The is a Rapid train service in Japan operated by

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...

(JR Central), which runs from to and . The service passes through several significant locations en route, such as Tsu, the capital city of

Mie Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture an ...

History

The service was introduced on 10 March 1990 as a way to compete with

Kintetsu Railway , referred to as and officially Kinki-Nippon Railway, is a Japanese passenger railway company, managing infrastructure and operating passenger train service. Its railway system is the largest in Japan, excluding Japan Railways Group. The railw ...

and to provide a cheap, quick, and efficient route from Nagoya to the Ise Peninsula. The ''Mie'' is faster than a Kintetsu express train but slower than a Kintetsu limited express train. Kintetsu still maintains superior numbers of passengers to this day.

Route

The train stops at the following stations: - - - - () - () - - - - () - () - () - () - - () - - () - Nakaseko is only served by a few Nagoya-bound services. Suzuka Circuit Inō is only served on days of racing events at the nearby

Suzuka Circuit The , the , is a long motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka, Mie, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Honda Mobilityland, a subsidiary of Honda, Honda Motor Co, Ltd. It has a capacity of 155,000. It is most well known by i ...

. Other stations in brackets are not served by all trains. Between Yokkaichi and Tsu, the train runs along the private

Ise Railway Ise Line The is a Japanese railway line in Mie Prefecture which runs between Kawarada Station, Yokkaichi, and Tsu Station. It is the only railway line of the third-sector operator , commonly abbreviated to . The company took over the former Japanese ...

. An additional fee of 520 yen is required for

Japan Rail Pass The , also called the JR Pass, is a rail pass sold by the Japan Railways Group exclusively for overseas visitors. It is valid for travel on all major forms of transportation provided by the JR Group in Japan, with a few exceptions. The pass is de ...

holders to ride the train in this section, and fares are coordinated for prices between JR and Ise Railway to be the same. IC cards such as TOICA are not supported if traveling south of Yokkaichi Station. From Nagoya to Taki, the train follows the same route and generally the same stopping pattern as the '' Nanki'' limited express.

Service

There are 13 daily departures in each direction, approximately one train an hour in each direction for most of the day. Services that run after the 17:37 departure from Nagoya terminate at Iseshi and do not continue to Toba. On weekends and holidays, there is an extra service departing Nagoya station at 7:43 in the morning for Iseshi. The ''Mie'' is serviced by KiHa 75 series DMUs, usually in 2 or 4 car formations. 6 cars may occasionally be used in busy seasons and on days of special events, such as a race at the Suzuka Circuit.

Facilities

Only standard class is available on this service and there is no green car seating. Seat reservations can be made for an extra fee. There are universal access toilets onboard, as well as wheelchair spaces. There are no catering services.

References

{{reflist Central Japan Railway Company Named passenger trains of Japan Railway services introduced in 1990 1990 establishments in Japan