Kodama (train)
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is one of the three train services running on the Tōkaidō and San'yō Shinkansen lines. Stopping at every station, the ''Kodama'' is the slowest Shinkansen service for trips between major cities such as
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
and
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
. The Kodama trains are used primarily for travel to and from smaller cities such as Atami. Travelers between major cities generally take the '' Nozomi'' or '' Hikari'' services, which make fewer stops, although the ''Nozomi'' requires paying a supplement under the
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while the ''Kodama'' does not, making these services an affordable alternative.


Services

''Kodama'' trains generally run over shorter distances than ''Nozomi'' and ''Hikari'' trains. Typical ''Kodama'' runs include Tokyo - Nagoya / Shin-Osaka, Tokyo - Mishima / Shizuoka / Hamamatsu, Mishima / Shizuoka / Nagoya - Shin-Osaka, and Shin-Osaka / Okayama / Hiroshima - Hakata as well as some shorter late-night runs. The trainsets used for ''Kodama'' service are the same 700 series, and N700 series trains used for the ''Hikari'' and ''Nozomi'' services. Older 100 series and 300 series trains were also used for ''Kodama'' services on the Sanyō Shinkansen until they were withdrawn in 2012. In December 2008, reconfigured 500 series trains entered ''Kodama'' service to replace the withdrawn Sanyō Shinkansen 0 series trains. Many Sanyō Shinkansen ''Kodama'' services continue to and from Hakataminami on the Hakataminami Line. Most ''Kodama'' trains have both reserved and non-reserved cars; however, some morning ''Kodama'' trains to Tokyo and evening trains departing Tokyo have non-reserved cars only to accommodate commuters living in
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and Shizuoka. The newest shinkansen trainset, the N700, is currently used on some early morning and late night ''Kodama'' runs between Kokura and Hakata stations in
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's Japanese archipelago, four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa Island, Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Ryukyu Islands, Islands ...
. All standard-class cars are non-reserved, and, as with all other N700 services, there is no smoking on these trains except in designated on-board smoking rooms. At most intermediate stations, ''Kodama'' trains wait for faster trains, including the ''Nozomi'', ''Hikari'', ''Sakura'', and ''Mizuho'', to pass through before resuming their journeys.


Stopping patterns (as of January 2024)

''Kodama'' trains stop at all stations between Tokyo and Hakata. In order from east to west, this comprises , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . No ''Kodama'' service operates the entire distance from Tokyo to Hakata. For this reason, a transfer is required at Shin-Osaka in order to proceed in either direction.


Rolling stock

* 500 series 8-car V sets * 700-7000 series 8-car E sets * N700A series 16-car X/K sets, modified from Z/N sets * N700 series 8-car S/R File:Shinkansen 500 (8086233447).jpg, JR West 500 series ''Kodama'', August 2010 File:JRW N700 series N3.jpg, JR West N700 series, April 2009


Former rolling stock

* 0 series * 100 series * 300 series * 700-0 series * 700-3000 series File:R61 Kodama 635 Higashi-Hiroshima 20030719.JPG, JR West 0 series at Higashi-Hiroshima Station, July 2003 File:JRW Shinkansen Series 100 K55.jpg, JR West 100 series, October 2008 File:JRW Shinkansen Series 300 F6.jpg, JR West 300 series, October 2008 File:JRC 700 series C37.jpg, JR Central 700 series, April 2009


Pre-Shinkansen

* 151 series


Formations


N700 series (16 cars)

(All cars are no smoking except for smoking compartments located in cars 3, 7, 10, and 15.)


500 series (eight cars)

(All cars are no smoking except for smoking compartments in cars 3 and 7.)


N700 series (eight cars)

(All cars are no smoking except for smoking compartments in cars 3 and 7.)


700 series (eight cars)

(All cars are non-smoking.) *G: Green car (first class) (reserved seating) *R: Standard class reserved seating *C: Standard class reserved seating + compartments *NR: Standard class non-reserved seating


History


Limited express ''Kodama''

''Kodama'' debuted as a
limited express A limited express is a type of express train or express bus service that stops at fewer locations compared to other express services on the same or similar routes. Japan The term "limited express" is a common translation of the Japanese ...
service on the Tokaido Main Line on 1 November 1958. Services used 151 series trainsets. This was the first
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train service of the Japanese National Railways classified as a limited express, the highest (fastest) of train types on the national railway system. The train travelled between
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and Osaka Station in six hours and 50 minutes and first enabled passengers to go and return between the two cities in one day. This is why the train was named ''Kodama'', or echo. A
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
world speed record of 163 km/h was established by a 151 series ''Kodama'' trainset on 31 July 1959. The conventional ''Kodama'' train ran until 30 September 1964, the day before ''Kodama'' debuted on the Shinkansen.


Shinkansen ''Kodama''

The shinkansen ''Kodama'' services began on 1 October 1964, operating between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka. On 17 March 2012, the remaining 100 series (K) sets were withdrawn from ''Kodama'' services and 700 series (8-car E set) ''Kodama'' services became entirely no-smoking. Onboard trolley refreshment services were discontinued on all JR Central ''Kodama'' services from 17 March 2012. Also, some of the 16-car 500 series that used to run as the ''Nozomi'' service were cut short to eight cars to run as the ''Kodama'' service. In an announcement by JR Central, JR West, and JR Kyushu made on 17 October 2023, the companies stated that all onboard smoking rooms on the Tokaido, San'yo, and Kyushu Shinkansen trains would be discontinued by Q2 2024; this took effect on 16 March 2024.


See also

* List of named passenger trains of Japan


References

{{JR West trains Central Japan Railway Company West Japan Railway Company Railway services introduced in 1958 Named Shinkansen trains