The Hokkaido Shinkansen will celebrate its 10th anniversary since opening on the 26th. The main advantage of the extension to Sapporo is its speed, but the Sapporo-Tokyo journey will
take “4 and a half hours”. Will this actually be possible?
A very rare Shinkansen, the only one of its kind in the world, has come into view. It is JR East’s test vehicle, “ALFA-X”. What will the next generation Shinkansen aim for? For example, “tunnel boom”. This is the loud bang sound that occurs when the Shinkansen runs through a tunnel. To suppress this noise, the “nose” of the lead car has been extended to 22 meters, equivalent to the length of two large buses. This is a video of a test run that was unveiled in 2020.
Reporter: “The ALFA-X’s speed has exceeded 380 kilometers per hour, 380 kilometers per hour.” Test runs are also being conducted in Hokkaido with the aim of putting it into practical use at the same time as the Shinkansen extension to Sapporo. What will this next generation Shinkansen aim for?
Osamu Shimada, then president of JR Hokkaido (2019): “When the Hokkaido Shinkansen opens to Sapporo, we want to challenge ourselves to make the Tokyo-Sapporo journey 4.5 hours.” This means connecting Sapporo and Tokyo in 4.5 hours.
Professor Kunihiro Kishi of the Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University: “Human transportation choices are basically based on comparing two options and choosing which one to take. It’s not about the service level of the Shinkansen itself, but a comparison with airplanes.” There is a saying that the Shinkansen has a “4-hour barrier.” It is said that when the travel time is less than 4 hours, users tend to switch from airplanes to the Shinkansen, meaning it is the turning point where “the Shinkansen has the advantage.”
■Transportation from Sapporo to Tokyo Station ・Sapporo Station → New Chitose Airport: 33 minutes (when using the Special Rapid Service) ・New Chitose Airport → Haneda Airport: Approximately 90 minutes ・Haneda Airport → Tokyo Station: Approximately 30 minutes Adding transfer time, the total travel time is approximately 3.5 hours. On the other hand, it is currently very difficult for the Shinkansen to complete the Sapporo-Tokyo journey in under 4 hours, and 4.5 hours was the time that was painstakingly calculated.
Professor Kunihiro Kishi of the Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, says, “It’s only a one-hour difference. You can get there without changing trains. The theoretical approach is that some people will choose the Shinkansen.” Why can’t the Shinkansen run faster to save time? One reason is the Seikan Tunnel, which connects Hokkaido and Honshu. The Seikan Tunnel is the only section in Japan where Shinkansen trains and freight trains run in opposite directions. When the trains pass each other, the Shinkansen, which can reach a maximum speed of 320 km/h, slows down to 160 km/h to prevent cargo from shifting. Meanwhile, there is a new development in Tokyo… JR East has started operating Japan’s first “baggage-only Shinkansen” from Morioka to Tokyo on the 23rd. Experts are hopeful that even if it cannot completely replace the freight trains in the Seikan Tunnel, it is worth considering.
Professor Kunihiro Kishi of the Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, says, “I think it is worth considering reducing the number of conventional container-type freight trains with the baggage Shinkansen developed by JR East.” The history of the Shinkansen is a history of shortening travel time to Tokyo. The extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo is no earlier than 2038, 12 years from now, but the battle for a “4.5-hour” travel time will become a reality when it opens.
