1966
60th anniversary
OpeningJapan
Launch of Japan's First Bullet Train Extension
Japanese National Railways
Okayama
August 5, 1966
Summary
The Tokaido Shinkansen extended to Okayama, expanding high-speed rail service across western Honshu.
Full Story
On August 5, 1966, Japanese National Railways inaugurated the 160 km extension of the Tokaido Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Okayama. The 0 Series sets, with their distinctive aerodynamic noses, maintained 210 km/h schedules while navigating the challenging Seto Inland Sea terrain via long viaducts and tunnels. This extension boosted regional economies and demonstrated the scalability of dedicated high-speed infrastructure, setting the template for later Shinkansen lines and inspiring global high-speed rail projects.
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Quick Facts
- Date
- August 5, 1966
- Event Type
- Opening
- Country
- Japan
- Years Ago
- 60
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