Noto (train)

The was a seasonal overnight express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), which runs between Ueno Station in Tokyo and via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line. The journey takes approximately seven hours."JR Timetable" October 2009 issue The train was operated as a regular daily service by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) until 13 March 2010, with operations transferred to JR East from this date. While JR East has not formally announced its discontinuation, no services have operated since February 2012.

Rolling stock

Trains were formed of 6-car 485 series electric multiple units (EMU) owned by JR East and based at Niigata depot. All seats are reserved.

Formation

The 6-car 485 series sets based at Niigata are formed as follows, with car 1 at the Ueno and Kanazawa end (trains reverse en route at Nagaoka).

Past rolling stock

From 1982 onward, services were formed of eight 14 series coaches, consisting of three B-type 3-level berth sleeping cars and five seating coaches. These services were hauled by a Tabata-based JNR Class EF62 electric locomotive between Ueno and Naoetsu, and by a Nagaoka-based JNR Class EF81 electric locomotive between Naoetsu and Kanazawa.

From March 1993, the locomotive-hauled trains were replaced by 9-car JR West 489 series EMUs based at Kanazawa depot, formed as shown below.

File:JRE-EF6243-Exp-Noto.jpg, ''Noto'' express hauled by EF62 electric locomotive in 1989
File:JNR 489 Express Noto.jpg, ''Noto'' service formed of JR West "bonnet-style" 489 series EMU in May 2007

History

The ''Noto'' name was first used from 22 September 1959 for express services operating between Tokyo and Kanazawa via , introduced to supplement the existing '' Hokuriku'' services connecting Tokyo and the Hokuriku region. The " down" working departed from Tokyo Station at 20:30, arriving in Kanazawa at 08:44, and the "up" working departed from Kanazawa Station at 18:00, arriving in Tokyo at 06:25. Initially, the trains were formed of seven cars (three sleeping cars and four seating cars), but from 1962, trains were increased to 13-car formations.

Following the opening of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka in October 1964, ridership of the ''Noto'' decreased, and from October 1965, ''Noto'' services ran in conjunction with ''Yamato'' services. The services were discontinued from the start of the 1 October 1968 timetable revision.

The name was resurrected from the start of the timetable revision on 10 March 1975 for use on overnight services between Ueno and Kanazawa via the Joetsu Line, replacing one return '' Hokuriku'' working.

From 15 November 1982, following the opening of the Joetsu Shinkansen, ''Noto'' services were re-routed via the Shinetsu Main Line, and the ageing rolling stock was replaced with newer 14 series cars.

From 1987, the "down" service was extended to run to on the Nanao Line during busy seasons, using JNR Class DE10 diesel locomotive haulage, but this was discontinued from March 1990.

From October 1997, following the opening of the Nagano Shinkansen and severing of the Shinetsu Main Line at Karuizawa, the ''Noto'' services were re-routed via the Joetsu Line.

Regular daily ''Noto'' services were discontinued on 13 March 2010. The ''Noto'', however, continued to operate as a "seasonal" service during holiday periods.

See also

* List of named passenger trains of Japan

References

{{JR West trains

East Japan Railway Company
West Japan Railway Company
Named passenger trains of Japan
Night trains of Japan
Railway services introduced in 1959
Railway services discontinued in 2012
2012 disestablishments in Japan