The is a high-speed ''

shinkansen The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. It was initially built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond lon ...

'' train service jointly operated by

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

(JR East) and

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 and on the

Hokuriku Shinkansen The Hokuriku Shinkansen () is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo with Tsuruga, Fukui, Tsuruga in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It is jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR ...

line in Japan. The shinkansen service was introduced on 14 March 2015, but the name was first used for 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 ...

service operated by JR West from March 1988 until March 1997.

Service outline

The ''Kagayaki'' is the fastest service operating on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line, with a total of ten daily return workings per direction (nine to Tsuruga, one to Kanazawa). Most services stop at only , , , and en route, with some services also stopping at , , , and . The service is capable of traveling at a maximum speed of , with the fastest services between Tokyo and Tsuruga taking 3 hours 08 minutes per direction.

Rolling stock

E7 series The and Shinkansen are Japanese High-speed rail, high-speed electric multiple unit train types operated on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, Hokuriku and Jōetsu Shinkansen lines, and jointly developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West ...

12-car sets based at Nagano Depot, since 14 March 2015 *

W7 series The and Shinkansen are Japanese high-speed electric multiple unit train types operated on the Hokuriku and Jōetsu Shinkansen lines, and jointly developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) resp ...

12-car sets based at Hakusan Depot, since 14 March 2015 ''Kagayaki'' services are operated using JR East

and JR West

12-car train sets based at Nagano and Hakusan depots respectively. File:E7 F4 Asama 522 Omiya 20140419.jpg, A JR East E7 series train

Pre-shinkansen

485 series The (and the earlier 481 and 483 series variants) was a Japanese limited express electric multiple unit (EMU) type introduced in 1964 by Japanese National Railways (JNR), and later operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), West Jap ...

4/6-car EMU sets (March 1988 - March 1997)

Formations

''Kagayaki'' shinkansen services use 12-car JR East

and JR West

sets, 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 seats are reserved and non-smoking.

History

The ''Kagayaki'' service was introduced on 13 March 1988 as a

service operating between and , to provide a connection travelling to and from Tokyo via the Joetsu Shinkansen. Services operated at a maximum speed of , and stopped at , , and only.

March 1988 – March 1990

From their introduction in March 1988, services were normally formed of 4-car

dual-voltage (AC/DC)

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...

s (EMUs) based at Kanazawa Depot, as shown below, with car 1 at the Kanazawa end.

March 1990 – March 1991

From March 1990, services were normally formed of 6-car Kanazawa-based 485 series EMUs, as shown below, with car 1 at the Kanazawa end. From January 1991, a "Green" (first class) car was added to the formations.

March 1991 – March 1992

From March 1991, services were normally formed of 6-car Kanazawa-based 485 series EMUs with a Green (first class) car, as shown below, with car 1 at the Kanazawa end.

March 1992 – March 1997

From March 1992, services were normally formed of 6-car Kanazawa-based 485 series EMUs, as shown below, with car 1 at the Kanazawa end and car 6 designated as a non-reserved seating car. Car 1 was divided into smoking and no-smoking sections. At busy periods, trains often ran as 8-car formations. ''Kagayaki'' limited express services were discontinued from 23 March 1997, with the opening of the

Hokuhoku Line The is a Japanese railway line in Niigata Prefecture that runs from Muikamachi in Minamiuonuma City to Saigata in Jōetsu City. It is the sole railway line operated by . Construction of the line first began in 1968 by the Japanese National ...

and the introduction of new ''

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 o ...

'' services connecting with the Joetsu Shinkansen at .

Shinkansen ''Kagayaki'' (March 2015 – )

From 14 March 2015, the name ''Kagayaki'' was reinstated for use on limited-stop services operating between Tokyo and Kanazawa following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen beyond Nagano. From the start of the revised timetable on 16 March 2024, with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line extension to Tsuruga, nine out of the ten daily return workings began to operate as far as Tsuruga, with one daily return working beginning and ending at Kanazawa.

References

External links

JR West ''Kagayaki'' train information
{{JR East trains Named passenger trains of Japan East Japan Railway Company West Japan Railway Company Railway services introduced in 1988 Railway services discontinued in 1997 Railway services introduced in 2015 1988 establishments in Japan 2015 establishments in Japan Named Shinkansen trains