Komachi (train)

The is a high-speed shinkansen service between and in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) since March 1997. It is the only shinkansen service that runs on the Akita Shinkansen, and uses E6 series trains. Between Tokyo Station and , it couples with Tōhoku Shinkansen E5 series '' Hayabusa'' and formerly E2 series for E3 series respectively. After Morioka, the ''Komachi'' service continues along standard gauge tracks that were converted from narrow gauge. Because it then runs on tracks that have grade crossings, its maximum speed from Morioka to Akita is , compared to on the Tohoku Shinkansen.

The ''Komachi'' service was named after a famous poet from the area, Ono no Komachi, whose name (小町) is also synonymous with "belle" or "beauty" in Japanese.

Station stops

''Komachi'' services stop at the following stations on the Akita Shinkansen between Morioka and Akita.JR Timetable, March 2013 issue For details of station stops between Tokyo and Morioka, see the '' Hayabusa'' articles.

*
* *
*
*
*
*
(*) Not served by all trains.

Train formations

Since 15 March 2014, most ''Komachi'' services have operated by seven-car E6 series trainsets with running at a maximum speed of on the Tohoku Shinkansen coupled to E5 series '' Hayabusa'' trainsets. Car 11, the "Green" (first class) car, is at the Tokyo end. All seats are reserved and no-smoking.

E3 series

''Komachi'' services were also operated by five-car E3 series trainsets (later augmented to six cars). These sets were formed as shown below, with car 11, the "Green" (first class) car, at the Tokyo end. All seats were reserved and no-smoking.

Accommodation

File:E6 Green Car2.jpg, E6 series Green car interior with 2+2 seating
File:JReastE6 E628-5 inside.jpg, E6 series standard class car interior with 2+2 seating

History

''Komachi'' services began on the newly opened Akita Shinkansen line from the start of the revised timetable on 22 March 1997 using a fleet of 16 new 5-car E3 series trains running at a maximum speed of on the Tohoku Shinkansen. The name ''Komachi'' was officially announced in July 1996. Services initially consisted of 13 return workings daily between Tokyo and Akita, and one return working between Sendai and Akita. Most trains ran coupled with 200 series ''Yamabiko'' trainsets between Tokyo and Morioka, but three return workings ran coupled with newly introduced E2 series sets, running at a maximum speed of between Utsunomiya and Morioka, and giving a fastest journey time of 3 hours 49 minutes between Tokyo and Akita (an average speed of 163.4 km/h). The train services proved popular, and from the December 1998 timetable revision, an addition return working was added, and the E3 series trains were lengthened to six cars each. From the December 1999 timetable, all ''Komachi'' services ran together with E2 series ''Yamabiko'' trains, allowing overall journey times to be reduced, with a typical journey time of 4 hours 4 minutes.

From 16 March 2013, new services started, using new E6 series trains running at a maximum speed of on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Initially, a fleet of four trains was used to operate four return services daily between Tokyo and Akita. The fastest journey time was reduced to 3 hours 45 minutes, 5 minutes faster than the fastest previous ''Komachi'' services. From the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014, all services were operated by E6 series trains, and the name was returned to simply ''Komachi''. At the same time, the maximum speed on the Tohoku Shinkansen (on the section between Utsunomiya and Morioka) was further raised to .

See also

* '' Akita Relay'', a temporary limited express service that operated to Akita while the Akita Shinkansen was being constructed
* List of named passenger trains of Japan

References

External links

JR East E6 series ''Komachi''

{{Akita transit

Akita Shinkansen
Named passenger trains of Japan
Passenger trains running at least at 300 km/h in commercial operations
Railway services introduced in 1997
Tōhoku Shinkansen
1997 establishments in Japan
Named Shinkansen trains