The was an overnight
sleeper train service in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
operated by
JR West
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...
from
Kyoto Station
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
to
Nagasaki Station and return. It ran on the
Tōkaido,
Sanyō,
Kagoshima
, is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 583,966 in 285,992 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Etymology
While the ...
, and
Nagasaki
, officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...
main lines.
From October 2005, the train ran coupled with the ''
Naha
is the Cities of Japan, capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 people per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). ...
'' sleeper between Kyoto Station and
Tosu Station.
Due to falling passenger numbers, both the ''Naha'' and ''Akatsuki'' services ceased following the March 15, 2008, timetable revision.
Schedule
Timetable of ''Akatsuki'', as of March 2008 before its discontinuation
Source:
Ekikara Jikokuhyō
/ref>
History
''Akatsuki'', as an overnight 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, was introduced on October 1, 1965, 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 pre ...
. It was operated between Shin-Ōsaka and two destinations in Kyūshū
is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...
, namely Nishi-Kagoshima (present-day Kagoshima-Chūō) and Nagasaki
, officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...
. It was connected at Shin-Ōsaka with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...
.
In the 1960s, the operation of ''Akatsuki'' was increased. Its maximum operation was 14 services (7 round-trips) a day in the mid-1970s, and all of them were connected with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...
.
At the end of the 1970s, the number of ''Akatsuki'' services was reduced due to decreasing ridership.
From November 1986, ''Akatsuki'' remains as only two services (one round-trips) a day.
Due to falling passenger numbers, the service was discontinued in March 2008.
Rolling stock
Historically, ''Akatsuki'' used the following types of coaches:
*20 series passenger cars
*14/15 series passenger cars
*24/25 series passenger cars
When the train was discontinued, the train consisted of 14/15 series cars.
See also
* List of named passenger trains of Japan
This article contains lists of Lists of named passenger trains, named passenger trains in Japan.
Shinkansen (bullet trains)
Daytime trains Limited express (partial list)
Express
Rapid
Night trains Limited express
Express
...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akatsuki (Train)
Named passenger trains of Japan
West Japan Railway Company
Night trains of Japan
Railway services introduced in 1965
Railway services discontinued in 2008