Jump to content

Nozomi (train)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nozomi
N700A Series Nozomi, September 2021
Overview
Service typeShinkansen (Express)
StatusOperational
First service1934 (Express)
1992 (Shinkansen)
Current operator(s)JR Central, JR West
Route
Termini‹See TfM›Tokyo
‹See TfM›Hakata
Line(s) usedTōkaidō Shinkansen
San'yō Shinkansen
On-board services
Class(es)Green/standard
Catering facilitiesTrolley service (ended October 2023)
Technical
Rolling stockN700 series, N700S series
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification25 kV AC overhead
Operating speed300 km/h (190 mph) (San'yō Shinkansen) 285 km/h (180 mph) (Tōkaidō Shinkansen)

Nozomi (のぞみ, "Wish" or "Hope") is the fastest train service running on the Tokaido and San'yō Shinkansen lines in Japan. The service stops at only the largest stations, and services using N700 series equipment reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph) along the stretch between ‹See TfM›Shin-Ōsaka and ‹See TfM›Hakata. The trip between Tokyo and Osaka, a distance of 515 kilometres (320 mi), takes 2 hours 21 minutes on the fastest Nozomi service, with the fastest service between Tokyo Station and Hakata taking 4 hours 46 minutes.[1]

The trains stop at fewer stations than the Hikari and Kodama trains. On the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Ōsaka, Nozomi trains stop only at ‹See TfM›Shinagawa, ‹See TfM›Shin-Yokohama, ‹See TfM›Nagoya and ‹See TfM›Kyōto.[1] On the Sanyō Shinkansen between Shin-Ōsaka and Hakata, all Nozomi trains stop at ‹See TfM›Shin-Kobe, ‹See TfM›Hiroshima, ‹See TfM›Okayama and ‹See TfM›Kokura, with certain trains also stopping at additional stations.

Foreigners traveling with a Japan Rail Pass are required to purchase a special ticket to use the Nozomi service.[2]

Stopping patterns (as of January 2024)

[edit]

Legend

All trains stop
Some trains stop

Only basic Nozomi stopping patterns are shown. Additional Nozomi trains with differing stopping patterns are added during holiday and high-peak travel periods and are not included in this table.

Station Distance (km)
(from Tokyo)
Tokyo – Hakata*
‹See TfM›Tōkyō 0.0
‹See TfM›Shinagawa 6.8
‹See TfM›Shin-Yokohama 25.5
‹See TfM›Nagoya 342.0
‹See TfM›Kyoto 476.3
‹See TfM›Shin-Ōsaka 515.4
‹See TfM›Shin-Kōbe 548.0
‹See TfM›Nishi-Akashi 570.2
‹See TfM›Himeji 601.3
‹See TfM›Okayama 676.3
‹See TfM›Fukuyama 733.1
‹See TfM›Hiroshima 821.2
‹See TfM›Tokuyama 903.5
‹See TfM›Shin-Yamaguchi 944.6
‹See TfM›Kokura 1013.2
‹See TfM›Hakata 1069.1

Note:
* Some trains begin/terminate at Nagoya, Shin-Osaka,Nishi-Akashi, Himeji, Okayama, or Hiroshima.

Rolling stock

[edit]

Current rolling stock

[edit]

Former rolling stock

[edit]

Formations

[edit]

Current operations

[edit]

N700 series / N700S series

[edit]

As of November 2024, trains are formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Hakata end, and car 16 at the Tokyo end. All seats are non-smoking.[4][5][6]

Car no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Class Standard Standard Green Standard
Reservation Non-reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved
Facilities Toilet Toilet   Toilet Vending machine Toilet Toilet Vending machine, toilet, wheelchair space   Toilet   Toilet  

Electric power outlets are located at the ends and at window seats of standard cars, and at each seat in Green cars.

In 2021, payphones were removed from cars 4, 9, 15 (previously present on N700 trains only) and car 12 (previously present on all trains). In March 2024, smoking rooms were removed from all Tokaido, San'yo, and Kyushu Shinkansen trains and station platforms.[7][8]

Former operations

[edit]

700 series

[edit]

Services formerly operated with 700 series sets at the time of their removal in March 2020 were as follows:[3]

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Class

and Reservation

Standard
Non-reserved
Standard
Non-reserved
Standard
Non-reserved
Standard
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Green
Reserved
Green
Reserved
Green
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Standard
Reserved
Facilities Toilet Cardphone Toilet, vending machine   Toilet Cardphone Toilet   Toilet   Vending machine, toilet, wheelchair space Cardphone Toilet   Vending machine, toilet, cardphone  
Smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking Smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking No-smoking Smoking Smoking

History

[edit]

Wartime steam services

[edit]

The Nozomi name was first used for long-distance express services operated between Busan in Japanese-occupied Korea and Mukden (now Shenyang) in the former Manchukuo (now China) from 1934.[9] From 1938, the services were extended to run between Busan and Xinjing (now Changchun) in Manchukuo. The 1,530 km (950 mi) journey from Busan to Xinjing took over 29 hours, with an average speed of 52 km/h (32 mph). The services were run down between 1943 and 1944.[9]

Shinkansen services

[edit]

Nozomi shinkansen services commenced on March 14, 1992, using new 300 series trainsets with a top speed of 270 km/h (170 mph). From March 1997, 500 series trainsets were introduced on Tokyo - Hakata Nozomi services, running at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (190 mph) and covering the section between Shin-Osaka and Hakata in 2 hours 17 minutes.

700 series trains were introduced on Nozomi services in 1999, and N700 series trains were introduced from July 1, 2007, initially with four daily round-trip runs. All regularly scheduled through Nozomi services to the San'yō Shinkansen (Tokyo–Hakata) were operated by N700 series sets from 13 March 2010. From the start of the revised timetable on 17 March 2012, all regularly scheduled Nozomi services, including runs limited to the Tokaido Shinkansen, were operated by N700 series sets.

Effective December 2023, JR Central and JR West adjusted all Nozomi services to operate completely with reservations during three seasons that experience the highest ridership: New Years and Christmas (late December through the first week of January), Golden Week (29 April to 5 May), and the Obon festival (mid to late August).[10] These adjustments were made in a bid to increase seat patronage and reduce the amount of standing passengers.[10] Starting in March 2025, Nozomi services will begin operating with only two unreserved cars instead of three outside of peak periods, with officials citing an increase in the popularity of online train reservations.[11]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  • JR新幹線&特急列車ファイル [JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File]. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. 2008. ISBN 978-4-330-00608-6.
  • JR Timetable, March 2008 issue
  1. ^ a b Hyperdia: Shin-Osaka–Tokyo timetable for 2009-06-11[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Use of "NOZOMI" and "MIZUHO" Shinkansen bullet trains". Japan Railways Group. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b "新幹線700系の8日ラストラン取りやめ 感染拡大防止で 1日が最後の運行に" [700 Series Shinkansen Last Run Cancelled]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Mainichi. 2 March 2020. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  4. ^ JR Timetable, August 2011, p.997
  5. ^ 新幹線 車両大全 [Shinkansen Cars Encyclopedia]. Tokyo, Japan: Ikaros Publications Ltd. November 2011. pp. 60–135. ISBN 978-4-86320-526-0.
  6. ^ "Accommodations of trains". Central Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  7. ^ Kinoshita, Kenji (17 October 2023). "東海道・山陽・九州新幹線の車内喫煙ルーム、2024年春にすべて廃止" [All smoking rooms on Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen trains will be discontinued in spring 2024.]. MyNavi Corporation. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Smokers bitter as cigarettes banned on all Shinkansen lines | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  9. ^ a b JR急行・快速列車 [JR Express & Rapid Trains]. Tokyo, Japan: Railway Journal. 2 November 1991. p. 127.
  10. ^ a b "JR東海・JR西日本,3大ピーク期に"のぞみ"を全席指定席で運転" [JR Central and JR West to Discontinue Non-Reserved Seats on all Nozomi Services during Three Major Holidays]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 14 September 2023. Archived from the original on 14 September 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  11. ^ Hosozawa, Ayateru (28 November 2024). "Nozomi bullet train to reduce non-reserved seats in March". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 28 November 2024.