What daytime trains leaving Tokyo area stations have the longest running times?

[bluejeans]

I caught the first Shinjuku-Otsuki service of the day on the Chuo line to get to Fuji-Q highland and was surprised (and alert luckily) that I had to change trains at Takao as google maps told me to stay on board.  Which non-shinkansen leaving a Tokyo area station runs for the longest amount of time, excluding overnight trains?  The upper limit appears to be 3 or 4 hours on limited express trains to Matsumoto or somewhere on the Joban/Tohoku line.

 

Also, I saw a liner at Tokyo station that was leaving near midnight (the interior was similar to the Chuo line limited express), and was going along either the Tohoku or Joban line, what service would this have been?  It was unusual in that it still would have been running well past 1am, and as far as I know only the Sunrise Izumo does this.

[Sacto1985]

I think among the longest is the Azusa service that actually starts sometimes in Chiba and goes all the way to Minami-Otari Station on the JR East Ōito Line.

 

I believe it may have been the the Hitachi limited express that went between Tokyo and Sendai on the JR East Jōban Line, but since the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, the Azusa train is probably it.

[bikkuri bahn]

Re. the train you saw at Tokyo Station, the latest scheduled limited express service using the Ueno-Tokyo Line is the 22:53 Tokiwa No.95, bound for Katsuta via the Joban Line, arriving there at 00:29 (12:29am). The latest local service is the 23:05 for Utsunomiya (arr. 01:04), this is probably a E231 consist.  Any other trains would be either a rinji ressha or perhaps a deadheading consist.

[Densha]

So the latest train departing from Tokyo Station is at 23:05h? I knew Japanese trains stopped running around midnight, but I didn't think they would stop that early. I'm used to both local and express services running to and from large cities in the Netherlands until 1AM on weekdays and in the weekends even until around 2-3AM. In addition, there's even an hourly night express service between the most important cities that runs literally every night of the year. I knew Japan was different in this, but this is earlier than I expected.

[railsquid]

That's the last local service to Utsunomiya, a fairly distant destination. The last train from Tokyo to e.g. Omiya departs at 00:23.

 

When I used to live in Takadnobaba and was out in Shibuya, I could get home on the last Yamanote line train departing at 00:55.

[bikkuri bahn]

So the latest train departing from Tokyo Station is at 23:05h?

 

As squid mentioned, that is the latest train using the Ueno-Tokyo Line which the op was asking about, there are a few later trains on other lines.  There are no 24 hour passenger services (other than the few overnight trains left), as they are considered too costly to run (all stations where these trains stop need to be staffed), and the 2~4 am slot is kept open for track and catenary maintenance, as the daytime hours are essentially off-limits to such work given the density/frequency of services in the major metropolitan regions.

Edited May 30, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

So sorry, but the OP did not ask about the latest train at all ... he asked,

 

... Which non-shinkansen leaving a Tokyo area station runs for the longest amount of time, excluding overnight trains?  

 

So far, no one has answered this question.

 

I am investigating ....

 

Firstly, based on the spring timetable of 2016, the longest single service journey in DISTANCE in Japan is: Shimonoseki - Okayama on service 369M.  The distance is 363km and the travel time is 7:33.  This is on Sanyo Main Line.

 

The longest single service journey in TIME in Japan is: Kushiro - Takigawa on service 2429D.  The distance is 308km and the travel time is 8:27.  This is on Nemuro Main Line in Hokkaido.

 

I continue to investigate services that commence or pass through Tokyo Station, excluding Shinkansen and overnight trains.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

Update ... I found longest direct train Atami to Kuroiso via Tokyo.  At 4:46, perhaps it is the longest TIME service stopping at Tokyo. But the OP ask for service that START in Tokyo ... I keep searching ... ;)

[bikkuri bahn]

The discussion about the latest train(s) was development of the second portion of the OP's post, about the identity of the vaguely observed train around midnight continuing on to either the Tohoku or Joban Lines, and by this remark, I assumed the OP meant a train using the Ueno-Tokyo Line.  Hence the mention of the ltd. express to Katsuta (which may fit the OP description of the mystery train with its "liner-like" [airline seating?] attributes), and the last local train using this routing, 1654E, the 23:05 departure for Utsunomiya.

 

As for the longest scheduled run in terms of time, the OP gave the criteria "Tokyo area station", which given that Tokyo is a large place, gives quite a few options.  I think sacto answered that with the reference to the once a day Azusa service Chiba to Minami Otari.  That said, for trains stopping or originating/terminating at Tokyo Station, the Atami-Kuroiso service is a good candidate.

Edited May 31, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[Sacto1985]

If I said the longest-running time daytime train starting from a main Tokyo-area station like Tokyo or Shinjuku, the Azusa from Shinjuku to Minami-Otari probably wins. The faster Super Azusa only travels from Shinjuku to Matsumoto, so....

[miyakoji]

I had to look this up :).  The direct Chiba to Minami Otari limited express is Azusa #3, train 4053M.   The total distance is 341.6 km, requiring 5 hours 4 minutes and costing 8850 yen with a seat reservation.  Is this to serve a particular passenger flow, is it like an in-service equipment move, etc?

[westfalen]

It would be interesting to know how many passengers travel all the way from Chiba to Minami-Otari.  Is there a corresponding service in the opposite direction?

[railsquid]

I'd guess that service is aimed at holiday (hiking/skiing/onsen) passengers in Chiba/eastern Tokyo area, saving them a trip across Tokyo with luggage,

[bikkuri bahn]

The Azusa #3, as others have mentioned above, serves the hiker/holidaymaker market from Chiba to Matsumoto/Minami Otari.  It also, by virtue of its early morning departure, serves commuters from Chiba to Shinjuku, who want to avoid the Sobu Line crush.  There is no return service from Minami Otari to Chiba, but there is a 17:18 departure from Matsumoto to Chiba, which arrives/departs at Shinjuku at 20:07/20:09 and arrives Chiba at 20:50, well-timed to pick up some commuters going home to Chiba.

[JR 500系]

The Azusa 3 with total distance 341.6 km, requiring 5 hours 4 minutes and costing 8850 yen with a seat reservation is truly amazing!

 

Here's a Super Wide View angle video of the entire journey:

 

 

And a Front view one!

 

 

Almost half a day on a E257 series ~

Edited June 2, 2016 by JR 500系

[bikkuri bahn]

I think I rode that train once, when I was staying at a Toyoko Inn at Ningyocho.  I caught it at Kinshicho and rode as far as Otsuki, in order to catch a 115 series for Kofu.

[railsquid]

Not sure if I'm imagining it, but I seem to recall seeing expresses headed in the other direction for the Boso area which originate in Shinjuku (?) and stop at Akihabara.

[bikkuri bahn]

^^

Yes, there is the weekend-only "Shinjuku Wakashio" from Shinjuku to Awa Kamogawa and return. It stops at Akihabara: