noun
Special Rapid Service; Special Rapid train
A JR West train service that stops at fewer stations than a regular rapid service, mainly on the Kobe/Kyoto Line and other urban routes.
大阪から京都まで新快速で約30分です。
It takes about 30 minutes from Osaka to Kyoto by Special Rapid Service.
特急 is a limited express service that is faster and often requires a surcharge, unlike 新快速.
Compound of 新 (new) and 快速 (rapid), coined by JR West for a faster rapid service introduced in the 1970s.