Picked up the following from NHK-TV (Japanese language) News:
Japan's high speed Shinkansen trains began using the Seikan Tunnel to extend service to Hokkaido, starting yesterday.
The Seikan Tunnel was designed from the start to handle high speed rail, having been bored big enough and having dual-gauge track since it first opened in 1988. Now, 28 years later, the necessary open-air infrastructure and connections have finally been completed.
With the new Shinkansen service, which cuts running time from roughly 9 hours to 4 hours 5 minutes several overnight sleeping car trains serving the Tokyo-Hokkaido route will be discontinued.
[Aside - apparently America isn't the only place where things seem to take forever.]
Chuck
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