The is a

limited express A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes. Japan The term "limited express" is a common ...

train service in Japan operated by the

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 sm ...

(JR Hokkaido), which runs between and . There are two services per day running in both directions, with the journey time taking approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes. Trains operate at a maximum speed of 110 km/h (68 mph). It is named after the

Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...

Stops

Trains stop at the following stations: - - () - () - - - - - - - - - - - - - Stations in brackets () are stations where not all trains stop at. * ''Okhotsk'' no. 2 does not stop at Sunagawa and Bibai.

Rolling stock

''Okhotsk'' services are normally formed of 4-car

KiHa 183 series The is a diesel multiple unit that has been operated on express services since 1980 under Japan National Railways and later under JR Hokkaido and JR Kyushu. Some variants were eventually built, including resort trains (the KiHa 183-5000 ''Nisek ...

diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

(DMU) trains as shown below, with car 1 at the Sapporo and Abashiri end (train reverses at

Engaru Station is a railway station in Engaru, Hokkaidō, Engaru, Monbetsu District, Hokkaidō, Monbetsu, Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan. Its station number is A50. Lines *Hokkaido Railway Company **Sekihoku Main Line Adjacent stations References

...

). They are scheduled to be replaced by

KiHa 283 series The is a tilting diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) on limited express services in Hokkaido, Japan, since 1997. They were based on the KiHa 281 series trains introduced in 1994. Operations ...

DMUs from fiscal 2022.

Formations

All cars are non-smoking.JR Timetable March 2012 issue, p.100/1003

Past

* KiHa 22 DMUs (September 1959 – October 1961) * KiHa 56 DMUs (October 1961 – October 1972) * KiHa 80 DMUs (October 1972 – November 1986) File:JNR-Kiha22-69.jpg, Preserved KiHa 22 DMU car, May 2005 File:JNR Kiha80 Okhotsk.jpg, KiHa 80 series DMU on an ''Okhotsk'' service, 1986 File:JNR-Kiha183 Okhotsk.jpg, KiHa 183 series DMU in JNR livery, August 1985 File:JR Hokkaido kiha183-900 Okhotsk.jpg, KiHa 183 series 6-car DMU in revised livery, 1990 File:JR Hokkaido kiha183series kiha183-100 Okhotsk.jpg, KiHa 183 series 6-car DMU in revised livery, 1990 File:JR Hokkaido kiha183series N Okhotsk.jpg, KiHa 183 series 6-car DMU in revised livery, 1990

History

The ''Okhotsk'' service was first introduced by

Japanese National Railways The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pref ...

from the start of the revised timetable on 22 September 1959, as a semi-express service operating between and , using KiHa 22 2-car DMUs, with five return workings daily. From July 1960, services were extended to Sapporo, and ran coupled with '' Sōya'' semi express services over the

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 ...

. From the start of the revised timetable in October 1961, services were upgraded to "Express" status, and were operated using KiHa 56 4-car DMU formations, including a KiRo 26 Green (first class) car. From the start of the revised timetable on 2 October 1972, services were upgraded to "

Limited express A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes. Japan The term "limited express" is a common ...

" status, and were operated using

KiHa 80 series The KiHa 80 series was a diesel multiple unit type that operated on express services from 1960 to 2002, under Japan National Railways and later under JR Hokkaido and JR Central. Two variants were initially built: the KiHa 81 series to replace t ...

DMU formations. From the start of the revised timetable in November 1986, the KiHa 80 series rolling stock was replaced with KiHa 183 series 6-car DMUs.

Sleeper service

From 1992, the former express overnight sleeper service was integrated with the ''Okhotsk'' (becoming ''Okhotsk'' 9 & 10), featuring a SuHaNeFu 14-500 series sleeping car sandwiched in the DMU formation. From March 2006, this became a seasonal-only train (''Okhotsk'' 81 & 82), and the overnight service was discontinued entirely from 16 March 2008.Discontinuation of sleeping car service
18 April 2008 (Japanese)

''SL Okhotsk''

JR Hokkaido operates seasonal ''SL Okhotsk'' services formed of 14 series passenger coaches hauled by a

JNR Class C11 The is a type of 2-6-4T steam locomotive built by the Japanese Government Railways and the Japanese National Railways from 1932 to 1947. A total of 381 Class C11 locomotives were built and designed by Hideo Shima . Overview The Class C11 was ...

steam locomotive and assisted by a

JNR Class DE15 The is a five-axle C-B wheel arrangement diesel-hydraulic locomotive type operated in Japan as a self-propelled snowplough unit since 1967 by the national railway company Japanese National Railways (JNR), and later by Hokkaido Railway Company ...

diesel locomotive.

References

External links

JR Hokkaido ''Okhotsk'' train information
{{Hokkaidō transit Hokkaido Railway Company Named passenger trains of Japan Night trains of Japan Railway services introduced in 1959 1959 establishments in Japan