Nozomi (train)

Nozomi

N700A Series Nozomi, September 2021
Overview
Service type	Shinkansen (Express)
Status	Operational
First service	1934 (Express) 1992 (Shinkansen)
Current operator(s)	JR Central, JR West
Route
Termini	Tokyo Hakata
Line(s) used	Tōkaidō Shinkansen San'yō Shinkansen
On-board services
Class(es)	Green/standard
Catering facilities	Trolley service (ended October 2023)
Technical
Rolling stock	N700 series, N700S series
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV AC overhead
Operating speed	300 km/h (190 mph) (San'yō Shinkansen) 285 km/h (180 mph) (Tōkaidō Shinkansen)

Nozomi (のぞみ, 'wish' or 'hope') is the fastest train service running on the Tokaido and San'yō Shinkansen lines in Japan. The service stops at only the largest stations, and services using N700 series equipment reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph) along the stretch between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata. The trip between Tokyo and Osaka, a distance of 515 kilometres (320 mi), takes 2 hours 21 minutes on the fastest Nozomi service, with the fastest service between Tokyo Station and Hakata taking 4 hours 46 minutes.^[1]

The trains stop at fewer stations than the Hikari and Kodama trains. On the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Ōsaka, Nozomi trains stop only at Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya and Kyōto.^[1] On the Sanyō Shinkansen between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata, all Nozomi trains stop at Shin-Kobe, Hiroshima, Okayama and Kokura, with certain trains also stopping at additional stations.

Foreigners traveling with a Japan Rail Pass are required to purchase a special ticket to use the Nozomi service.^[2]