the tight curve radii of the Yamagata Shinkansen and be able to achieve a control speed of 275 km / h on the Tōhoku Shinkansen.

For the opening of the Yamagata Shinkansen, the 400 series was specially developed and manufactured, as the track gauge was adjusted when the mini Shinkansen was built, but the clearance profile was left unchanged. As a result, the existing Shinkansen series were too wide. The 400 series trains were in service from 1992 to 2009 and were then replaced by the E3-1000 and E3-2000 series.

Train stations

Train stations	Japanese	Distance from Tokyo (km)	Transfer options	place
Fukushima	福島	272.8	Tōhoku Shinkansen , Tōhoku Main Line , Ōu Main Line , Abukuma Express: Main Line, Fukushima Traffic: Iizaka Line	Fukushima	Fukushima prefecture
Yonezawa	米 沢	312.9	Yonesaka line	Yonezawa	Yamagata Prefecture
Takahata	高 畠	322.7		Takahata
Akayu	赤 湯	328.9	Yamagata Railway: Furawā-Nagai Line	Nan'yō
Kaminoyama onsen	か み の や ま 温泉	347.8		Kaminoyama
Yamagata	山形	359.9	Senzan Line , Aterazawa Line	Yamagata
Tendo	天 童	373.2		Tendo
Sakuranbo higashine	さ く ら ん ぼ 東 根	380.9		Higashine
Murayama	村 山	386.3		Murayama
Ōishida	大 石田	399.7		Ōishida
Shinjō	新 庄	421.4	Ōu main line, Rikū east line , Rikū west line	Shinjō

Impact of the Tōhoku earthquake in 2011

In the aftermath of the Tōhoku earthquake on March 11, 2011, the Yamagata Shinkansen came to a complete standstill. On March 31, 2011, the section between Fukushima and Shinjō was first put back into operation. From April 12, 2011, individual connections to Tokyo were tied through again. The number was then gradually increased.

Web links

Commons : Yamagata Shinkansen  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ NHK, "Yamagata Shinkansen fully resumes operations", April 12, 2011 ( Memento of August 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (English)