The service cuts the train travel time between Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture and Nagasaki Station by 30 to 80 minutes. At 6:17 a.m. on Sept. 23, the first Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen, named Kamome No. 2, an N700S series bullet train, left Nagasaki Station with all reserved seats taken. [...] A total of 44 Shinkansen will connect Takeo-Onsen Station and Nagasaki Station daily. If the trains run at the maximum speed, the journey will take only 23 minutes. The service will make stops at Shin-Omura Station and Isahaya Station in Nagasaki Prefecture, in addition to Ureshino-Onsen Station. Local authorities and businesses in the Kyushu region are banking on the new Shinkansen line to bring in more tourists and lead to economic recovery. "Tourism in the Kyushu region has had a hard time with various events being cancelled during the pandemic," an official at travel agency JTB Corp. said. "The opening of the Shinkansen, even on a short route, will stimulate travel demand."
