Tohoku, Joetsu Shinkansen Last Trains to Be Set Earlier Starting Next Spring; Tokyo Station Departure Times to Be Advanced 10 to 20 Minutes

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:25 JST, November 12, 2025

East Japan Railway Co. will advance the departure times of each night’s last trains on the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen lines from Tokyo Station by 10 to 20 minutes, effective with its spring 2026 timetable revision, to secure time for nighttime maintenance work on tracks and overhead wires, the company said Tuesday.

On the Tohoku Shinkansen, three trains departing Tokyo will be affected: one departing at 10:44 p.m. for Nasushiobara Station, one at 9:44 p.m. bound for Sendai Station and one at 8:20 p.m. for Morioka Station. On the Joetsu Shinkansen, trains departing at 10:28 p.m. bound for Echigo-Yuzawa Station will be affected.

These sections have been in operation for over 40 years, so track maintenance work is highly time-consuming.