The is a Commuter Limited Express train operated by

West Japan Railway Company , 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, ...

(JR West) between

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and Aboshi Station, on the

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(

Tōkaidō Main Line The Tōkaidō Main Line () is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities of Tokyo and Kobe via Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The line, with termini at Tokyo Station, Tokyo and Kōbe St ...

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Summary

This Commuter Limited Express train operates during weekday mornings and evenings. With the introduction of this train, Limited Express trains between 6pm and 8pm from Osaka to Himeji now operate at 1 hour intervals. The total travel time of the ''Rakuraku Harima'' is about an hour, which is 5 to 10 minutes faster than a Special Rapid train. J-WEST Card holders can enjoy a discount on the Limited Express charge with the "J-WEST Ticketless" service. As a Limited Express train, it is similar to the '' Rakuraku Biwako'' and the ''Haruka'', that they all operate within JR West's "

Urban Network , 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, ...

" metropolitan area. It is also the first Limited Express train to be introduced to the

Kinki Region The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metrop ...

in 16 years, ever since the debut of the ''Biwako Express'' in 2003.

Service pattern

The train operates only on weekdays. One eastbound train from Aboshi to Kyoto is operated in the morning rush hours, and one westbound train from Kyoto to Aboshi is operated in the evening rush hours.

Stations served

ーーーーーーーーーーーー * The ''Hamakaze'' No. 5 and the ''Super Hakuto'' No. 13,15, which run ahead and behind the evening ''Rakuraku Harima'' respectively, now adapt the same stopping pattern as the ''Rakuraku Harima''.

Rolling stock

289 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) in Japan on limited express services in the Kyoto and Osaka area since October 2015. The trains were converted from former dual-voltage (1,500 ...

6-car sets (based in the Suita Depot). * Car 1 is at the Aboshi-end, while Car 6 is at the Kyoto-end. * Sockets are located at the front and rear end of each car, and all seats in the green car. ・No. 3, 2 ・No. 1, 4

History

* 30 November 2018: Officially announces that services will begin in Spring 2019, along with daily operation frequency, stations served, rolling stock and limited express charge * 14 December 2018: Officially announces date of first service and its timetables * 18 March 2019: Operation commences

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

External links

JR West's official website for the ''Rakuraku Harima''
{{JR West trains Named passenger trains of Japan West Japan Railway Company Tōkaidō Main Line Sanyō Main Line JR Kobe Line Railway services introduced in 2019 2019 establishments in Japan