“Relay” operation underway: Nagasaki Shinkansen in Japan to open in 2022

▲ Map of the Kyushu Shinkansen line. (Image / from Wikimedia Commons)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Just after the Hokkaido Shinkansen began operations, the Japanese government has announced that the “Nagasaki Shinkansen,” connecting Hakata to Nagasaki, will open in 2022. Once operational, it is expected to take just 1 hour and 26 minutes to travel from Hakata to Nagasaki.

The Nagasaki Shinkansen is part of the Kyushu Shinkansen network. Currently, the one-way travel time on conventional rail is 1 hour and 48 minutes. According to Japanese media reports, authorities had originally planned to develop a variable-gauge train (FGT) to address the issue of the narrower local rail gauge. However, due to slow progress in development, it was recently decided after coordination to temporarily adopt a “relay” system between conventional rail and the Shinkansen for the opening.

This means that when it opens in 2022, passengers will first take a limited express conventional train from Hakata Station to Takeo-Onsen Station, then transfer to the Shinkansen at Takeo-Onsen Station for the onward journey to Nagasaki. This will serve as the temporary operating method after the launch of the Nagasaki Shinkansen.