The Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen
Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen N700S (Wikimedia commons)
A bullet train to Nagasaki
Since autumn 2022, a new high-speed line has finally reached Nagasaki, in western Kyushu. New equipment, the N700S shinkansen named " Kamome ", covers the 66km of this line, which currently stops at Takeo-onsen.
A long-awaited link
The project to link all the major cities on the island of Kyushu is nearing completion with this new high-speed line. Since the 1960s, Japan has embarked on an extraordinary network of Shinkansen lines. The Tokaido Shinkansen was the first in 1964, with a Tokyo-Osaka connection, followed by numerous extensions and new destinations. Today, it offers connections to Hokkaido in the north (with a project underway to Sapporo) and Kyushu as far south as Kagoshima. A connection to Nagasaki seemed logical at the time, but it took time.
In autumn 2022, a section of high-speed line will open between Nagasaki and Takeo-onsen.
The connection with the Kyushu Shinkansen line, already in service between Hakata and Kagoshima since 2011, will be made at a later date.
For the time being, you'll need to change trains at Takeo-onsen, where everything is in place. A special platform has been built to ensure the best possible connection. You can switch from one train to another in no time, without complications, on the same platform. Everything has been designed to be as convenient as possible.
A classic limited express train runs between Takeo-onsen and Hakata, the main station in Fukuoka city.
Takeo-onsen transfer gate platform (Benoit Mazerolles)
Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen map (Railvolution)
The stations along the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen line are :
- Takeo-onsen
- Ueshino-onsen
- Shin-Omura
- Isahaya
- Nagasaki
Trains don't stop at all intermediate stations, but alternate, so make sure you take the right shinkansen at the start - the signs in the station and on the platform are very clear on this subject.
All these stations have been rebuilt and modernized to accommodate the Shinkansen and offer a better quality of service, with large shops where you'll find everything you need to eat as well as souvenirs of the region.
Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, Shin-Omura station (Benoit Mazerolles)
Red and white arrows
The high-speed trains operating on the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen are of the N700S type, like the latest model on the Tokaido Shinkansen, but shortened to 6 cars.
Maximum speed is 260km/h.
The livery is specific to this Shinkansen, with a bright red lower section and immaculate white on the rest of the train. The lights are encircled in black , like make-up around the eyes, as are the driver's cab windows, for a very aesthetic look.
The interior layout is based on that of the Kyushu Shinkansen (Hakata-Kagoshima), which was a great success thanks to designer Eiji Mitooka's touch, with comfortable, spacious 2+2 seats, wooden armrests and different shimmering fabrics for the different 'Reserved' cars. You can also board without a reservation, as a 'Non Reserved' car. The layout then changes to rows of 3+2 seats (as on the Tokaido Shinkansen), all in mustard yellow.
Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen Non-Reserved Car (Benoit Mazerolles)
Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen Reserved Car (JR Kyushu)
The trip between Nagasaki and Takeo-onsen takes 30 minutes and costs nothing if you have the Japan Rail Pass with you.
