Once known as the "Dream Super Express," the Shinkansen transportation system has become synonymous with Japan. The train started service between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964, runs at a maximum speed of 210 km/h under normal operating conditions, and has become the world's fastest train in commercial service. The image of the Shinkansen speeding past the foot of Mount Fuji has also become familiar overseas through photographs and illustrations.
The Shinkansen has 16 cars and measures 400 meters from end to end. It has capacity for 1,400 passengers. Equipped with centralized controls and an automatic operating system, the train boasts a very high level of safety.
Owing to the spectacular success of the Shinkansen, plans were drawn up to introduce the service on the Sanyo Line, the second major railway route after the Tokaido Line (connecting Tokyo and Osaka). Construction began in March 1967. Of course, service on the Sanyo Line did not start until many years later, and there were as yet no plans for the Tohoku and Joetsu Lines we know today.