Named trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line revealed

[Sacto1985]

JR East just announced the names of the trains that will run on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line:

 

Kagayaki (かがやき): limited-stop service between Tokyo and Kanazawa

Hakutaka (はくたか): all-stops service between Tokyo and Kanazawa

Tsurugi (つるぎ): shuttle service between Toyama and Kanazawa

Asama ((あさま): the current Tokyo to Nagano service

 

Comments?

[Densha]

I like the かがやき name, sounds very nice. But wait... isn't there already a Hakutaka service on the Hokuhoku line? And a shuttle service between three stations is not very common with Shinkansen is it?

[nartak]

I like the かがやき name, sounds very nice. But wait... isn't there already a Hakutaka service on the Hokuhoku line? And a shuttle service between three stations is not very common with Shinkansen is it?

 

Most likely current Hakutaka will be discontinued and will be shifted to Shinkansen.  So this will be a big impact to Hokuetsu Kyuko, who operates Hokuhoku Line as they will no longer having revenue from those limited express trains.  However, as this Hokuriku Shinkansen was an expected thing, Hokuetsu Kyuko company has quite a lot of funds to keep Hokuhoku line even after no Hakutaka.

[Densha]

Is the Hokuetsu Kyuko a private company or (share) owned by the municipals/prefectures? If the latter, it would sounds somewhat reasonable to do so.

 

Also, just a thought. JR East has numbered their Shinkansen E1, E4, E7, etc. But the series are actually still numbered the JNR way. The first cab car of a E6 for example is numbered E611系. It's funny that JR East actually had a 200系 and E200系 in service. But the point is that JR Central/West already have a 700系 AND a N700系 AND now also a W7(00)系/E7(00)系.

I don't understand the point of numbering the trains in E7 and W7 anyway. I mean, it's the same trains probably in the same pool, so what does it matter?

Edited October 11, 2013 by Densha

[Kitayama]

Is the Hokuetsu Kyuko a private company or (share) owned by the municipals/prefectures? If the latter, it would sounds somewhat reasonable to do so.

Main owners: Niigata prefecture (54.84%), Jōetsu city (13.18%), Tokamachi city (10.33%), Daichi bank (5.00%), Hokuetsu bank (3.33%), Tohoku Electric Power (3.33%)

[miyakoji]

And a shuttle service between three stations is not very common with Shinkansen is it?

I was thinking this too. I can't think of another example, but maybe there has been in the past. What's the point of this?

 

Mt. Tsurugi is an impressive mountain, I'd like to see this name on a service faster than a shuttle.

[Kabutoni]

Most likely current Hakutaka will be discontinued and will be shifted to Shinkansen.  So this will be a big impact to Hokuetsu Kyuko, who operates Hokuhoku Line as they will no longer having revenue from those limited express trains.  However, as this Hokuriku Shinkansen was an expected thing, Hokuetsu Kyuko company has quite a lot of funds to keep Hokuhoku line even after no Hakutaka.

 

I also reckon this very expensively constructed line will continue to be ran, but with little to no Ltd. Express services. If so, would it mean the end of the only 160kph narrow gauge line in Japan? I wonder what will happen to the JR West 681 and 683 Series... Probably downgraded and used to replace the last remaining 381 Series'.

[Sacto1985]

I also reckon this very expensively constructed line will continue to be ran, but with little to no Ltd. Express services. If so, would it mean the end of the only 160kph narrow gauge line in Japan? I wonder what will happen to the JR West 681 and 683 Series... Probably downgraded and used to replace the last remaining 381 Series'.

 

Nope. I believe 681 and 683's lack the tilting feature of the 381 series, so they can't be used on the Yakumo service between Okayama and Izumoshi Stations. Now, I do think the 287's might eventually replace the 381's on Yakumo service, since the 287's have an active suspension system that essentially allows the train to "tilt" like the 381's.

 

I do think the 681 and 683's will be assigned to a shortened version of the Thunderbird and Shirasagi limited express trains, both of which will now terminate at Kanazawa instead of (normally) Toyama. 

[Guest keio6000]

I like the preservation of the Hakutaka name.  This is a name that should be long associated with the route.

 

kagayaki (shine) is an ok name in japanese, but i think it works poorly for the many foreigners including tourists who have a quasi-limited knowledge of japanese as it sounds like a food due to the 'yaki' suffix. 

[Guest keio6000]

Is the Hokuetsu Kyuko a private company or (share) owned by the municipals/prefectures? If the latter, it would sounds somewhat reasonable to do so.

 

Also, just a thought. JR East has numbered their Shinkansen E1, E4, E7, etc. But the series are actually still numbered the JNR way. The first cab car of a E6 for example is numbered E611系. It's funny that JR East actually had a 200系 and E200系 in service. But the point is that JR Central/West already have a 700系 AND a N700系 AND now also a W7(00)系/E7(00)系.

I don't understand the point of numbering the trains in E7 and W7 anyway. I mean, it's the same trains probably in the same pool, so what does it matter?

 

kato and tomix pay them to do this :)

[Kabutoni]

Nope. I believe 681 and 683's lack the tilting feature of the 381 series, so they can't be used on the Yakumo service between Okayama and Izumoshi Stations. Now, I do think the 287's might eventually replace the 381's on Yakumo service, since the 287's have an active suspension system that essentially allows the train to "tilt" like the 381's.

 

The Yakumo is indeed a very specialised route (I never investigated that). Full of curves, except for the short stretch on the Sanyō main line. The 681 and 683 are not really fit to run this service in the current timetable as you said.

[westfalen]

I like the かがやき name, sounds very nice. But wait... isn't there already a Hakutaka service on the Hokuhoku line? And a shuttle service between three stations is not very common with Shinkansen is it?

I wonder if the Tsurugi shuttle will be extended to form a Shin-Osaka to Toyama all stations service when the line is extended.

[Densha]

I'm wondering even more if they will make a service Tokyo to Shin-Osaka via Kanazawa, the extended Kagayaki, or make a separate limited stop service from Shin-Osaka to Kanazawa (which isn't really convenient when you need to go to Toyama or Nagano for example).

A Shinkansen loop line would be even more interesting, but not happening.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Densha