Yamagata Shinkansen

The Yamagata Shinkansen (山形新幹線) is a Mini-shinkansen route in Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It provides service between Tokyo and Shinjō in Yamagata Prefecture over the tracks of the Tohoku Shinkansen and the Ōu Main Line.

The term Yamagata Shinkansen refers to the segment that connects Fukushima in Fukushima Prefecture and Shinjō. Because the shinkansen trains share tracks with regular service trains, it is often referred to as a "mini-shinkansen".

Operations

Trains consist of 7-car E3 series trainsets operating as Tsubasa services. Between Tokyo and Fukushima, the trains run coupled to Yamabiko trains on the Tōhoku Shinkansen. Between Fukushima and Shinjō, the trains run on their own at a maximum speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) and share the line with regular Ōu Main Line trains.

As of July 2012, about 62 million passengers had ridden the line since it opened in July 1992. The fastest trains connected Tokyo and Yamagata stations in two hours and 29 minutes.