Which Japanese Shinkansen line, opened in 2016, reaches Hokkaido through the Seikan Tunnel?

The Hokkaido Shinkansen is the Japanese Shinkansen line that opened in 2016 and reaches Hokkaido through the Seikan Tunnel.

The first Hokkaido Shinkansen section runs from Shin-Aomori in Aomori Prefecture to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in Hokkaido. Scheduled passenger services began on 26 March 2016, extending Japan’s high-speed rail network beneath the Tsugaru Strait.

The line shares track with conventional freight trains through the Seikan Tunnel, which connects Honshu and Hokkaido. At approximately 53.85 kilometres, the tunnel is one of the world’s longest railway tunnels and includes a section beneath the seabed.

A common mix-up is confusing the Hokkaido Shinkansen with the Tōhoku Shinkansen. The Tōhoku route serves northern Honshu and ends at Shin-Aomori, while the Hokkaido line continues through the tunnel to Hokkaido. The service also made Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto the first Shinkansen station on the island.