![]() JR West 8-car 500 Series Shinkansen on a Kodama service at Himeji Station, August 2009 | |
Overview | |
---|---|
Service type | Shinkansen (Local) |
Status | Operational |
First service | 1958 (Limited express) 1 October 1964 (Shinkansen) |
Current operator(s) | JR Central, JR West |
Route | |
Termini | Tokyo (Tōkaidō Shinkansen) Shin-Osaka (San'yō Shinkansen) Shin-Ōsaka Station (Tokaido Shinkansen) Hakata or Hakataminami (San'yō Shinkansen) |
Line(s) used | Tokaido Shinkansen San'yō Shinkansen |
On-board services | |
Class(es) | Green/standard |
Catering facilities | None |
Technical | |
Rolling stock | 500/700/N700 series |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
Electrification | 25 kV AC overhead |
Operating speed | 285 km/h (175 mph)[1] |
Kodama (こだま, "Echo") is one of the three train services running on the Tōkaidō and San'yō Shinkansen lines. Stopping at every station, the Kodama is the slowest Shinkansen service for trips between major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. The Kodama trains are used primarily for travel to and from smaller cities such as Atami. Travelers between major cities generally take the Nozomi or Hikari services, which make fewer stops, although the former is not covered under the Japan Rail Pass while the Kodama is,[2] making these services an affordable alternative.