The was an overnight

express train An express train is a type of passenger train that makes a small number of stops between its origin and destination stations, usually major destinations, allowing faster service than local trains that stop at most or all of the stations alon ...

service in Japan operated by

Hokkaido Railway Company The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a s ...

(JR Hokkaido), which ran from to via the Tsugaru Line, Kaikyō Line,

Esashi Line The is a Japanese railway line formerly operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). It connected (near Hakodate) and . The section between and closed in May 2014, and the remainder was transferred to third-sector operator South Hokk ...

Hakodate Main Line The is a railway line connecting the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa via Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). The Sawara Line, a 35 km loop line from Ōnuma to Mo ...

Muroran Main Line The is a railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), between Oshamambe Station in Oshamambe and Iwamizawa Station in Iwamizawa, approximately paralleling the coast of Iburi Subprefecture. There also is a branc ...

, and

Chitose Line The is a railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), connecting Numanohata, Tomakomai and Shiroishi Station in Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo, linking the Muroran Main Line and Hakodate Main Line. There also is a branch ...

. The journey took approximately seven and a half hours."JR Timetable" October 2009 issue Following the withdrawal of the ''

Ginga Ginga may refer to: Japanese Other * "Ginga" (single), a 2005 single from Japanese rock band Fujifabric * Yokosuka P1Y ''Ginga'', a Japanese bomber aircraft TV * Ginga (middleware), a Japanese-Brazilian digital TV middleware Series * Ginga Na ...

'' overnight express service between Tokyo and Osaka in 2008, the ''Hamanasu'' became the only locomotive-hauled express service in Japan. The service was discontinued in March 2016.

Rolling stock

The train was formed of 14 and 24 series seating cars and

sleeping car The sleeping car or sleeper (often ) is a railway passenger car that can accommodate all passengers in beds of one kind or another, for the purpose of sleeping. George Pullman was the American innovator of the sleeper car. The first such cars ...

s based at JR Hokkaido's Sapporo Depot, typically consisting of 7 cars. The train was hauled by a JR Hokkaido Hakodate-based Class ED79 AC electric locomotive between Aomori and Hakodate, and by a Hakodate-based Class DD51 diesel locomotive between Hakodate and Sapporo. File:Hamanasu.jpg, A ''Hamanasu'' service at Sapporo Station in January 2005, headed by a Class DD51 diesel locomotive File:Hamanasu-aomori.jpg, A ''Hamanasu'' service at Aomori Station in January 2005, headed by a Class ED79 locomotive File:Hamanasu-coach.jpg, The rear of a ''Hamanasu'' service at Aomori Station in March 2007 The typical formation in 2010 was as follows. # SuHaNeFu 14-550 (Sleeping car with generator) # OHaNe 24-500 (Sleeping car) # SuHaFu 14-550 (Non-reserved seating car with generator) # OHa 14-500 (Reserved "Nobinobi Carpet" sleeping car) # OHa 14-500 (Reserved "Dream car" seating car) # OHa 14-500 (Reserved "Dream car" seating car) # SuHaFu 14-500 (Non-reserved seating car with generator) The "Dream cars" used reclining seats from former Green cars.

Interior

Sleeping car accommodation

File:.JR Hokkaido night train express"Hamanasu" B sleeping-car.JPG, Sleeping car interior, January 2009 File:Hamanasu Carpet Car Aomori 20040717.jpeg, "Nobinobi Carpet" car interior, July 2004 File:JR Hokkaido night train express"Hamanasu""Carpet-car" (second floor seat).JPG, "Nobinobi Carpet" car interior (upper level)

Seating car accommodation

File:JR Hokkaido night train express"Hamanasu"Reserved seat.JPG, Reserved seating File:JR Hokkaido night train express"Hamanasu"Unreserved seat.JPG, Non-reserved seating

History

The ''Hamanasu'' was introduced on 1 June 1955 as a semi-express operating between

Hakodate is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...

and

Abashiri is a city located in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Abashiri is known as the site of the Abashiri Prison, a Meiji-era facility used for the incarceration of political prisoners. The old prison has been turned into a museum, but the cit ...

via Sapporo. From 1 October 1961, this was upgraded to Express status as a service operating between Sapporo and Abashiri. This operated until 30 September 1968, when the services were integrated with the express services. The ''Hamanasu'' name was revived from 13 March 1988 for use on overnight express services between Aomori and Sapporo following the opening of the

Seikan Tunnel The Seikan Tunnel ( ja, 青函トンネル, or , ), is a dual-gauge railway tunnel in Japan, with a portion under the seabed of the Tsugaru Strait, which separates Aomori Prefecture on the main Japanese island of Honshu from the northern is ...

. Initially, the train consisted of five 14 series seating cars only (with two designated as reserved seating cars), but from July 1991, two sleeping cars were included in the formation. From March 1997, a "Nobinobi Carpet" sleeping car was also added.

Withdrawal

The last ''Hamanasu'' services were discontinued in March 2016 ahead of the opening of the

Hokkaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line that links up with the Tōhoku Shinkansen in northern Aomori Prefecture in Honshu and continues on into the interior of Hokkaido through the undersea Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May ...

high-speed line. The last up service departed from Sapporo Station on 20 March 2016, and the last down service departed from Aomori on 21 March, arriving at Sapporo on 22 March. Reasons cited by JR Hokkaido for discontinuing the service included (1) the locomotives used to haul the train through the Seikan Tunnel not being able to operate through the tunnel after March 2016, (2) the lack of funds to purchase new locomotives, (3) the difficulties in securing paths through the tunnel at night due to inspections of the shinkansen infrastructure, and (4) aging rolling stock dating from 40 years ago.

New JR Hokkaido Hamanasu Tourist Train

JR Hokkaido has revived the ''Hamanasu'' name giving it to one of two multi-use Series 5000 tourist trains. These trains, remodelled Series 261 DMU's, are expected to replace the Crystal Express and the North Rainbow Express.

References

External links

JR Hokkaido train guide
{{Hokkaidō transit Hokkaido Railway Company Named passenger trains of Japan Night trains of Japan Railway services introduced in 1955 1955 establishments in Japan Railway services discontinued in 2016 2016 disestablishments in Japan