TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's busiest bullet train service connecting its three largest metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka on Tuesday commemorated 60 years since its inauguration, with fans flocking to see the first Tokaido Shinkansen train of the day.

At a ceremony held at JR Tokyo Station, Central Japan Railway Co. President Shunsuke Niwa pledged to continue efforts to make the Tokaido Shinkansen Line "loved by people for the future starting today."

Train enthusiasts watched the day's first Tokaido bullet train depart Tokyo Station, blasting its horn.

"It's amazing that the train has been running safely for 60 years," said Sen Hatanaka, a 10-year-old from Tokyo who was with his 46-year-old father.

A similar ceremony was held at JR Nagoya Station in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

"I was very moved," said 12-year-old Akimasa Uno, who attended the event with his mother. "I want to be a train driver in the future."

The Tokaido Shinkansen Line began operations on Oct. 1, 1964, just prior to the Tokyo Olympics, with the service at that time dubbed the "dream super limited express."

It had a maximum speed of 210 kilometers per hour, connecting Tokyo and Osaka in four hours. The current travel time has shortened to two hours and 21 minutes.

The Tokaido Shinkansen Line, which serves as Japan's main transportation artery, has transported some 7 billion passengers in the last 60 years, according to JR Central.