The Hokkaido Shinkansen between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station through the Seikan Tunnel will commence operations on 26 March 2016.
There will be 13 return trips daily to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, which consists of:
– 10 Hayabusa services between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
– 1 Hayabusa service between Sendai and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
– 1 Hayate service between Morioka and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
– 1 Hayate service between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
The trains will be formed of 1 set (10 cars) of either H5 or E5 Series Shinkansen.
Timetables will be released in future.
With the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, the following changes will take place on conventional lines:
The Limited Express Super Hokuto and Hokuto between Hakodate and Sapporo stations will be increased to 12 return trips in total a day, making a new stop at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station, timed to match Hokkaido Shinkansen services.
A new train, the Hakodate Liner, will ply between Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and Hakodate stations with 16 return trips daily. This will use the new three-car 733-1000 series EMUs.
Timetables will be released in future.
The Limited Express Super Hakucho and Hakucho between Shin-Aomori and Hakodate, Express Hamanasu between Aomori and Sapporo, and Limited Express Cassiopeia will be terminated.
For more information, please visit the official press release here.
For train schedule changes prior to the opening, please visit the official press release here.