Thunderbird (train)

The is a limited express train service operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between and in Japan, using portions of the Tokaido Main Line and Kosei Line.

Station stops

Stations in parentheses are not served by all services.

''Thunderbird''

Osaka – Tsuruga: - - () - - () - () -

''Business Thunderbird''

(an extra train which runs from Osaka to Tsuruga in the morning on weekdays after holidays)

Osaka → Shin-Osaka → Kyoto → Tsuruga

Rolling stock

* 681 series EMUs (since April 1995)
* 683 series EMUs (since March 2001)

Formations

Services are formed as follows:

''Thunderbird''

''Business Thunderbird''

History

From the start of the 20 April 1995 timetable revision, new 681 series EMUs were introduced on Osaka to Toyama services, named ''Super Raichō (Thunderbird)''. These became simply ''Thunderbird'' from March 1997.

The last remaining '' Raichō'' service was discontinued from the start of the 12 March 2011 timetable revision, with all trains subsequently using the ''Thunderbird'' name.

From the start of the revised timetable on 14 March 2015, with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, all ''Thunderbird'' services were shortened for the first time to run between Osaka, Kanazawa and Wakura-Onsen.

From the start of the revised timetable on 16 March 2024, all ''Thunderbird'' services were shortened for the second time to run between Osaka and Tsuruga with the opening of the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Kanazawa and Tsuruga. With effect from the same date, all non-reserved seating was discontinued on all ''Thunderbird'' services.

Incidents

On 3 August 2006, a woman was raped by a 36-year-old man in a train toilet while travelling on the ''Thunderbird'' 50 service (just after Fukui Station), despite the car being occupied by approximately 40 other passengers. As a result, JR West introduced a "women-only" section in the reserved-seating cars of ''Raichō'' and ''Thunderbird'' trains from October 2007, and JR East added prominent "SOS" stickers inside all of its trains in June 2007. On 17 January 2008, the district court in Otsu sentenced the man to 18 years in prison.

Future developments

All of the 681 and 683 series trainsets used on ''Thunderbird'' limited express services are scheduled to undergo a programme of refurbishment from autumn 2015 until the end of fiscal 2018.

See also

* '' Shirasagi'': Limited-express service between Nagoya and the Hokuriku region, using identical rolling stock with slightly different livery

References

External links

West Japan Railway Company

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thunderbird
Named passenger trains of Japan
Railway services introduced in 1995
West Japan Railway Company