Hayate (train)

Hayate (train)

Hayate (はやて?) is a Shinkansen service operated on the Tōhoku Shinkansen in Japan by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) since 2002. It operates as far as the northern terminus of Shin-Aomori, and it is the second-fastest service on the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operating at a top speed of 275 km/h (170 mph) between Utsunomiya and Morioka. These services were inaugurated with the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen extension to Hachinohe on 1 December 2002.

The name "Hayate" has not been used previously on any train service in Japan. The name was chosen with input from the public; roughly translated, it means a strong or violent wind; however, it carries positive connotations of speed and power.