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 that runs between and in

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

, operated by

Hokkaido Railway Company The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to by its official abbreviation: . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart ...

(JR Hokkaido). The journey time of the ''Hokuto'' is approximately 3 hours 40 minutes. ''Super Hokuto'' services started on 1 March 1994, and cut journey time by about 30 minutes due to the higher speeds through the many curves of the line between Sapporo and Hakodate. All trains have been renamed to ''Hokuto'' since 2020, after the

KiHa 183 series The is a diesel multiple unit that has been operated on express services since 1980 under Japan National Railways and later under JR Hokkaido and JR Kyushu. Some variants were eventually built, including resort trains (the KiHa 183-5000 ''Nise ...

used on the original ''Hokuto'' service was replaced with

KiHa 261 series The is a tilting train, tilting diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) on limited express services in Hokkaido, Japan, since 2000. Design The running gear was based on the KiHa 201 series tra ...

Stops

Trains stop at the following stations: Stops may differ depending on the train.

Rolling stock

The ''Hokuto'' is operated by 7-car

DMUs A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

, with car 1 at the Hakodate (southern) end. All cars are no-smoking. Until 30 September 2022, the ''Hokuto'' was also operated by

KiHa 281 series The was a tilting diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) on '' Super Hokuto'' limited express services in Hokkaido, Japan, from 1994 until 2022. They were the first tilting trains to be operat ...

DMUs. For departures using

, cars 1, 2 and 4 to 7 were ordinary-class cars with 2+2 seating, and car 3 was a "Green" car with 2+1 seating. For departures using

, car 1 is a "Green" car with 2+1 seating, and cars 2 to 7 are ordinary-class cars with 2+2 seating. File:JNR Hokkaido kiha80 hokuto.jpg, A KiHa 80 series DMU on a ''Hokuto'' service circa 1986 File:JR Hokkaido kiha183series N183 hokuto.jpg, A KiHa 183 series DMU on a ''Hokuto'' service in 1992 File:JNR 183 series DMU 519.JPG, A KiHa 183 series DMU on a ''Hokuto'' service in February 2010 File:JR hokkaido kiha281 super hokuto sapporo.jpg, A KiHa 281 series DMU on a ''Super Hokuto'' service in 1994 File:DC283 hokuto 001.jpg, A KiHa 283 series DMU on a ''Super Hokuto'' service in June 2001 File:KiHa 261-1000 ST1203 Super Hokuto 9 20160508.jpg, A KiHa 261-1000 series DMU on a ''Super Hokuto'' service in May 2016

References

External links

JR Hokkaido KiHa 281/283 ''Super Hokuto'' train information
{{Hokkaidō transit Hokkaido Railway Company Named passenger trains of Japan Railway services introduced in 1949 1949 establishments in Japan