The history of the Tohoku region's first express train, "Hatsukari"

People living in the Tokyo metropolitan area often use Shinkansen bullet trains, such as the Tohoku Shinkansen, when visiting the Tohoku region using public transportation. However,the Tohoku Shinkansen only opened about 40 years ago, in 1982.

What did people travel to the Tohoku region on before that?

One of those optionsthe "Hatsukari," the first limited express train.

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The first express train in the Tohoku region

In the pre-war and immediate post-war periods,the Japanese National Railways' (the predecessor of the current JR)express trains"Special Express Train,"suggeststruly special, and express trains were the main mode of long-distance travel.

Limited express trains only ran from Tokyo to Osaka and Hakata, and the number of trains was extremely limited

However, as post-war reconstruction progressed, in order to meet the demand for travel between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions, the"Hatsukari," the first limited express train to run in the Tohoku region,was introduced in October 1958.

The "Hatsukari" trainprimarily operatedbetween Ueno Station in Tokyo and Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture.

From Aomori Station, you can transfer to the Seikan Ferry and travel to Hakodate Station in Hokkaido

After arriving at Hakodate Station, passengers could transfer to the express train "Daisetsu," which carried passengers heading towards Sapporo

The Seikan Ferry was an underwater tunnel connecting Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido. Although its operations ceased when the Seikan Tunnel opened, the actual ferry that was usedthe "Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru"is preserved as

You can also go inside (for a fee) and walk on the deck, touch the rudder and communication equipment in the wheelhouse, and see the rail cars on board

Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru <Information>

• Name: Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru
• Address: 112-15 Yanagawa 1-chome, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture
• Inquiry number: 017-735-8150
• Opening hours: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, last admission at 6:00 PM (April 1st to October 31st)
  　　　　　9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, last admission at 4:30 PM (November 1st to March 31st)
• Closed: December 31st, January 1st, and Monday to Friday of the second week of March
• URL　Seikan Ferry Memorial Ship Hakkoda Maru

Google Map

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"Hatsuri" was originally a steam locomotive train

When the Hatsukari first appeared in 1958, it was a classic-style express train, with a steam locomotive pulling passenger carriages

At the time, the Tohoku Main Line did not have the necessary facilities to supply the electricity needed to run trains

Trains pulled by steam locomotives (SL trains) tend to lose speed on steep uphill slopes, so the Joban Line, which has fewer steep slopes, was chosen for trains traveling south of Miyagi Prefecture rather than the Tohoku Main Line

The train did not pass through Utsunomiya Station in Tochigi Prefecture or Fukushima Station in Fukushima Prefecture, but instead stopped at Mito Station in Ibaraki Prefecture and Taira (now Iwaki) Station in Fukushima Prefecture

Initially, it took 12 hours to travel from Ueno Station to Aomori Station, but the Tohoku region's first express train was so popular that it was difficult to get a seat on it

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"Hatsukari" was called "Hatsukari" because of the accidents it caused

The Hatsukari became extremely popular as soon as it was introduced, but the express train pulled by a steam locomotive was far inferior to the express trains on the Tokaido Main Line, which were already using electric trains

Therefore, from December 1960,diesel railcars,, were introduced.

The Hatsukari, operated by the Kiha 80 series, the first express diesel car of the Japanese National Railways, was plagued by various initial malfunctions when it was first introduced, including fires

The train was ridiculed as being "disappointing" and "full of accidents," but after overcoming its initial problems, it continued to be a very popular train

With the introduction of diesel cars, the travel time between Ueno and Aomori has been reduced to 10 hours and 25 minutes

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"Hatsuri" became a train

Later, after the entire Tohoku Main Line was electrified and electric trains could run on it,the "Hatsukari" train service was changed to use electric trains.

Furthermore, with the timetable revision in October 1968,run via the Tohoku Main Linethe operating route was changed to

By now running via the Tohoku Main Line, the train can now stop at Utsunomiya Station and Fukushima Station, both of which are prefectural capitals

Furthermore, the train used for the "Hatsukari" at this timethe 583 series train, which was a train that ran both day and night, and could be used as a sleeper express train at night by converting the seats into berths.

The introduction of electric trains had a significant effect on speeding up the journey, with the travel time between Ueno and Aomori now reduced to 8 hours and 30 minutes

From 1973 onwards,the 485 series electric train,, was also introduced.

The picture book "Shuppatsushinkou!" written by Yamamoto Tadataka and published by Fukuinkan Shoten features the 485 series express train "Hatsukari."

That's how popular "hatsukuri" was in the Tohoku region at the time

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The opening and extension of the Tohoku Shinkansen and the end of the "Hatsukari"

The Tohoku Shinkansen, which opened provisionally between Omiya and Morioka in June 1982, began full-scale operation in November of the same year

Consequently, the "Hatsukari" service between Ueno and Morioka will be discontinued, and the "Hatsukari"repurposed as a limited express train connecting Morioka and Aomori.

With the opening of the Seikan Tunnel in March 1988, the timetable revisionextended the operating section of some "Hatsukari" trains from Morioka to Hakodate, allowing them to travel all the way to Hokkaido.

In 1996, the 485 series trains were refurbished, improving the interior facilities, and in 2000, the new E751 series trainsthe "Super Hatsukari" limited express between Morioka and Aomoribegan operation as

However, this was the last glimmer of hope

In December 2002, the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Hachinohe Station in Aomori Prefecture

As a result, the conventional limited express trains in the Tohoku region were reorganized,and the "Hatsukari" and "Super Hatsukari" serviceswere discontinued.

The train nickname "Hatsukari" disappeared 44 years after its debut

Unfortunately, it has not been revived as a nickname for regularly operated trains, whether on Shinkansen or conventional lines

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summary

The Tohoku Shinkansen has been extended further, and now the Hayabusa train connects Tokyo and Shin-Aomori in about 3 hours and 20 minutes

This is nothing compared to the travel time of the Hatsukari, which took more than eight hours from Ueno to Aomori

The Hatsukari was introduced as the fastest train connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tohoku region, carrying many people, before disappearing with the opening and extension of the Tohoku Shinkansen

Although it is no longer possible to see it today, it is undoubtedly a train that left a significant mark on the history of Tohoku railways

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