The is a high-speed rail

High-speed rail

High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...

 line currently under construction between Aomori

Aomori Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....

 (Honshu

Honshu

is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

) and Hokkaido

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

 through the Seikan Tunnel

Seikan Tunnel

The Seikan Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Japan, with a long portion under the seabed. Track level is about below seabed and below sea level. It travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait—connecting Aomori Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu and the island of Hokkaido—as part of the Kaikyo Line...

. Construction started in May 2005, and the initial Shin-Aomori

Shin-Aomori Station

is a railway station on the East Japan Railway Company northern Ōu Main Line located in the city of Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is 480.6 rail kilometers from the southern terminus of the Ōu Main Line at Fukushima Station...

 to Shin-Hakodate section is projected to open in 2015. There are long-term plans to extend the line to Sapporo

Sapporo Station

is a train station located in Kita-ku and Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company , and is also connected to the Sapporo Subway. The JR Hokkaido part is in Kita-ku while the Sapporo Subway part is in Chūō-ku.Sapporo Station...

. The line will be operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company

Hokkaido Railway Company

The is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group , and thus often known as . It operates intercity rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, from autumn 2008....

 (JR Hokkaido).

Tōhoku

Tohoku Shinkansen

The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...

 and Hokkaido Shinkansen services are hoped to be operated at speeds of up to 360 km/h. The proposed journey time from Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 to Sapporo is advertised locally as 3 hours, 57 minutes.

At the present time the Seikan Tunnel can only carry narrow-gauge (1,067 mm) traffic (Kaikyō Line

Kaikyo Line

is an 87.8-kilometre railway line operated mainly by the Hokkaido Railway Company. The line runs from Naka-Oguni Station in Sotogahama, Aomori, through the Seikan Tunnel between Honshū and Hokkaidō, and on to Kikonai Station in Kikonai, Hokkaidō...

), but it will be upgraded to dual gauge

Dual gauge

A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...

, with both standard and narrow-gauge tracks.

In the early 1970s, two other Shinkansen routes were proposed for Hokkaido: Sapporo - Asahikawa and Oshamambe - Muroran – Sapporo (South Route). There were further plans to connect to Abashiri, Kushiro and Wakkanai. These plans have been indefinitely shelved.

Stations

Station name		| Japanese		| Distance (km)		| Transfers		| Location
Under construction, scheduled to open before April 2016
Shin-Aomori Shin-Aomori Station is a railway station on the East Japan Railway Company northern Ōu Main Line located in the city of Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is 480.6 rail kilometers from the southern terminus of the Ōu Main Line at Fukushima Station...	新青森	0.0	Ōu Main Line Ou Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It runs from Fukushima Station in Fukushima, Fukushima through Akita Station in Akita, Akita to Aomori Station in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture... , Tōhoku Shinkansen Tohoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...	Aomori Aomori, Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...	Aomori Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
Oku-Tsugaru Tsugaru-Imabetsu Station is a railway station on the JR Hokkaido’s Kaikyo Line located in the town of Imabetsu, Aomori Prefecture, on the island of Honshu, Japan. It is 1.3 kilometers from the southern terminus of the line at Tsugaru-Goshogawara Station.-History:...	奥津軽	38.5	Tsugaru Line (Tsugaru-Futamata Tsugaru-Futamata Station is a railway station on the JR East Tsugaru Line located in the town of Imabetsu, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is 46.6 rail kilometers from the southern terminus of the Tsugaru Line at Aomori Station.-History:... ) Kaikyō Line Kaikyo Line is an 87.8-kilometre railway line operated mainly by the Hokkaido Railway Company. The line runs from Naka-Oguni Station in Sotogahama, Aomori, through the Seikan Tunnel between Honshū and Hokkaidō, and on to Kikonai Station in Kikonai, Hokkaidō...  (Tsugaru-Imabetsu Tsugaru-Imabetsu Station is a railway station on the JR Hokkaido’s Kaikyo Line located in the town of Imabetsu, Aomori Prefecture, on the island of Honshu, Japan. It is 1.3 kilometers from the southern terminus of the line at Tsugaru-Goshogawara Station.-History:... )	Imabetsu Imabetsu, Aomori is a town located in the Higashitsugaru District of northeastern Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the town had an estimated population of 3,328 and a density of 26.6 persons per km². Its total area was 125.28 km².-Geography:...
(Seikan Tunnel Seikan Tunnel The Seikan Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Japan, with a long portion under the seabed. Track level is about below seabed and below sea level. It travels beneath the Tsugaru Strait—connecting Aomori Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu and the island of Hokkaido—as part of the Kaikyo Line... )
Kikonai Kikonai Station is a railway station on the JR Hokkaido. It is located in Kikonai, Hokkaidō, Japan.- Line :*JR Hokkaido**Esashi Line***For Hakodate***For Esashi**Kaikyō Line ***For Aomori and Shin-Aomori...	木古内	113.3	Esashi Line Esashi Line The is a Japanese rail line operated by Hokkaido Railway Company that runs between Hakodate City and Esashi Town in Hokkaidō.-Stations:All stations are in Hokkaidō.Track: ∥: Double track, ∨: Double track ends, ◇: Passing loop |: No passing loop... , Kaikyō Line	Kikonai Kikonai, Hokkaido is a town located in Kamiiso District, Oshima, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 5,726 and a density of 27.73 persons per km². The total area is 221.88 km²....	Hokkaido Hokkaido , formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
Shin-Hakodate Oshima-Ōno Station is a train station in Hokuto, Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan.It is to be renovated in a major scale and renamed the once the Hokkaidō Shinkansen reaches it in 2015 .-Adjacent stations:...	新函館	148.9	Hakodate Main Line Hakodate Main Line is a railway line between the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company ....  (Oshima-Ōno Oshima-Ōno Station is a train station in Hokuto, Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan.It is to be renovated in a major scale and renamed the once the Hokkaidō Shinkansen reaches it in 2015 .-Adjacent stations:... )	Hokuto Hokuto, Hokkaido is a city in the center of the Oshima Subprefecture in Japan's northern island of Hokkaidō.It was formed on February 1, 2006 from merging the town of Kamiiso, from Kamiiso District, and the town of Ōno, from Kameda District....
Planned
Shin-Hakodate	新函館			Hokuto	Hokkaido
Shin-Yakumo	新八雲	203.0		Yakumo Yakumo, Hokkaido is a town located in Futami District, Oshima, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 19,543 and a density of 23.08 persons per km². The total area is 955.98 km²....
Oshamambe Oshamambe Station is a railway station in Oshamambe, Hokkaidō, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company .-Lines:Oshamambe Station is served by the Hakodate Main Line from to and the Muroran Main Line to ....	長万部	236.1	Hakodate Main Line, Muroran Main Line Muroran Main Line The is a railway line in Hokkaidō operated by Hokkaido Railway Company , between Oshamambe Station in Oshamambe and Iwamizawa Station in Iwamizawa, running through the coast of Iburi Subprefecture...	Oshamambe
Kutchan Kutchan Station is a railway station on the JR Hokkaido Hakodate Main Line. It is located in Kutchan, Hokkaidō, Japan.It was once the starting point of the abolished Iburi Line.-Station structure:* Two-way, two-track, above-ground station.Platforms...	倶知安	290.2	Hakodate Main Line	Kutchan Kutchan, Hokkaidō -Neighboring municipalities:*Shiribeshi**Abuta District: Kyōgoku, Niseko**Isoya District: Rankoshi**Iwanai District: Kyōwa**Yoichi District: Niki, Akaigawa**Kimobetsu and Makkari of the Abuta District lie on the southern side of Mount Yōtei.-History:...
Shin-Otaru	新小樽	328.2		Otaru Otaru, Hokkaido is a city and port in Shiribeshi, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces the Ishikari Bay, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination...
Sapporo Sapporo Station is a train station located in Kita-ku and Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is served by Hakodate Main Line and other lines of Hokkaido Railway Company , and is also connected to the Sapporo Subway. The JR Hokkaido part is in Kita-ku while the Sapporo Subway part is in Chūō-ku.Sapporo Station...	札幌	360.2	Chitose Line Chitose Line is a railway line in Hokkaidō operated by JR Hokkaidō, between Numanohata, Tomakomai and Shiroishi Station, Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo, linking Muroran Main Line and Hakodate Main Line. There also is a branch line to New Chitose Airport.-Basic Data:... , Hakodate Main Line, Sasshō Line Sasshō Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by Hokkaido Railway Company , which runs between in Sapporo and in Shintotsukawa, Hokkaidō. Its name comes from and , the latter of which was terminus of the line until it was truncated at Shin-Totsukawa in 1972.-Stations:...  (Gakuen-Toshi Line) Namboku Line Namboku Line (Sapporo) The is a subway line located in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is part of the Sapporo Municipal Subway system. Its name literally means South-North Line, and it runs from Asabu Station in Kita-ku to Makomanai Station in Minami-ku. The Namboku Line color on maps is green... , Tōhō Line Tōhō Line The is a subway line located in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is part of the Sapporo Municipal Subway system. It runs from Sakaemachi Station in Higashi-ku to Fukuzumi Station in Toyohira-ku. The Tōhō Line color on maps is sky blue...	Kita Kita-ku, Sapporo is a ward of Sapporo composed of residential neighborhoods mostly arranged in grid patterns, and each built surrounding a train station, broken up by areas of farmland and some light-industrial areas. Kita-ku is located in the northern part of Sapporo. With 260,000 people, it is the most... , Sapporo Sapporo, Hokkaido is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....