The Kamoshika (かもしか, lit. "Japanese serow") was a limited express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) which ran between Akita and Aomori via the Ōu Main Line.[1] The service was discontinued from December 2010.
 A Kamoshika service at Aomori Station in September 2007 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Limited express |
| Status | Discontinued |
| First service | 1986 (Express) 1997 (Limited express) |
| Last service | 2010 |
| Successor | Tsugaru |
| Former operator(s) | JNR JR East |
| Route | |
| Termini | Akita Aomori |
| Distance travelled | 185.8 km (115.5 mi) |
| Average journey time | 2 hours 36 minutes |
| Service frequency | 6 daily |
| Line(s) used | Ōu Main Line |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | Green + standard |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | 485 series EMU |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 20 kV AC |
| Operating speed | 95 km/h (60 mph) |
Service pattern edit
There were three services in each direction daily.
Rolling stock edit
Trains were normally formed of three-car 485 series EMUs based at Akita depot, sometimes strengthened to six cars during busy seasons. Green car (first class) accommodation was included in car 1.[1]
The trains were formed as follows, with car 1 at the Akita end.[2]
| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numbering | KuRoHa 481 | MoHa 484 | KuMoHa 485 |
| Accommodation | Green/Ordinary | Ordinary | Ordinary |
History edit
The Kamoshika was first introduced on 1 November 1986 as an express service operating between Kami-Suwa, Iida, and Nagano. This service was discontinued from the start of the revised timetable on 13 March 1988.[3]
The Kamoshika name was revived from March 1997 as a limited express service operating between Akita and Aomori, replacing the former Tazawa limited express service which ran between Morioka and Aomori via Akita before the Akita Shinkansen was opened.[4]
From the start of the revised timetable on 4 December 2010, the Kamoshika services were discontinued, replaced by Tsugaru services, formerly operating between Hachinohe and Hirosaki, which were amended to operate between Aomori and Akita.[5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b JR新幹線＆特急列車ファイル [JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. 2008. p. 80. ISBN 978-4-330-00608-6.
- ^ 日本と世界の鉄道カタログ'97~'98 [Japan and World Railway Catalogue 1997-1998] (in Japanese). Japan: Seibido Publishing. 17 August 1997. p. 146. ISBN 4-415-09254-3.
- ^ 列車名鑑1995 [Train Name Directory 1995]. Japan: Railway Journal. August 1995. p. 124.
- ^ こだわりの新幹線＆特急列車ガイド [In-depth Shinkansen & Limited Express Guide]. Japan: Ikaros Publishing. August 2000. ISBN 4-87149-284-2.
- ^ 12月4日ダイヤ改正後の青森地区列車運転体系 [Operating pattern of Aomori area trains following 4 December timetable revision]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 39, no. 320. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. December 2010. pp. 24–25.
External links edit
- JR East 485 series "Kamoshika" (in Japanese)