Google Maps gives the answer. Yes. Jōetsu Shinkansen is roughly parallel to this line, although this line serves many more areas (potentially - I see this train passes many stations without stopping). Maybe highway coaches have taken over the service? Or does everyone there now have private automobiles? And/Or, maybe 'Extra Rapid' in the description more properly translates into Americanese as 'Express' or 'Limited' or 'Limited Stop'.
Is there a newer, super high speed line parallel to this?
Google Maps gives the answer. Yes. Jōetsu Shinkansen is roughly parallel to this line, although this line serves many more areas (potentially - I see this train passes many stations without stopping). Maybe highway coaches have taken over the service? Or does everyone there now have private automobiles? And/Or, maybe 'Extra Rapid' in the description more properly translates into Americanese as 'Express' or 'Limited' or 'Limited Stop'.
快速なのにスピードが余り出ていない感じです。ただただ停車駅が少ないだけ気がしますが?
JR東の臨時快速や臨時特急などの臨時スジは前の普通を追い越しません
Unfortunately this video is impossible to watch because the camera view of the actual scenery is tiny. Sorry for the bad feedback.