by lpetrich
Three Shinkansen extensions approved - Railway Gazette
In Hokkaido (the northern island), western Honshu (the main island), and near Nagasaki.
The Hokkaidō Shinkansen is currently being built from Aomori to Hakodate, and it should open in 2015. The approved extension will continue to Sapporo, and be done by around 2035.
It will use the Seikan Tunnel, currently the longest and the deepest in the world. It originally had tracks in Japanese narrow gauge (1067 mm / 3ft 6in), but it is getting dual-gauge track with standard gauge for the Shinkansen trains (1435 mm / 4ft 8.5in).
Hokuriku Shinkansen in west Honshu is currently being built from Nagano to Kanazawa, and it should open to there in 2014 or 2015. The approved extension will continue to Tsuruga in 2024. They are still not sure which further extension to the east-coast Tokaido Line to build.
Near Nagasaki, a 45·7-km line between Takeo Onsen and Isahaya is now under construction, and the approved extension will go 21 km from Isahaya to Nagasaki. It should be done in 2022. Since it is isolated from the other Shinkansen lines, it will likely be used by dual-gauge trains.
In Hokkaido (the northern island), western Honshu (the main island), and near Nagasaki.
The Hokkaidō Shinkansen is currently being built from Aomori to Hakodate, and it should open in 2015. The approved extension will continue to Sapporo, and be done by around 2035.
It will use the Seikan Tunnel, currently the longest and the deepest in the world. It originally had tracks in Japanese narrow gauge (1067 mm / 3ft 6in), but it is getting dual-gauge track with standard gauge for the Shinkansen trains (1435 mm / 4ft 8.5in).
Hokuriku Shinkansen in west Honshu is currently being built from Nagano to Kanazawa, and it should open to there in 2014 or 2015. The approved extension will continue to Tsuruga in 2024. They are still not sure which further extension to the east-coast Tokaido Line to build.
Near Nagasaki, a 45·7-km line between Takeo Onsen and Isahaya is now under construction, and the approved extension will go 21 km from Isahaya to Nagasaki. It should be done in 2022. Since it is isolated from the other Shinkansen lines, it will likely be used by dual-gauge trains.
