The was a limited-stop train service that operated until November 2002 in Japan on the Joetsu Shinkansen high-speed line between Tokyo and Niigata.

Operations

The ''Asahi'' shinkansen services ran approximately hourly, with two down services (''Asahi'' 1 and 3) permitted to operate at 275 km/h in the tunnel section between and using specially modified 200 series (F90) sets, completing the journey in 1 hour 40 minutes (compared to the fastest journey time of 1 hour 37 minutes in 2008 for '' Toki'' services operating at a maximum speed of 240 km/h).JR Timetable, December 2008

Rolling stock

* 200 series 10/12-car sets (November 1982 – November 2002) * E1 series 12-car sets, as ''Max Asahi'' (July 1994 – November 2002) *

E2 series The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed lines in Japan since 1997. They are formed in 8- and 10-car sets. The 8-car sets were used on the Hokurik ...

8-car sets (December 1998 – November 2002) * E4 series 8-car sets, as ''Max Asahi'' (May 2001 – November 2002)

History

The name ''Asahi'', meaning "morning sun" in Japanese, dates from before World War II, when it was used for an express train operated by Japan from

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(present-day North Korea) to

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(present-day China). It was first used in Japan on 1 November 1960 for services operating between and . This service was renamed ''Benibana'' from 1 July 1982. From the start of services on the newly opened Joetsu Shinkansen on 15 November 1982, ''Asahi'' was the name used for the limited-stop shinkansen services operating initially between and Niigata, later between and Niigata, and eventually between and Niigata. At the start of Joetsu Shinkansen operations in 1982, 11 ''Asahi'' services operated in each direction daily. With the start of shinkansen operations from Ueno on 14 March 1985, the number of ''Asahi'' services was increased to 34 in each direction daily. From 10 March 1990, two down services (nicknamed ''Super Asahi'') were timed to operate at a maximum speed of 275 km/h in the tunnel section between and . New E1 series "Max" 12-car sets were introduced on ''Max Asahi'' services from 15 July 1994, with two workings in each direction daily between Tokyo and Niigata. The number of ''Max Asahi'' services was increased to five in each direction daily from 3 December 1994. E4 series "Max" trains built in 1997 were first assigned to ''Max Asahi'' services on 7 May 2001. The ''Asahi'' name was discontinued from 1 December 2002 when the '' Toki'' name was re-introduced for all Tokyo to Niigata trains.

References

{{JR East trains Jōetsu Shinkansen Railway services introduced in 1960 Railway services discontinued in 2002 Named Shinkansen trains ja:とき (列車)

Operations

Rolling stock

History

See also

References