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 in Japan operated by

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...

(JR Central), which runs from

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

to Shingū and Kii-Katsuura. The service passes through several notable and important locations, situated on the

Kii Peninsula The is the largest peninsula on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is named after the ancient Kii Province. Overview The area south of the “ Central Tectonic Line” is called , and is home to reef-like coral communities which are amongst ...

, such as . Traveling the entire 246 km (152.9 mi) journey from Nagoya to Kii-Katsuura takes just under four hours, whilst the 231.1 km (143.6 mi) section from Nagoya to Shingu takes approximately three and a half hours. As a limited express service, passengers must purchase a limited express ticket on top of the basic fare ticket to use the train.

History

The service was first introduced on 2 October 1972. Until February 18, 1989, the Nanki was operated by KiHa 80

Diesel Multiple Units A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

(DMUs), until their replacement by

KiHa 85 The is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) on '' Hida'' and ''Nanki'' limited express services in Japan. Technical specifications The trains use stainless steel car bodies, consist o ...

DMUs. ''Nanki'' services are sometimes called ''Wide View Nanki'' because of their large viewing windows that offer uninterrupted views of the track and scenery at the front of the train, as is the case with other JR Central Limited Express services operated with 383 series, 373 series or

series trains.

Route

The train stops at the following stations: - - - - () - - - - - - - - - Between Yokkaichi and Tsu, the train runs along the private

Ise Railway Ise Line The is a Japanese railway line in Mie Prefecture, between Kawarada Station, Yokkaichi and Tsu Station, Tsu. This is the only railway line operates. The company name is abbreviated to . The third sector company took the former Japanese Nationa ...

. An additional fee is required to ride the train in this section. The section of the route between Shingū and Kii-Katsuura is operated by JR West. Stations in brackets () are only served on the day of the annual

Formula 1 Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

Grand Prix race at

Suzuka Circuit The , more famously known as the , is a long motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka, Mie, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Honda Mobilityland, a subsidiary of Honda, Honda Motor Co, Ltd. It has a capacity of 155,000. Int ...

Service

There are 4 daily departures in each direction. There are 4 departures from Nagoya, 3 of which run to Kii-Katsuura, with the last service of the day terminating at Shingu. 3 services begin at Kii-Katsuura and run to Nagoya. The earliest Nagoya-bound service begins at Shingu. The Nanki is generally formed of KiHa 85 units in 4 car formations, but sometimes it may operate in 5 or 6 car formations, especially during busy seasons and days of large events, like the Formula 1 Grand Prix, which is held at Suzuka Circuit every October.

Facilities

Only standard class is available on this service. The Green car (first class) was removed from all services on 1 November 2020, due to declining ridership. Seat reservations can be made for an extra fee. There are one or more universal access toilets, as well as normal toilets, depending on how many cars are being used. There are also wheelchair spaces. Onboard catering services ceased on 16 March 2013. There is a vending machine onboard, which provides a small selection of drinks. Complimentary

WiFi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio waves ...

is also available.

Plans

In September 2020, JR Central announced that as a result of declining ridership in the past 3 years, due to the development of the Kisei Highway, changes will be made to the car formations. On 1 November 2020, the number of cars forming regular services was reduced from 4-6 to 2-3, with the Green car (first class) also being removed from all services. The frequency of services remain the same; 4 workings a day in each direction. The KiHa 85 DMUs are scheduled to be progressively replaced by new HC85 Hybrid units in 2022.

References

{{japan-rail-transport-stub Named passenger trains of Japan Central Japan Railway Company Railway services introduced in 1972