New Special Rapid service, Tsuruga to Maibara Stations and back

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member とっぴチャンネル ーToppy channelー posted this zenmen tenbō video of a trip of a new Special Rapid service from Tsuruga to Maibara Stations and back on what is likely the last named portion of the Hokuriku Main Line:

 

Tsuruga to Maibara:

 

 

 Maibara to Tsuruga, taken at night:

 

 

Note that because it is tied to the Hokuriku Shinkansen service that terminates at Tsuruga, this Special Rapid train goes non-stop between Tsuruga and Maibara.

[miyakoji]

Good find Sacto.  This channel name looks familiar, I'll check it out.  I remember riding the Tsuruga-Nagahama portion, I think, on a 419 Series.  What a beast.  Retired in 2011 (the train, not me).  Although these started out as 583 Series, which were AC/DC, Wikipedia says that after conversion to 419 Series (715 in Tohoku and Kyushu) they were AC only.  I remember the change to AC was just north of Maibara somewhere, must have been south of Nagahama if my memory of the 419 is correct.  I also remember they moved it in the last 10 or so years to extend the special rapid service with DC-only 223 Series up to Tsuruga.

[Sacto1985]

On 4/10/2024 at 8:30 PM, miyakoji said:

Good find Sacto.  This channel name looks familiar, I'll check it out.  I remember riding the Tsuruga-Nagahama portion, I think, on a 419 Series.  What a beast.  Retired in 2011 (the train, not me).  Although these started out as 583 Series, which were AC/DC, Wikipedia says that after conversion to 419 Series (715 in Tohoku and Kyushu) they were AC only.  I remember the change to AC was just north of Maibara somewhere, must have been south of Nagahama if my memory of the 419 is correct.  I also remember they moved it in the last 10 or so years to extend the special rapid service with DC-only 223 Series up to Tsuruga.

Correct. The Hokuriku Main Line up in 2006 changed the dead section between 1,500 V DC and 20,000 V 60 Hz AC from Nagahama to Tsuruga, which allowed the Kosei Line connection to the Hokuriku Main Line at Ōmi-Shiotsu to also drop the AC-DC dead section. That way, JR West Special Rapid service could go all the way to Tsuruga on DC only train sets.

[miyakoji]

Wow, I wouldn't have guessed it was that long ago.  Time flies!