Hokutosei
From JNSwiki
| Hokutosei | |
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| Service type | Limited express |
| Operator | JR East and JR Hokkaidō
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| Started | 1988 |
| Rolling stock | 24 series sleeping cars |
The Hokutosei (北斗星) is a limited express sleeping car train service in Japan operated jointly by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaidō).
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Service description
The train runs between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sapporo Station in the northern island of Hokkaidō, taking approximately 16½ hours.
Going from Ueno to Sapporo, trains call at Ōmiya, Utsunomiya Station, Kōriyama, Fukushima, and Sendai. One train makes additional stops at Ichinoseki and Morioka. The first stop on Hokkaidō is at Hakodate, with arrival in Sapporo around five hours later.
The Hokutosei consists of type "A" and type "B" accommodations. A flat fee is charged for all rooms, regardless of starting or ending location. Currently, accommodation rates range from about ¥6,300 for a type "B" compartment or solo room to ¥27,000 for a type "A" Twin Deluxe room. Other fares, notably the basic fare and limited express fare, are based on distance.
Tourists using the Japan Rail Pass do not pay the basic fare but will have to pay limited express and accommodation fare. Thus, the total runs to somewhat over ¥9,000 for the trip from Ueno to Sapporo. Overnight service between Ueno and Sapporo is also available on the more luxurious, and more expensive, Cassiopeia which runs three times a week.
Route
The Hokutosei runs on the following rail lines:
JR East
- JR Tōhoku Main Line, Ueno - Morioka
- Iwate Ginga Railway Line, Morioka - Metoki
- Aoimori Railway, Metoki - Hachinohe
- JR Tōhoku Main Line, Hachinohe - Aomori^
JR Hokkaidō
- JR Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line, Aomori - Hakodate^
- JR Hakodate Main Line, Hakodate - Oshamambe
- JR Muroran Main Line, Oshamambe - Numanohata
- JR Chitose Line, Numanohata - Shiroishi
- JR Hakodate Main Line, Shiroishi - Sapporo
^ train reversal point
The JR Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line consists of the Tsugaru Line, Kaikyō Line, Esashi Line, and Hakodate Main Line.
Rolling stock
The train is formed of 24 series sleeping cars based at JR East's Oku Depot in Tokyo and JR Hokkaido's Sapporo Depot, typically consisting of 12 cars including a KaNi24 generator car. The train is hauled by a JR East Tabata-based EF81 dual-voltage electric locomotive between Ueno and Aomori, by a JR Hokkaido JNR Class ED79 between Aomori and Hakodate, and by a pair of JR Hokkaido DD51 diesel locomotives between Hakodate and Sapporo.[1]
History
The Hokutosei was introduced in March 1988.[2] From March 2008, the service was cut back from two trains in each direction daily to one train in each direction.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ＪＲ新幹線＆特急列車ファイル" (JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File), published 2008 by Kōtsū Shimbun
- ↑ JR East Hokutosei train information. Retrieved on 15 January 2009 (Japanese)
External links
- JR East Hokutosei train information (Japanese)
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