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 Omiya, Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa and Fukui en route, with some services also stopping at Ueno, Komatsu, Kagaonsen, Awaraonsen and Echizen-Takefu.[1] The service is capable of traveling at a maximum speed of 260 km/h (160 mph), with the fastest services between Tokyo and Tsuruga taking 3 hours 08 minutes per direction.[1]
Rolling stock
E7 series 12-car sets based at Nagano Depot, since 14 March 2015
W7 series 12-car sets based at Hakusan Depot, since 14 March 2015
Kagayaki services are operated using JR East E7 series and JR West W7 series 12-car train sets based at Nagano and Hakusan depots respectively.[1]
A JR East E7 series train
Pre-shinkansen
485 series 4/6-car EMU sets (March 1988 - March 1997)
Formations
Kagayaki shinkansen services use 12-car JR East E7 series and JR West W7 series 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.[2]
Car No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Accommodation
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
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
History
The Kagayaki service was introduced on 13 March 1988 as a limited express service operating between Kanazawa and Nagaoka, to provide a connection travelling to and from Tokyo via the Joetsu Shinkansen.[3] Services operated at a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph),[3] and stopped at Takaoka, Toyama, and Naoetsu only.[4]
March 1988 – March 1990
From their introduction in March 1988, services were normally formed of 4-car 485 series dual-voltage (AC/DC) electric multiple units (EMUs) based at Kanazawa Depot, as shown below, with car 1 at the Kanazawa end.[5]
Car No.
1
2
3
4
Numbering
KuHa 481
MoHa 484
MoHa 485
KuHa 481
Accommodation
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
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.[5] From January 1991, a "Green" (first class) car was added to the formations.[3]
Car No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Numbering
KuHa 481
MoHa 484
MoHa 485
MoHa 484
MoHa 485
KuHa 481
Accommodation
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Facilities
Toilet
Vending machine
Toilet
Toilet
Toilet
Phone
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.[5]
Car No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Numbering
KuRo 481
MoHa 484
MoHa 485
MoHa 484
MoHa 485
KuHa 481
Accommodation
Green
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Facilities
Toilet
Vending machine
Toilet
Toilet
Toilet
Phone
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.[4][5] Car 1 was divided into smoking and no-smoking sections.[5] At busy periods, trains often ran as 8-car formations.[3]
Car No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Numbering
KuRo 481
MoHa 484
MoHa 485
MoHa 484
MoHa 485
KuHa 481
Accommodation
Green
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Non-reserved
Facilities
Toilet, phone
Vending machine
Toilet
Toilet
Toilet
Kagayaki limited express services were discontinued from 23 March 1997, with the opening of the Hokuhoku Line and the introduction of new Hakutaka services connecting with the Joetsu Shinkansen at Echigo-Yuzawa.[3]
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.[6] From 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 returning beginning and ending at Kanazawa.
^ abc 長野~金沢のあらまし [Outline of Nagano to Kanazawa]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 44, no. 371. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. March 2015. pp. 12–14.
^JR Timetable. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. February 2015. EAN4910053110259.
^ abcdeTeramoto, Mitsuteru (July 2001). 国鉄・JR列車名大辞典 [JNR & JR Train Name Encyclopedia]. Tokyo, Japan: Chuoshoin Publishing Co., Ltd. pp. 164–165. ISBN4-88732-093-0.
^ ab列車名鑑1995 [Train Name Directory 1995]. Japan: Railway Journal. August 1995. p. 62.
^ abcdeJR特急電車編成表 1987~2012 [JR Limited Express EMU Formations - 1987-2012]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. February 2012. pp. 126–139. ISBN978-4-330-27012-8.
^北陸新幹線の列車名の決定について [Hokuriku Shinkansen train names decided] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: JR East & JR West. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.