Asama (train)

The is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in Japan. The shinkansen service was introduced in October 1997, but the name was first used for a semi-express service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1961.　"Asama" is the name of an active volcano (Mount Asama) near Karuizawa, on the boundary between Gunma and Nagano Prefecture.

Operations

All 16 ''Asama'' services stopped at , , , , , , , and . 11 of them made an additional stop at , , and .

Train formations

''Asama'' services are operated using 12-car E7 series or W7 series trainsets formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Tokyo end. Car 11 is a "Green" car, and car 12 is a "Gran Class" car with 2+1 seating. Unlike on Tohoku Shinkansen ''Hayabusa'' services, however, a dedicated attendant service is not provided in Gran Class cars on ''Asama'' services. All cars are no-smoking.

File:E7Gran Class.JPG, Interior of an E7 series Gran Class car 12
File:E7 Green class car 20140412.jpg, Interior of an E7 series Green car 11
File:E7Standard-sized car.JPG, Interior of an E7 series ordinary-class car 10
File:No Smoking.svg, An internationally recognizable "No Smoking sign"

Rolling stock

* E7 series 12-car F sets (since 15 March 2014)
* W7 series 12-car W sets (since 14 March 2015)

Services were initially operated using a dedicated fleet of fourteen 8-car E2 series "N" sets based at Nagano Shinkansen Depot. Trains are designed to maintain speeds of on the 30 km continuous gradient of 30‰ between and Karuizawa.

New E7 series 12-car sets, also based at Nagano Depot, were introduced on ''Asama'' services from the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014. These trains include "Gran Class" seating arranged 2+1 abreast. E7 series trainsets were initially used on seven return services daily, with a further four return workings added from 19 April 2014. JR West W7 series 12-car sets, based at Hakusan Depot, were introduced from the start of the revised timetable on 14 March 2015.

File:Series-E7-F19.jpg, An E7 series set on an ''Asama'' service in February 2021

Former rolling stock

* E2 series 8-car J sets (from 1 October 1997 until 2002)
* E2 series 8-car N sets (from 1 October 1997 until 31 March 2017)
* 200 series 12-car F80 set (February 1998 only)
* E4 series 8-car P50/P80 sets, as ''Max Asama''

File:E2 J6 Asama Karuizawa 19980218.jpg, An 8-car Nagano Shinkansen E2 series set J6 arriving at Karuizawa Station on a Tokyo-bound ''Asama'' service in February 1998
File:N11 Asama 514 Tokyo 20020601.jpg, A JR East E2 series set N11 arriving at Tokyo Station on an ''Asama'' service in June 2002
File:Shinkansen E4series (4467135007).jpg, An E4 series set
File:200 F80 Asama Ueda 19980218.jpg, Modified set F80 on a Nagano Shinkansen ''Asama'' service in February 1998

Pre-shinkansen

* 181 series EMU sets (October 1966–)
* 189 series EMU 9/11/12-car sets (October 1975–September 1997)
* 489 series EMU sets

History

Semi-express ''Asama''

The name ''Asama'' was first introduced on 1 March 1961 for services operating between Nagano and Niigata. This service operated until 30 November 1962, after which the train was renamed . From 1 December 1962, the name was used for the semi-express services operating between Ueno in Tokyo and Nagano on the Shinetsu Line. This service continued until 30 September 1963, after which the train was renamed .

Limited express ''Asama''

After a gap of three years, the name ''Asama'' was re-introduced from 1 October 1966 on the Limited express services operating between Ueno and Nagano or Naoetsu. By the late 1990s, there were 29 workings daily in each direction, formed of 9- or 11-car 189 series EMU formations. During the busy summer periods, a second Green car was sometimes added to increase formations to 12 cars.

The typical 11-car 189 series formation in 1995 was as shown below, with car 1 at the Ueno end.

Shinkansen ''Asama''

From 1 October 1997, the name ''Asama'' was used for the services on the newly opened Nagano Shinkansen (absorbed into the Hokuriku Shinkansen from 2015), operating between and .

During the 1998 Winter Olympics in February 1998, additional services were provided using one specially modified 200 series train (set F80), limited to a maximum speed of 210 km/h. Four E4 series double-decker "Max" trains (sets P51/52 and P81/82) were also specially built for seasonal use on the Nagano Shinkansen as ''Max Asama'' services, but only two (sets P81 and P82) are capable of travelling as far as Nagano because the line west of Karuizawa runs on a 60 Hz power supply, unlike the rest of the line that runs on a 50 Hz power supply.

From the start of the revised timetable on 10 December 2005, ''Asama'' services were made entirely no-smoking.

The services operated using E2 series eight-car sets (until 31 March 2017) were formed as follows. Car 7 was a "Green" (first class) car. All cars were no-smoking.

File:JRE E2 N1 E215 inside.jpg, Interior of an E2 series Green car
File:JRE E2 E226-301 inside.jpg, Interior of an E2 series ordinary-class car

From the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014, new E7 series 12-car trainsets were introduced on ''Asama'' services. Initially used on seven return services daily, this number was increased to eleven return services daily from 19 April 2014.

Following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension beyond Nagano to Kanazawa in 2015, the ''Asama'' name continued to be used for those services operating between Tokyo and Nagano, with some services still operated by 8-car E2 series trains.

The last services operated using eight-car E2 series trainsets ran on 31 March 2017, from which date all ''Asama'' services were formed of E7 and W7 series trainsets.

See also

* List of named passenger trains of Japan

References

External links

JR East E7 series ''Asama''

{{JR East trains

Railway services introduced in 1961
East Japan Railway Company
Named Shinkansen trains