Another Hokkaido Shinkansen routes: The Hokkaido Shinkansen South Route and Asahikawa Extension

[@doioz]

This channel is literally all I've ever wanted!

[@vicvary]

Good job

[@cathrynm]

Japan is #1 for trains.

[@rbrbirbi]

Good presentation

[@FNicholas2000]

Another amazingly researched video! I never heard of the central route before and it is understandable that the volcanic activity would have posed a massive problem. I do hope that the Asahikawa route is realized in the future. Really looking forward to future videos! Thank you so much for your videos of the master plan!

[@ThatSolidworksGuyVC]

I've seen some fictional scenarios where a South route would be made, but *from* Sapporo to New Chitose, and on to Kushiro and Abashiri, in addition to to the Asahikawa extension, through to Nayoro. I don't recall seeing them as part of the master plan, but I'd like to see a far northern route to Nayoro, Wakkanai, and possibly Russia because of the Sakhalin-Hokkaido Bridge/Tunnel. Really like your content!

[@IchWillNicht0119]

Thank you for this presentation. This has more information than the English Wikipedia so I appreciate it very much. I have visited Asahikawa before and I think there is a lot of demand to and from Sapporo. You are right that the problem might be for the parallel conventional lines as lines are closing in Hokkaido regularly. I have been on the Sekihoku line and the trains there are very infrequent. For our next visit we are considering just renting an RV Van so we have more flexibility when travelling across Hokkaido.

[@richardsimmons9880]

I'm really looking forward to getting the Shinkansen all the way to Sapporo (and hopefully beyond) I would certainly visit Hokkaido more, and try the Seikan tunnel. I'm usually on a tight schedule when I visit Japan and end up taking a plane if I go to Hokkaido.

[@beverlysujit6301]

good video

[@mikkieugenio]

Thank you for this video! The Asahikawa extension seems really interesting such that it'll make the area a sizeable metropolis. I also read there were suggestions for the Shinkansen to reach Wakkanai and towns in the eastern side but I doubt it will ever be realized?

[@JPRailcom]

In my opinion, any other new Shinkanse lines than Asahikawa extension won't be realized. Population is too small.

[@Soul_Donkey]

@@JPRailcom Is that because Asahikawa station is a gateway station to the snow mountains region in winter?

[@JPRailcom]

@@Soul_Donkey That is one of reasons. And Asahikawa is the second biggest city in Hokkaido. There is a big business users demand between Sapporo and Asahikawa.

[@deanzaZZR]

This is a very snow area in Hokkaido during the winter months. We took the train trip from Sapporo to Asahikawa in January a few years ago and the amount of snow we could see built up along the way was quite impressive. I wonder if tough winter conditions has any influence on the go/no go decision on the extension. We only stayed in Asahikawa for a few days but we really enjoyed the wintery vibe with great food and local sake to keep us warm and happy.

[@Melchior171]

I don't think they're going to have multiple shinkansen routes into Sapporo, so my guess is the south route won't be realised in the future. However, the track is pretty straight in long sections (I'm thinking between Tomakomai and Higashi-Muroran except around Noboribetsu itself) that could support pretty nimble limited express services if they had could make sure freight and local trains weren't getting in the way. In particular I'd think there'd be value in a faster connection between Sapporo - Shin-Sapporo - Chitose Airport and Tomakomai, whether that be a Shinkansen, faster Limited Express or some other option. As for Asahikawa, there's an opportunity here that I think could work - the easy terrain and relatively short distance makes it a fast less costly job than some of these other plans and it could support tourism further abroad towards Wakkanai and Abashiri by reducing the trip time to Asahikawa and implementing a simple change solution to the Soya/Okhotsk services akin to the recent design changes to Niigata Station.

[@kuanysh_sartay]

I think, with the opening of South Route Shinkansen, limited expresses of JR Hokkaido will disappeare, so we shouldn't make that situation. It is better to construct North Route Shinkansen finally to Sapporo, which will save limited expresses and commuter trains in Hokkaido(especially such routes as Sapporo-Muroran and Sapporo-Asahikawa). Of course, it is good to build Shinkansen line in densely populated area and connect New Chitose Airport to Sapporo, but why we need limited expresses and commuter trains in that case? They are doing its role as cheap and mass transit very well. South Route and Asahikawa extension will kill the conventional JR Hokkaido trains. As Takeshi-san said before, now JR Hokkaido is in bad situation, so by saving of local trains and building Shinkansen in north route we could save the JR Hokkaido from bankrupcy and offer cheap and affordable transport for citizens of Sapporo-Muroran and Sapporo-Asahikawa areas.

[@B-A-L]

Please can you send the guys at JR East over to Britain to get our damn HS2 route not only built but to cost and on time? Don't get the guys at JR Kyushu involved though because it would take even longer than the Nagasaki shinkansen is taking and would only go half the distance too! Another great video there, Takeshi!

[@chandershekhar9349]

Thanks for the info! Can you make a detail video on the JR Pass?

[@JPRailcom]

I made videos about JR pass before: kzbin.info/aero/PLakIWydFfx5s5cWeX6Jhp-mWYKYwgMART What kind of info are you looking for?

[@hamanakohamaneko7028]

Beside Iwamizawa Takikawa and Sunagawa, There ore other cities that have some population along the line such as Ebetsu, Bibai and Fukagawa, so I think the line can live off the passengers who transfer from Shinkansen.

[@MegaZsolti]

I've noticed that conventional railways were built a little differently in Hokkaido compared to the other railway lines beyond Honshu. Perhaps rebuilding them to mini-shinkansen lines would be cheaper here than it was in Tohoku. Yes, I like mini-shinkansen lines.

[@Soul_Donkey]

I always wondered why they didn't just extend the line to Oshamambe first because this area is very flat and use Oshamambe as Transit station onto a local line bound for Sapporo. When I travelled there a few years ago, the train from Shin Hakodate-Hokuto to Sapporo has too many passengers. They need some short term solutions and this would be a good one.

[@meandwhoism]

I come back to this video and I think Sapporo should get shinkansen however Hokkaido needs a circular commuter railway line

[@MohdArif-pl3sy]

If Asahikawa extension approve to be built, what will happen to limited express Okhotsk and Soya Sarobetsu? Is it will end at Asahikawa without going to Sapporo?

[@JPRailcom]

All limited express trains between Sapporo and Asahikawa would be discontinued if the Shinkansen open would open. All trains will depart from Asahikawa. Only local trains and freight trains will run between Asahikawa and Sapporo.

[@jmstransit]

Is there discussion about a stop at Shin-Chitose airport?

[@JPRailcom]

If the south route would be built, it would stop by New Chitose.

[@mango_8102]

How much will travel time from Sapporo to Asahikawa be reduced?

[@JPRailcom]

Nobody hasn't mentioned it at this point. But I estimate the trip time would be less than 45 minutes. Because the distance is 140 km on this section. The Hokuriku Shinkansen between Nagano and Toyama is 170 km and it runs at 260 km/h. Kagayaki takes 46 minutes on this segment. Lilac and Kamui take 1 hour 25 minutes between Sapporo and Asahikawa, so the trip time will be half.