points from JR East's March 15 2014 schedule revision

[miyakoji]

There's a thread on Ompuchaneru about JRE's schedule revision that will take effect on March 15th of next year.  The first poster (http://rail-uploader.khz-net.com/index.php?id=1128238) summarizes:

 

• E3s will be completely withdrawn from Komachi services, and the name Super Komachi will not be used.  All services will operate at 320km/h and be called Komachi
• some Hayate services that are non-stop between Omiya and Sendai, and then stop at each station beyond Sendai, will be changed to Hayabusa.  Several trains will be operated as 17-car formations
• E7s will be used on some Asama services on the Nagano Shinkansen, and the conversion to digital ATC will be expedited
• of all Akagi and Kusatsu roundtrip services departing Shinjuku, one will continue to run with 185 series trains while the rest will be the refurbished E651s.
• weekday Akagi services will be renamed Swallow Akagi, and the Homeliner Konosu will be changed to a limited express service and extended to Honjo
• there will be 6 midday locals per hour on the Joban Line between Ayase and Abiko, rather than 5.  This is a train every 10 minutes instead of every 12
• morning Chuo Liners starting at Hachioji will increase, using 351 series trains
• Nambu Line rapids will no longer stop at Nakanojima and Yanoguchi, and locals that now run between Kawasaki and Noborito will be extended to Inagi-Naganuma
• there will be consideration of increasing Musashino services, changing their schedule, and adding service at Kunitachi, Hino, and Toyoda stations
• two Homeliner Koga services will be removed, and they will no longer serve Ueno.  Local services will be added.
• limited express Wakashio services will be reduced, and Odoriko #102 will no longer run on weekdays
• the Akebono will be discontinued and changed to a special service

 

The extension of the Konosu to Honjo appears to be 35.7km, which seems substantial.  The Akebono will be considered a rinji service, which I sometimes see translated as extra or temporary.  Things are not looking good for the 185s, but it doesn't seem like this is the absolute end for them, while the 351s have a solid new role, at least until the next revision.

 

 

pdf link here: http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2013/20131217.pdf

 

Japanese readers please feel free to post corrections :grin

Edited December 22, 2013 by miyakoji

[200系]

Thanks for the info, a friendly correction though: :)

 

 

E3s will be completely withdrawn, and all services will be called Komachi

 

should translate to: E3系 will be completely withdrawn from Komachi services (in essence ending Komachi services, and replacing them with super-komachi services)

[miyakoji]

should translate to: E3系 will be completely withdrawn from Komachi services (in essence ending Komachi services, and replacing them with super-komachi services)

heheh, I knew I should have looked up the train itself, I'd have known that it wasn't being withdrawn

[JR 500系]

Thanks for the information Miyakoji san!

 

And there is 320km/h Hayabusa + Komachi (E6) services starting soon, that will save around 5-12 mins of travel time! I'm a little confused, that's 275km/h, that's 300km/h and 320km/h. Are all the E3s going to be withdrawn from Komachi services? So that means it'll almost always be an E5 coupled with an E6 for Hayabusa + Komachi services, and that there wouldn't be a Super Komachi service anymore? Then the rationale of 275km/h doesn't add up, since the E5 + E6 can easily make 300km/h, unless of course the E6 will be coupled with an E2, that has a max service speed of 275km/h, hence the rationale? 

 

Sorry i'm confusing myself...   :confused5:

 

Nice to see the E351 is gonna be around for a while, along with the E651. I like both of these trains, and hope to catch them and ride on them in 2015. Please hold on till then JR East!   :)

[nartak]

Finally... Joban line local will be 6 trains per hour.... really feel something personally...
My hometown is Ayase and was watching this 5 trains per hour operation for trians going Abiko bound... for more than 30 years as far as I know since my childhood.  Users at Kameari and Kanamachi stations are really frustrated for long time.  The reason is that they are living within Tokyo 23 ward but they can't catch the train at every 10 minutes or less.  And train is quite crowded also even at midday.

So this means most likely I assume Tokyo Metro will change operational pattern for Chiyoda line.  Now it is every 6 minutes operation between Ayase to Yoyogi-uehara but it will be every 5 minutes to match with Joban line operaiton (half the train ends at Ayase).

[Sacto1985]

The E3's being withdrawn from Komachi services are among the oldest E3's built--most will be scrapped, but later production trainsets will be transferred to the Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa service. The E3's on Yamagata Shinkansen service will likely last past 2020, since there is no pressing need for really fast service on this route.

[gmat]

What is the Homeliner Furukawa? I can't find anything on the net.

 

Grant

[miyakoji]

That's because it doesn't exist.  Ooooops.  Try searching for the Homeliner Koga.  It ends at this station: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koga_Station_%28Ibaraki%29

[Guest keio6000]

Kato must be thrilled. Add a yellow stripe, put on a new headmark, and all of a sudden their 651s are saleable again. Heck, theu can even sell two separate sets akagi/kusatsu)

 

Also, i take it its not written " 赤城"?

 

 

[miyakoji]

It's just written in hiragana.