Editing Shinkansen (section)

=== Heavy snow ===
The [[Tōkaidō Shinkansen]] often experiences heavy snow in the area around [[Maibara Station]] between December and February, requiring trains to reduce speed thus disrupting the timetable. Snow-dispersing sprinkler systems have been installed, but delays of 10–20 minutes still occur during snowy weather. Snow-related treefalls have also caused service interruptions. Along the [[Jōetsu Shinkansen]] route, snow can be very heavy, with depths of two to three metres; the line is equipped with stronger sprinklers and [[Ballastless track|slab track]] to mitigate the snow's effects. Despite having multiple days with delays longer than 30 minutes, the [[Tōhoku Shinkansen]] still presents a slight advantage in reliability compared to air travel on days with significant snowfall.<ref name=":2" />