The New Hokkaido Shinkansen

  • Published on : 26/06/2016
  • by : Japan Experience

Travel to North of Japan with the Hokkaido bullet train

Since March 2016, the brand new Hokkaido Shinkansen line is in operation. Read more about it here, and get your Japan Rail Pass today! Available in 7-, 14-, and 21-day passes.

This first leg starts at Shin-Aomori Station and go to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. This latter station was revamped especially for the new shinkansen; before construction in the mid-2010s, it was a tiny station called Oshima-Ono. This new station will have “relay” trains running back and forth from the main Hakodate Station, from which you can access other cities in Hokkaido.

Without the new shinkansen, it took 5hrs and 30mins from Tokyo to Hakodate, but on the Hokkaido Shinkansen it takes 4 hours and 2 minutes to reach Shin-Hakodate - Hokuto Station.

Ten return services are scheduled per day. Name of the shinkansen is Hayabusa.

Hokkaido shinkansen

Hokkaido shinkansen

©Andy Leung, pixabay

The Hayate trains operate one return service per day between Morioka and Shin Hakodate and one return service per day between Shin Aomori and Shin Hakodate.

The new shinkansen stations also include Oku-Tsugaru-Imabetsu (in Honshu), and in Hokkaido, Kikonai Station. Once in Shin Hakodate, the Hakodate Liner operates 16 shuttle services per day to reach Hakodate station.

To reach Sapporo 12 return services are scheduled. The connection is very easy in Shin Hakodate station.The shinkansen line addition from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo Station is scheduled to open in 2030.

Goryokaku, Hakodate, Hokkaido

Goryokaku, Hakodate, Hokkaido

©Natasha Jenny, unsplash

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