The is a

limited express A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes. Japan The term "limited express" is a common ...

train service operated by the

West Japan Railway Company , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

(JR West) between and in Japan since 12 March 2011. It replaced the previous ''

Kitakinki The was a limited express train service operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Japan from 1986 until March 2011, which ran from Shin-Osaka to Kinosaki Onsen in Hyōgo Prefecture. Service pattern and station stops As of January ...

'' services. The name means "

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...

", and was chosen because the stork is the prefectural bird of Hyōgo, and the city of Toyooka in particular has close involvement with stork breeding programmes.

Service pattern and station stops

14 down services (''Kounotori'' 1–27) from Shin-Osaka and 13 up services (''Kounotori'' 2–26) to Shin-Osaka run daily, with the journey time from Shin-Osaka to Kinosaki Onsen taking approximately 2 hours 45 minutes.JR Timetable, February 2011 issue ''Kounotori'' services stop at the following stations. (Stations in parentheses are not served by all trains.) - - - - - () - () - - () - - () - - () - () - () - () - ()

Rolling stock

The following rolling stock is used on ''Kounotori'' services. *

287 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) in Japan on limited express services such as the '' Kinosaki'' and '' Kounotori'' from Kyoto and Osaka since 12 March 2011. 287 series EMUs we ...

EMUs (since 12 March 2011) * 289 series EMUs (from 31 October 2015) 289 series EMUs converted from former dual-voltage

683 series The is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) and Hokuetsu Express on limited express services in Japan since 2001. Variants * 683-0 series (''Thunderbird'') * 683-1000 series (' ...

trainsets were introduced on ''Kounotori'' services from 31 October 2015, replacing the remaining

JNR The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...

-era 381 series trains.

Former rolling stock

183 series The was a Japanese limited express electric multiple unit (EMU) train type introduced in 1972 by Japanese National Railways (JNR). Following the privatization of JNR, the 183 series was operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West ...

4/6-car EMUs (12 March 2011 – 15 March 2013) * 381 series 4/6-car EMUs (from 12 March 2011 to 31 May 2011, and from 1 June 2012 to 30 October 2015) File:JRW 183 series B65.jpg, 183 series 6-car set, April 2012 File:JRW EC 381 series Kounotori.jpg, 381 series 6-car set, March 2011

References

External links

JR West 287 series ''Kounotori''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kounotori Named passenger trains of Japan West Japan Railway Company Railway services introduced in 2011 2011 establishments in Japan

Service pattern and station stops

Rolling stock

Former rolling stock

See also

References

External links