High-speed line Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen put into operation in the southeast of Japan

JR Kyushu has launched the shortest high-speed line in the world, the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, which is only 66 km long. The railway line is isolated from the network of other 1435 mm Shinkansen lines and will remain so for the foreseeable future. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to zdmira.

Project costs exceeded initial estimates by 20% and amounted to 620 billion yen. On the line linking Takeo-Onsen with Nagasaki, 31 tunnels have been built with a total length of more than 40 km, another 21 km are bridge structures and only 5.3 km are ground-level sections. The new line has reduced the travel time between Hakata and Nagasaki by 30 minutes, now for a trip with a change in Takeo Onsen on high-speed line Kyushu Shinkansen takes 1 hour 30 minutes.

Passenger transportation on the line is carried out by four six-car trains of the N700S-8000 series, designed for 396 passengers. The trains were built at Hitachi Kasado plant and delivered by sea to the new Omura depot in January 2022. JR Kyushu offers 22 Kamome-brand train trips in both directions and continues local service on the 1067 mm Takeo-Onsen-Nagasaki line.

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