The is a train service 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) in

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The lar ...

, Japan, since 1988. It runs from to on the

Sekihoku Main Line is a railway line in Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) between in Asahikawa and Abashiri Station in Abashiri. The name comes from the first Kanji characters of and , names of ancient provinces along the lin ...

.JR Timetable, February 2011 issue, pp. 721–722

Service pattern and station stops

There is one train per day in each direction, with the journey taking approximately 3 hours 20 minutes from Asahikawa to Kitami. Trains stop at the following stations. * (A28) * () (A29) * () (A30) * () (A31) * () (A32) * () (A34) * (A35) * (A43) * (A45) * (A48) * (A50) * (A51) * (A53) * (A56) * (A57) * (A58) * (A59) * (A60) Stations in brackets are only served by Kitami-bound trains.

Rolling stock

Services are formed of one or two single-car KiHa 54 diesel cars based at Asahikawa Depot. Very occasionally,

KiHa 150 The is a single-car diesel multiple unit operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in Japan. Variants A total of 27 cars were built, with the class divided into two sub-classes: KiHa 150-0 (17 cars) and KiHa 150-100 (10 cars). * KiHa ...

diesel trains may be used.

History

The ''Kitami'' service was first introduced from 19 March 1988 as a seasonal "limited rapid" train service. From 3 November 1988, it became a regular daily service. From 13 March 2004, the train became entirely no-smoking.

References

{{Hokkaidō transit Named passenger trains of Japan Rail transport in Hokkaido Railway services introduced in 1988