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Hokuriku (train)
Encyclopedia
The was a limited express
sleeper train service operated by East Japan Railway Company
(JR East) which ran between Ueno Station
in Tokyo and Kanazawa
via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line
. The journey took more than seven hours. The service was discontinued on 13 March 2010.
DC electric locomotive between Ueno and Nagaoka, where the train reversed, and by a JR East Nagaoka-based EF81
dual-voltage locomotive between Nagaoka and Kanazawa.
, the Hokuriku became an overnight train operating between Ueno and Fukui, taking 12 hours 45 minutes.
. The train was upgraded to 14 series stock from 2 October 1978.
Limited express
A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes.- Japan :...
sleeper train service operated by East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
(JR East) which ran between Ueno Station
Ueno Station
is a major railway station inTokyo's Taitō ward. It is the station used to reach the Ueno district and Ueno Park -- which contains Tokyo National Museum, The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and other famous cultural facilities...
in Tokyo and Kanazawa
Kanazawa Station
Kanazawa Station is a JR West railway station located in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the biggest station in Ishikawa Prefecture....
via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line
Hokuriku Main Line
The is a 358.3 kilometer line of the West Japan Railway Company from Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga to Naoetsu Station in Jōetsu, Niigata. It serves the Hokuriku region on the northern central coast of Honshū, the largest island of Japan, as well as offering connections to the regions of...
. The journey took more than seven hours. The service was discontinued on 13 March 2010.
Rolling stock
The train was formed of 14 series sleeping cars based at JR East's Oku Depot in Tokyo, typically consisting of 8 cars. The train was hauled by a JR East Nagaoka-based EF64-1000JNR Class EF64
-History:The class was designed to replace the ageing EF16 class locomotives used on the steeply-graded Ōu and Chūō mainlines in the early 1960s.Two prototype locomotives, EF64 1 and 2, were delivered in 1964, built by Tōshiba and Kawasaki Sharyō respectively. The basic body design was based on...
DC electric locomotive between Ueno and Nagaoka, where the train reversed, and by a JR East Nagaoka-based EF81
JNR Class EF81
The EF81 class of electric locomotives are Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement multi-voltage AC/DC electric locomotives operated on passenger and freight services in Japan.-EF81-300:...
dual-voltage locomotive between Nagaoka and Kanazawa.
1950: Ueno - Osaka
The Hokuriku name was first used from 2 November 1950 for an overnight express service operating between Ueno and Osaka via Kanazawa. The journey from Ueno to Osaka took 18 hours 45 minutes.1956: Ueno - Fukui
From the 19 November 1956 timetable revision following the electrification of the Tokaido Main LineTokaido Main Line
The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...
, the Hokuriku became an overnight train operating between Ueno and Fukui, taking 12 hours 45 minutes.
1959: Ueno - Kanazawa
From the 22 November 1959 timetable revision, the train was operated between Ueno and Kanazawa, due to declining passenger numbers between Kanazawa and Fukui. The journey took exactly 11 hours.1968: Ueno - Fukui
From the 1 October 1968 timetable revision, the previous Echizen overnight train operating between Ueno and Kanazawa became a seasonal service extended to operated between Ueno and Fukui and renamed Hokuriku 1. This train consisted mostly of seating accommodation using SuHa43 coaches. The existing Hokuriku service between Ueno and Kanazawa became the Hokuriku 2 service.1975: Limited Express Hokuriku
From the 10 March 1975 timetable revision, the Hokuriku 1 service was upgraded to become the limited express Hokuriku, operating between Ueno and Kanazawa, with a journey time of 8 hours 47 minutes, and using new 20 series sleeping cars. The Hokuriku 2 service was renamed NotoNoto (train)
The is a seasonal overnight express train service operated by East Japan Railway Company , which runs between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kanazawa via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line. The journey takes approximately seven hours...
. The train was upgraded to 14 series stock from 2 October 1978.