Hakutaka

The is a high-speed ''shinkansen'' train service jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between and on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in Japan. The shinkansen service was introduced on 14 March 2015, but the name was first used for a limited express service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) from 1965 until 1982, and later by JR West and Hokuetsu Express between 1997 and March 2015.

Service outline

, the ''Hakutaka'' service sections are as follows:
* 5 daily return services between and
* 9 daily return services between Tokyo and
* 1 daily return service between and Kanazawa

Trains operate at a maximum speed of .

''Hakutaka'' services stop at the following stations. Not all trains stop at stations marked with an asterisk.
*
*
*
*
* *
* *
* *
*
* *
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Fukui
*
*

Rolling stock

* E7 series 12-car sets based at Nagano Depot, since 14 March 2015
* W7 series 12-car sets based at Hakusan Depot, since 14 March 2015

''Hakutaka'' services are operated using JR East E7 series and JR West W7 series 12-car train sets based at Nagano and Hakusan depots respectively.

File:Series-E7-F19.jpg, A JR East E7 series train

Pre-shinkansen

* 485 series EMUs
* 681 series EMUs owned by JR West
* 681-2000 series EMUs owned by Hokuetsu Express
* 683-8000 series EMUs owned by Hokuetsu Express

Limited express services from March 1997 until March 2015 were operated with 6- or 9-car (6+3-car) 681 series or 683-8000 series EMU trains owned by JR West or Hokuetsu Express. Green (first class) car accommodation was provided in car 1.

File:Hokuhoku line hakutaka16 service.JPG, A JR West 681 series, February 2015
File:Hokuhoku line hakutaka13 service.JPG, A Hokuetsu Express 681-2000 series, September 2014
File:HokuetsuExpress683-8000.JPG, A Hokuetsu Express 683-8000 series, July 2007

Formations

''Hakutaka'' shinkansen services use 12-car JR East E7 series and JR West W7 series trainsets, formed as follows, with car 1 at the Tokyo (southern) end. Cars 1 to 10 are ordinary-class cars with 2+3 seating, car 11 is a "Green" car with 2+2 seating, and car 12 is a "Gran Class" car with 2+1 seating. All cars are no-smoking.

History

October 1965 – November 1982

The ''Hakutaka'' service was first introduced on 1 October 1965 as a limited express service operating between in Tokyo and via . This was discontinued from 15 November 1982.

March 1997 – March 2015

The ''Hakutaka'' name was reinstated from 23 March 1997 for use on new limited express services jointly operated by JR West and Hokuetsu Express connecting Kanazawa with on the Joetsu Shinkansen via the newly built Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line, operating at a maximum speed of . Services travelling beyond Naoetsu required a switchback. ''Hakutaka'' services operated at approximately hourly intervals between Kanazawa and Echigo-Yuzawa, with one return service daily starting and terminating at Fukui. One return working daily operated between and Echigo-Yuzawa. Services stopped at the following stations.JR Timetable, October 2013 issue, pp. 123–124

() – – – – – – –

The last ''Hakutaka'' limited express service ran on 13 March 2015, replaced by new high-speed shinkansen services from the start of the revised timetable introduced the following day.

Shinkansen ''Hakutaka'', (March 2015 – )

From 14 March 2015, the name ''Hakutaka'' was transferred to new shinkansen services operating between Tokyo and Kanazawa following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen beyond Nagano.

Since the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga on 16 March 2024, Hakutaka service has been extended past Kanazawa and now reaches Tsuruga.

See also

* List of named passenger trains of Japan

References

External links

JR West ''Hakutaka'' train information

{{JR East trains

Named passenger trains of Japan
East Japan Railway Company
West Japan Railway Company
Railway services introduced in 1965
1965 establishments in Japan
Railway services introduced in 2015
2015 establishments in Japan
Named Shinkansen trains