"Hamanasu" limited express--Kikonai to Aomori through Seikan Tunnel (with new Shinkansen tracks)

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member ayokoi just posted recently a rear view video of a trip from Kikonai (Hokkaido side) to Aomori (Honshu side) through the Seikan Tunnel on the Hamanasu limited express train:

 

Kikonai to south entrance of southern portal of Seikan Tunnel:

 

 

Southern portal of Seikan Tunnel to Aomori:

 

 

This video is very important because it shows clearly how the zairaisen tracks are now essentially sharing the same rails as the new-constructed Shinkansen tracks through the Seikan Tunnel, especially from Kikonai through the Tunnel (full first video) and for the first 12 minutes of the second video. Note that in the second video, from 12:00 to 13:00, you can clearly see the original viaduct ramps that was built in for the 1988 opening of the tunnel route just south of Odai Tunnel and how that was engineered to eventually integrate with the Shinkansen tracks that was just recently completed. Also, note the newly-completed Oku-Tsugaru-Imabetsu Station along the way in the second video, where the zairaisen tracks go around the Shinkansen tracks.

 

For comparison, I'll post again this zenmen tenbou video taken by YouTube member HKASAMA of what the route used to look like before the Shinkansen lines were added:

 

 

Note in this older video, you see the rail viaducts from 7:00 to 7:45 just south of Odai Tunnel before the Shinkansen line was constructed (note the wide spacing of the viaducts, done in anticipation of the eventual installation of the Shinkansen line viaduct).

[miyakoji]

I consider myself a pretty serious railfan, but a rearview video? Eeeehhhhh... :)

[bikkuri bahn]

Kouhou tenbou are useful to survey the railway infrastructure when front views are unavailable, but they play tricks on my eyes.

 

*have a lower berth booked on the Hamanasu for Aomori tomorrow evening...

Edited July 23, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[Sacto1985]

In fact, in the USA, they use special rear-end business cars equipped with extra large windows on the rear end to do infrastructure inspection of long-distance rail lines (the extra large windows is why they're sometimes known as theater cars). This is Fox River, owned by the Union Pacific Railroad:

 

 

I believe in Japan, they use self-propelled inspection cars for this purpose. Of course, on Shinkansen lines, there's the famous Doctor Yellow (a modified 700 Series trainset) and the 926 East-i trainset (a modified E3 Series trainset).

[Densha]

It's very strange seeing 1067mm and 1425mm gauges joining up like this, especially looking at the mixed Shinkansen and 'legacy' infrastructure. Shiriuchi Signal Station at 8:40 of the first video has 1067mm sidings, I wonder if they're made so that Shinkansen can overtake freight trains. There's also some maintenance/rescuing equipment located there.

 

At 5:50 of the second video you can see a H5 trainset at Tsugaru-Imabetsu. Looks like the Hokkaido Shinkansen is going to stop here, although I doubt the passenger numbers will be high. Tsugaru-Imabetsu also has 1067mm sidings. I wonder what the unelectrified track at 4:20 is for. It looks like it's going to a lower level, maybe a connection to Tsugaru-Futamata Station on the Tsugaru Line?

[ayokoi]

The unelectrified track at 4:20 is a connection to track maintenance base,not connection to Tsugaru-Futamata Station.

 

I posted a video of Tsugaru-Imabetsu Station.

 

Edited August 31, 2015 by ayokoi

[westfalen]

I consider myself a pretty serious railfan, but a rearview video? Eeeehhhhh... :)

I've shot a bit myself when I couldn't get up the front.  Just play it in reverse.

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

I just noticed that the second video's preview shows a 651 series trainset and lots of 211 series trainsets that "evacuated" to Aomori depot (in the 211 series' case, it was moved to Aomori after being displaced by E231 suburban type and E233-3000).

 

Other than that, the videos are very good to watch ^_^

[Sacto1985]

Speaking of trips through the Seikan Tunnel, YouTube member Kiha8000 back in April 2016 posted this zenmen tenbou video--released to the public for the first time!--of a trip from Aomori to Hakodate Stations from the cab of a 485 Series EMU, though I don't know which sub-series of this train (the 485-3000 models didn't enter service until 1996, given this video was taken in December 1995):

 

[utrainia]

Very interesting seeing the mixed gauge. Can anyone tell me what the A frame type contraptions seen below are? They are only at the ends of the tunnels it seems. Wonder what their purpose is?