The is 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 ...

train service 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) along the

Takayama Main Line The is a Japanese railway line between Gifu Station in Gifu and Toyama Station in Toyama, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line directly links the Chūkyō Metropolitan Ar ...

in central Japan since 1958, which connects and in just over 2 hours, and in 4 hours, and and in 4 hours 15 minutes. The Hida serves various locations en route such as and . Like all JR limited express trains, a limited express fare ticket, along with a standard basic fare ticket, must be purchased in order to ride this service.

Overview

Five round trips operate daily from to Takayama, and five more continue past to and

Toyama Toyama may refer to: Places * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama (city), the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, Toyama * Toyama Sta ...

. Additionally, one service runs from to , originating from and continuing on to

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

before coupling with a ''Hida'' service from and continuing to the terminus of . Trains operate at a maximum speed of .

Stations

Stations in brackets () are stations where not all ''Hida'' services stop. – () – – () – – () – () – – () – () – () – Some services continue to Toyama: – – – () – Ōsaka service: – – – – – – (Couple with service from Nagoya) - – – – – – - – – Services to and from Nagoya Station require a switchback at Gifu Station. The section of the route between to and to is operated by JR West.

Facilities

Accommodation

Standard class (including reserved seats and non-reserved seats) and Green class is available on this service, although not all services carry a Green car. Seat reservations can be made for an extra fee. Both standard and Green classes feature comfortable seats.

Utilities

There are

universal access Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

toilets onboard this service. There are also wheelchair spaces. Onboard catering services ceased on 16 March 2013. Complimentary

WiFi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...

is also available.

Scenery

The Takayama Main Line, on which the Hida runs for a majority of its journey, offers scenic views of rural Japan. Several rivers, valleys, mountains, and other natural landforms can be seen throughout the journey.

History

The Hida train service was inaugurated in 1956, as part of efforts to improve transportation in rural areas and promote tourism in the Hida region. Initially operated by the Japanese National Railways (JNR), the service became part of

JR Central 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, ...

following the privatization of the railways in 1987. After Typhoon Tokage in 2004, the track suffered major damage from flooding. As a result, instead of going all the way to

Toyama Station is a major railway station in Toyama, Toyama, Toyama, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Ainokaze Toyama Railway. It is the largest and busiest terminal station, railway terminal in Toyama. , the loca ...

, trains could only go as far as

Hida-Furukawa Station is a railway station on the Takayama Main Line in the city of Hida, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). Lines Hida-Furukawa Station is served by the Takayama Main Line linking in Gifu Prefecture wi ...

until 8 September 2007, when the track was repaired and again reached all the way to Toyama Station.

Rolling stock

Current rolling stock

HC85 series diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) hybrid trains were used on ''Hida'' services from 1 July 2022. Since JR Central's 18 March 2023 timetable revision, all ''Hida'' services have been operated using HC85 series trains.

Past rolling stock

KiHa 80 series The 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 to replace the then steam-operated '' Ha ...

DMUs were used from the start of operation in 1958 until 1990. KiHa 85 series trains were used from 1989 until 2023, usually operating as 3-, 4-, 6-, 7-, or 8-car formations, or occasionally 10-car formations, especially during busy seasons. File:JNR Kiha80 Hida.jpg, KiHa 80 series File:22D ワイドビューひだ2号.jpg, KiHa 85 series

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hida (Train) Central Japan Railway Company Named passenger trains of Japan Railway services introduced in 1958 1958 establishments in Japan