1966
60th anniversary
OpeningJapan

Tōkaidō Shinkansen Extension Opens

Japanese National Railways

Okayama

July 2, 1966

Summary

The Shinkansen high-speed line extended from Shin-Osaka to Okayama, expanding Japan's bullet train network.

Full Story

On July 2, 1966, Japanese National Railways opened the 100-mile extension of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Okayama. Featuring the iconic 0 Series trains capable of 130 mph, the extension dramatically cut travel times between Tokyo and western Japan. It demonstrated the scalability of dedicated high-speed infrastructure and influenced global rail development for decades.

Continue Reading

Members get access to extended stories, related events, source documents, and historical context.

Quick Facts

Date
July 2, 1966
Event Type
Opening
Country
Japan
Years Ago
60

Explore More History

RailScanPro members get access to our complete archive of railroad history with advanced search, filtering, and thousands of events.

Subscribe Now