Template:Short description Template:Italic title Template:Use dmy dates Template:Update Template:Infobox rail service

The Template:Nihongo is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in Japan.<ref name="kotsu2008">Template:Cite book</ref> The shinkansen service was introduced in October 1997, but the name was first used for a semi-express service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1961.<ref name="meikan1995">Template:Cite book</ref> “Asama" is the name of an active volcano (Mount Asama) near Karuizawa, on the boundary between Gunma and Nagano Prefecture.

OperationsEdit

All 16 Asama services stop at Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, and Template:STN. 11 of them make an additional stop at Template:STN, Template:STN, and Template:STN.

Train formationsEdit

Asama services are operated using 12-car E7 series or W7 series trainsets formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Tokyo end.<ref name="jrr2012_summer">Template:Cite book</ref> Car 11 is a "Green" car, and car 12 is a "Gran Class" car with 2+1 seating. Unlike on Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa services, however, a dedicated attendant service is not provided in Gran Class cars on Asama services.<ref name="tt201403"/> All cars are no-smoking.<ref name="tt201403"/>

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Class Non-reserved Non-reserved Non-reserved Non-reserved Non-reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Reserved Green Gran Class
Facilities Toilets   Toilets, phone   Toilets   Wheelchair space, accessible toilet, phone   Toilets   Wheelchair space, accessible toilet Toilets

Rolling stockEdit

  • E7 series 12-car F sets (since 15 March 2014)
  • W7 series 12-car W sets (since 14 March 2015)

Services were initially operated using a dedicated fleet of fourteen 8-car E2 series "N" sets based at Nagano Shinkansen Depot.<ref name="jrr2012_summer"/> Trains are designed to maintain speeds of Template:Convert on the 30 km continuous gradient of 30 between Template:STN and Karuizawa.

New E7 series 12-car sets, also based at Nagano Depot, were introduced on Asama services from the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014.<ref name="dj361">Template:Cite magazine</ref> These trains include "Gran Class" seating arranged 2+1 abreast. E7 series trainsets were initially used on seven return services daily, with a further four return workings added from 19 April 2014.<ref name="dj361"/> JR West W7 series 12-car sets, based at Hakusan Depot, were introduced from the start of the revised timetable on 14 March 2015.

Former rolling stockEdit

  • E2 series 8-car J sets (from 1 October 1997 until 2002)
  • E2 series 8-car N sets (from 1 October 1997 until 31 March 2017)
  • 200 series 12-car F80 set (February 1998 only)
  • E4 series 8-car P50/P80 sets, as Max Asama (22 July 2001 - 15 September 2003)

Pre-shinkansenEdit

File:JRE-EC189-Asama.jpg
189 series Asama service at Ōmiya Station in 1991

HistoryEdit

Semi-express AsamaEdit

The name Asama was first introduced on 1 March 1961 for Template:Nihongo services operating between Nagano and Niigata. This service operated until 30 November 1962, after which the train was renamed Template:Nihongo. From 1 December 1962, the name was used for the semi-express services operating between Ueno in Tokyo and Nagano on the Shinetsu Line. This service continued until 30 September 1963, after which the train was renamed Template:Nihongo.<ref name="meikan1995"/>

Limited express AsamaEdit

File:489 asama.JPG
489 series in Asama livery on the Shinetsu Main Line, August 1997

After a gap of three years, the name Asama was re-introduced from 1 October 1966 on the Limited express services operating between Ueno and Nagano or Naoetsu. By the late 1990s, there were 29 workings daily in each direction, formed of 9- or 11-car 189 series EMU formations. During the busy summer periods, a second Green car was sometimes added to increase formations to 12 cars.<ref name="meikan1995"/>

The typical 11-car 189 series formation in 1995 was as shown below, with car 1 at the Ueno end.<ref name="meikan1995"/>

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Numbering KuHa 189 MoHa 188 MoHa 189 MoHa 188 MoHa 189 SaRo 189 MoHa 188 MoHa 189 MoHa 188 MoHa 189 KuHa 189
Accommodation File:No Smoking.svg Reserved File:No Smoking.svg Reserved File:Smoking pictogram (black).svg Reserved File:Smoking pictogram (black).svg Reserved File:Smoking pictogram (black).svg Reserved File:No Smoking.svg Green File:Smoking pictogram (black).svg Reserved File:Smoking pictogram (black).svg Non-reserved File:Smoking pictogram (black).svg Non-reserved File:No Smoking.svg Non-reserved File:No Smoking.svg Non-reserved

Shinkansen AsamaEdit

From 1 October 1997, the name Asama was used for the services on the newly opened Nagano Shinkansen (absorbed into the Hokuriku Shinkansen from 2015), operating between Template:STN and Template:STN.<ref name="kotsu2008"/>

During the 1998 Winter Olympics in February 1998, additional services were provided using one specially modified 200 series train (set F80), limited to a maximum speed of 210 km/h.<ref name="railfan444">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Four E4 series double-decker "Max" trains (sets P51/52 and P81/82) were also specially built for seasonal use on the Nagano Shinkansen as Max Asama services, but only two (sets P81 and P82) are capable of travelling as far as Nagano because the line west of Karuizawa runs on a 60 Hz power supply, unlike the rest of the line that runs on a 50 Hz power supply.

From the start of the revised timetable on 10 December 2005, Asama services were made entirely no-smoking.<ref name="jrr2012_summer"/>

The services operated using E2 series eight-car sets (until 31 March 2017) were formed as follows. Car 7 was a "Green" (first class) car.<ref name="tt201403">Template:Cite book</ref> All cars were no-smoking.<ref name="tt201403"/>

Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Class Non-reserved Non-reserved Non-reserved Non-reserved Reserved Reserved Green Reserved
Facilities Toilet   Toilet Phone Toilet   Toilet, wheelchair space Wheelchair space, phone

From the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014, new E7 series 12-car trainsets were introduced on Asama services.<ref name="dj361"/> Initially used on seven return services daily, this number was increased to eleven return services daily from 19 April 2014.<ref name="dj361"/>

Following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension beyond Nagano to Kanazawa in 2015, the Asama name continued to be used for those services operating between Tokyo and Nagano,<ref name="news20131010">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with some services still operated by 8-car E2 series trains.<ref name="jreast20140827">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The last services operated using eight-car E2 series trainsets ran on 31 March 2017, from which date all Asama services were formed of E7 and W7 series trainsets.<ref name="railfan20170401">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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Template:Shinkansen Template:JR East trains