JR East has launched regular freight services on its Shinkansen trains on the Tohoku Line, which connects Tokyo with northeastern Japan. The inaugural service covered the nearly 700 km from Shin-Aomori Station to Tokyo Station in just three hours. Two of the ten carriages are allocated for freight, effectively combining passenger and logistics functions.
The company views the development of the freight service as a strategic step against the backdrop of declining passenger traffic due to the demographic decline in Japan. JR East is already planning to expand service on the Joetsu Shinkansen and Yamagata Shinkansen lines, as well as convert one of its decommissioned Shinkansen trains into a dedicated freight train.
The train is expected to be able to carry up to 1,000 boxes per trip. JR East expects to increase its annual revenue from Shinkansen services to $70 million, making freight service an important source of income in the new market conditions.