At peak times, the line carries up to 16 trains per hour in each direction with 16 cars each (1,323-seat capacity and occasionally additional standing passengers) with a minimum headway of three minutes between trains.

A standard 16-car Shinkansen train (such as the N700S series used on the Tokaido Line) has a massive seating capacity of 1,323 passengers. This includes three "Green Cars" (First Class) and 13 "Ordinary" cars. Because the Shinkansen is designed for high-volume commuter and long-distance travel, the trains are significantly wider than European or American trains, allowing for a 2+3 seating configuration in Ordinary cars. Beyond the physical seats, during peak holiday periods (like Golden Week or New Year's), "Non-Reserved" cars can also accommodate standing passengers in the aisles and vestibules, potentially pushing the total "person count" on a single train over 1,500. For 2026, JR Central has optimized the "Nozomi" service to run up to 12 trains per hour, meaning the system can move over 15,000 people every hour in each direction between Tokyo and Osaka. This incredible density, combined with punctuality measured in seconds, makes the Shinkansen the world's most efficient land-based transportation system for moving massive numbers of people over long distances.