JR Hokkaido H5s leave Kawasaki factory

[katoftw]

haha I totally missed that.

[JR 500系]

A little off topic, but what makes Hakodate so popular? I though Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and possibly Fukuoka would be more popular? Or is it's distance from the major population of Tokyo/Yokohama?

 

Ahah ~ A few worthy mentions include Kumamoto, Takayama (this is becoming more Famous for its Shirakawa village), Nagoya, Matsumoto and Hakone (Mount Fuji) area...  

[bikkuri bahn]

The popularity is among Japanese domestic travelers especially those from Kanto and Kansai- Hakodate is the closest city to Honshu, it has a good mix of attractions to satisfy most visitors.  The rest of Hokkaido is too spread out and attractions too dispersed for the kind of short holidays most Japanese prefer or can manage.

[railsquid]

You mean it's the most popular domestic tourist destination on Hokkaido? That I could believe, but have a hard time imagining it comes right after Kyoto nationally. My only experience of Hakodate is a brief 1~2 hour stop on the way to Sappora and though it was a nice enough place, I don't recall being overwhelmed by groups of tourists ...

[miyakoji]

This guy's pictures make it look pretty good: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E8%80%85:663highland/%E6%8A%95%E7%A8%BF%E7%94%BB%E5%83%8F%E3%82%AE%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E5%87%BD%E9%A4%A8%E5%B8%82

[JR 500系]

It does have one of the top 3 best night viewing spots in Japan.

 

三大夜景 Sandaiyakei

• Hakodate seen from Mount Hakodate
• Kobe and Osaka Bay seen from Mount Maya
• Nagasaki seen from Mount Inasa

But like Squid san, my brief brush with Hakodate was when I was travelling to Sapporo.... Hadn't heard much about Hakodate, but Sapporo is always highly recommended. Heard that's a very nice hot spring in Hakodate too that tourist are often brought there in group tours..

[bikkuri bahn]

Recent press event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jyzsVPRA3s

[kvp]

A true relay service only allows boarding with tickets for the main service and stops at very few middle stations if any at all. Rolling stock is usually configured for express service with extra luggage racks. Good examples are the NEX airport relay services in Tokyo. It's normal, that any city that is bypassed by the shinkansen network will became somewhat of a backwater. They could have moved the new station closer to the city center by adding a few gentle curves, but the decision to use a direct route means Hakodate has to feel lucky that they got at least a station near the city, but i think only the slowest 'all stops' services will stop there. Since there won't be any conventional service in the future, they will probably loose most of the remaining tourists. The same is probably true for Aomori. While these two cities were important during the old ferry days and the tunnel just replaced the ferries, but the new shinkansen line fully bypasses both of them.

[railsquid]

NEX is not a "relay" service, just a normal tokkyu, albeit with no unreserved seating. The "Shinkansen relay" services are specifically designed to fill in temporarily "missing links" in the Shinkansen network, and timed to connect with Shinkansen services. I suspect the Hakodate one may be the first permanent one.

 

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen_Relay

[Sacto1985]

I really have to ask: will only the H5 Shinkansen trainset traverse the Seikan Tunnel? Or will they modify later production E2 trainsets for the new Morioka to Shin-Hakodate Hayate service?

[Jensen]

Aomori is not getting much tourist like I heard it once has been, as people can by pass the city.

I visited there last year, not many tourist however lots of people are transferring train at Shin-Aomori.

 

I was wondering if the JR Hokkaido H5 the same as JR East E5 in seating and technical stuff?

They have only ordered 4 train set, is that enough for for a 4-5 hour train journey?

Assuming they can only do Hakodate (6am) - Tokyo (11am) - Hakodate (4pm) - Tokyo (9pm)

that will only give them maybe 6 trains per a day direct?

Would E5 venture up into Hokkaido?

I read somewhere that the Hokkaido part of the tracks are limited to 260km/h is it correct? if yes why? 

[Densha]

So far I understand the H5 and E5 will both run from Tokyo to Hakodate in a mixed pool.

[katoftw]

I assumed the H5s would run a similar style to Kyushus 800s. Only servicing their own area/region. While the E5s will run the full/though length services, like the N700 of JRW door now through Kyushu.

 

As for max speed, answer is track design.

Edited November 23, 2014 by katoftw

[Densha]

First tests of the H5 on 1 December 2014:

 

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/12/01/national/hokkaido-bullet-train-cars-tested-ahead-2016-debut/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hokkaido-bullet-train-cars-tested-ahead-2016-debut#.VICPQ8mGxI2

 

[katoftw]

The purple livery tickles my fancy.  I do hope for a model release soon.

[bikkuri bahn]

Test runs through the Seikan Tunnel will commence this Sunday.

[bikkuri bahn]

I read somewhere that the Hokkaido part of the tracks are limited to 260km/h is it correct? if yes why? 

 

Yes, the initial max service speed is 260km/h.  This is in line with the original specs and funding.  Raising service speeds is possible in the future depending on funding, long-term cost/benefit analysis, economic climate etc.

[miyakoji]

Does all of this go back to the nationwide shinkansen network plan from decades ago?

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, that's the gist of it. These are not "core" lines, so I reckon the specs were not bleeding edge.  Of course, back when the plan was made, max service speeds were 210km/h, the idea of 320km/h running was yet to come. 

Edited December 5, 2014 by bikkuri bahn

[katoftw]

I'm quite surpirzed at the complaints about max spped of 260kph.  260kph is still alot faster than any service provided in the area.  and the line doesn't twist through mountains.

[Densha]

Raising max speed from 260 kph to 320 kph won't make that much of a difference anyway. It may give you a few minutes advantage, but it will only really benefit of such a speed increase if it's a very long distance.

[Sacto1985]

I believe that the speed of the Hokkaido Shinkansen will be:

 

Shin-Aomori Station to just before the south tunnel entrance: 260 km/h

Through the Seikan Tunnel: 140 km/h

Just after the north tunnel exit to Shin-Hakodate Station: 260 km/h

 

(By the way, if I remember correctly, the speed of the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Morioka and Shin-Aomori is only 260 km/h anyway. It's only between Utsunomiya and Morioka that the 320 km/h top speed applies.)

[Densha]

And the first H5 Shinkansen has passed through the Seikan Tunnel:

 

 

http://www.sankei.com/life/news/141207/lif1412070029-n1.html

[The Next Station Is...]

And the first H5 Shinkansen has passed through the Seikan Tunnel:

 

 

http://www.sankei.com/life/news/141207/lif1412070029-n1.html

I bet there there are a lot of engineers who have been looking forward to this, especially since the tunnel was built with Shinkansen passage in mind.

[katoftw]

I dont believe the tunnel was built with Shinkansen in mind.  But it was modified with Shinkansen in mind.