Komachi
From JNSwiki
| Komachi | |
| |
|---|---|
| E3 series train | |
| Service type | Shinkansen |
| Operator | JR East |
| Line used | Tōhoku Shinkansen, Akita Shinkansen |
| Maximum speed | 275 km/h[1] |
| Started | 1997 |
| Rolling stock | E3 series |
Komachi (こまち) is the sole service running on the Akita Shinkansen, using only E3 series trains. Between Tokyo and Morioka, it couples with a Tōhoku Shinkansen E2 series trainset. After Morioka, the Komachi service continues along former narrow gauge tracks that have been converted to standard gauge. Because it then runs on tracks that have grade crossings, its maximum speed from Morioka to Akita is 130 km/h, compared to 275 km/h on the Tōhoku Shinkansen.
The Komachi service was named after a famous poet from the area, Ono no Komachi, whose name (小町) is also synonymous with "belle" or "beauty" in Japanese.
Future
New E6 series trains are due to be introduced on Komachi services from March 2013, ultimately replacing all the existing E3 series on these services. From March 2014, the maximum speed will be raised to 320 km/h on the Tōhoku Shinkansen, with the speed remaining at 130 km/h on the Akita Shinkansen, allowing journey times between Tokyo and Akita to be reduced by between 10 and 15 minutes.[2]
References
- JR Timetable, June 2009 issue
- ↑ ＪＲ新幹線＆特急列車ファイル (JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File). Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. 2008. p. 72. ISBN 978-4-330-00608-6.
- ↑ Yomiuri Shimbun: "ＪＲ東日本の新幹線 １３年３月メドに「Ｅ６系」導入" (18 June 2009). Retrieved on 19 June 2009. (Japanese)
External links
- JR East E3 series "Komachi" (Japanese)
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