A long-awaited bullet train service that will link Hokkaido with Tokyo will open on March 26, railway operators have confirmed.

Hokkaido Railway Co. and East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will provide 13 round-trip runs per day on the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line.

“This is an unprecedented project for the country, running through snowy areas and through the Seikan Tunnel (between Honshu and Hokkaido) as well as a section shared with cargo trains,” JR Hokkaido President Osamu Shimada said at a news conference at the railway’s headquarters in Sapporo.

“We will put full efforts into starting the operation safely,” Shimada added, noting that railway operators hope the passenger influx will benefit all of Hokkaido.

Of the 13 runs, 10 will employ Hayabusa trains connecting Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station in southern Hokkaido and Tokyo. The fastest service will cover the distance in four hours and 10 minutes.

One service will be covered by a Hayabusa train connecting Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station with Sendai, while Hayate trains will be employed for the remaining two services linking Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station with Shin-Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture, and Morioka in Iwate Prefecture.