The legendary Rikuchu express train and its complicated operation [Iwate Prefecture]

In current Japanese railways,trains that run on unusual routesthere are hardly any
To give an example of trains running in the Tohoku region, the rapid train "Rias" operating on the Yamada Line in Iwate Prefecture has a simple route between Morioka Station and Miyako Station, and its operating section is limited to the Yamada Line.
There is nothing particularly unusual about it.

However, during the era of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), the predecessor of JR, trains with complex routes operated throughout the country.
A prime example of such a trainthe express train "Rikuchu," which.

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The first "Rikuchu" line connected Ueno Station with Morioka Station and Miyako Station

The express"Rikuchu"debuted in 1961. It consisted of two
trains: one running from Ueno Station in Tokyo to Morioka Station via the Joban Line, and the other from Hanamaki Station in Iwate Prefecture, heading towards the Pacific Ocean via the Kamaishi Line, and then continuing on to Miyako Station via the Yamada Line (*). These two trains were coupled together between Ueno Station and Hanamaki Station.
This is similar to how the current Shinkansen trains, the Tohoku Shinkansen's "Hayabusa" and the Akita Shinkansen's "Komachi," operate coupled together between Tokyo Station and Morioka Station.

*The section between Kamaishi Station and Miyako Station has now been transferred to Sanriku Railway, but until 2019 it was part of the Yamada Line of the Japanese National Railways and JR

The journey time was approximately 8 hours between Ueno Station and Morioka Station, and approximately 11 hours between Ueno Station and Miyako Station (the section between Hanamaki Station and Miyako Station was downgraded from express to semi-express). This
is a stark contrast to the current journey time of just over 2 hours on the Tohoku Shinkansen between Ueno Station and Morioka Station.

Just five years after its introduction, the "Rikuchu" service to and from Ueno Station ceased with the October 1966 timetable revision.
The name "Rikuchu" was then given to a completely different train.
Therefore, in this article, we will distinguish between the "Rikuchu" trains that ran until September 1966 as the first generation and those that ran from October onward as the second generation.

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The second generation "Rikuchu" began operating on a circuitous route

The second-generation "Rikuchu"a train that connected Sendai Station and Akita Station, passing through stations such as Miyako Stationwas
Like the first-generation "Rikuchu," it departed from Sendai Station and passed through Hanamaki Station, Kamaishi Station, and Miyako Station
From Miyako Station to Akita Station, it first went to Morioka Station on the Yamada Line, then headed north on the Tohoku Main Line (now the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line), and entered the Hanawa Line from Koma Station.
After running the entire length of the Hanawa Line and arriving at Odate Station in Akita Prefecture, it traveled on the Ou Main Line to Akita Station.

The second-generation "Rikuchu"a very roundabout route, both between Sendai Station and Morioka Station, and between Morioka Station and Akita Stationtook
A full ride from Sendai Station to Akita Station took approximately 13.5 to 14 hours.
For comparison, the express train "Kitakami," which ran via the Kitakami Line between Sendai Station and Aomori Station, took about 4.5 hours between Sendai Station and Akita Station.
Therefore, it's likely that almost no one rode the entire length of the "Rikuchu," except for railway enthusiasts whose sole purpose was to ride the train.

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The second-generation "Rikuchu" was complicated to connect and disconnect

The second-generation "Rikuchu" was not only complicated and bizarre in its route;
there were numerous trains that were coupled to and uncoupled from the "Rikuchu" along the way.

Let's proceed based on the train schedule from Sendai to Akita in October 1968.
When the "Rikuchu" train departs from its starting station, Sendai,Kurikoma No. 1" bound for Aomori and the "Murone No. 1" bound for SakariNo. 1it is coupled
" is detached and enters the Ofunato Line, heading towards Sakari Station (*).
has come up the Ofunato Line and is bound for Aomori from SakariSakari, is coupled with the "Kurikoma No. 1" and the "Rikuchu". Continuing
north on the Tohoku Main Line, at Hanamaki Station the "Rikuchu" separates from the "Kurikoma No. 1" and the "Sakari" and enters the Kamaishi Line.
Incidentally, in place of the "Rikuchu", the "Hayachine No. 1" train, bound for Morioka from Kamaishi, is coupled with the "Kurikoma No. 1" and the "Sakari".

*The Ofunato Line currently runs between Ichinoseki Station and Kesennuma Station, but at the time it extended all the way to Mori Station

The "Rikuchu" train runs along the Kamaishi Line and Yamada Line, and at Morioka StationMichinokuit connects with
train bound for Hirosaki from Ueno. The "Michinoku" train travels a long distance down the Joban Line and Tohoku Main Line from Ueno Station, departing at 7:45 a.m. The
"Rikuchu" departs Sendai Station at 7:40 a.m., meaning the "Michinoku" departed Ueno Station 5 minutes later. The
"Michinoku" arrives at Morioka Station at 16:12, and the "Rikuchu" arrives 8 minutes later.
In other wordsthe time it takes the "Rikuchu" to travel from Sendai Station to Morioka Station is longer than the time it takes the "Michinoku" to travel from Ueno Station to Morioka Station.

The "Michinoku" and "Rikuchu" trains travel along the Hanawa Line to Odate Station in Akita Prefecture, where they are separated. The "Michinoku" continues on to Hirosaki Station in Aomori Prefecture,
which departs from Aomori and heads towards AkitaMutsuis coupled with the

So,there were five trains coupled to the "Rikuchu," and although I won't go into detail, the trains it coupled to also had other partners besides the "Rikuchu.
I'm really impressed that they were able to implement such a complex operating system.

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"Rikuchu" returns to Miyako

Whether it was because the roundabout route was deemed inefficient, or because the coupling and uncoupling operations were too complex to ensure on-time performance, the second-generation "Rikuchu" hadits operating section shortened to between Sendai Station and Miyako Station.
Miyako Station became the starting and ending point for the train once again.

Furthermore, ten years later, in 1982, the Tohoku Shinkansen opened, and with the November timetable revision, the service was shortened to run only between Kitakami Station and Miyako Station, becoming a train that only runs within Iwate Prefecture. There
was no longer any other train to connect or disconnect from.

In March 1985, theto run between Morioka Station and Miyako Stationwas changed
However, it still did not take the shortest route between Morioka Station and Miyako Station, insteadtaking a roundabout route via Hanamaki Station and Kamaishi Station.

In 1987, Japanese National Railways (JNR) was dismantled, and its lines in the Tohoku region were taken over by JR East.
In 1990, the KiHa 110 series diesel railcars, a new type of train, were introduced to replace the KiHa 58 series diesel railcars that had been in use since the JNR era.
This is one of the few instances where trains introduced after the establishment of JR were used on JR express trains.

As a side note, these railcars are vehicles that run on diesel engines powered by diesel fuel, and are not electric trains.
In November 1990, a rare incident occurred where the "Rikuchu No. 3" train, bound for Kamaishi from Morioka,ran out of fuel (a so-called gas shortage) because the train's refueling in Morioka was forgotten.

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Downgraded to rapid "Hamayuri" and discontinued

Unlike rapid trains, express trains of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) and JR required an express fare, but were slower and less comfortable than limited express trains, making them an ambiguous option. As a result, they were gradually phased out from the end of the JNR era to the beginning of the JR era.
The "Rikuchu" was no exception.
In the 2000s, the express "Rikuchu" was downgraded to the rapid "Hamayuri."
Finally, with the timetable revision in December 2002,the downgrade was completed and the "Rikuchu" disappeared.

As of March 2024, the downgraded "Hamayuri" is a straightforward and simple train, with all trains connecting Morioka Station and Kamaishi Station via the Tohoku Main Line and Kamaishi Line.
Previously, there was one "Hamayuri" per day that followed the route of the "Rikuchu," running from Miyako, via Kamaishi, to Morioka (there were no trains from Morioka to Miyako), but following the damage to the Yamada Line caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, trains to and from Miyako Station ceased operation
(the damaged section of the Yamada Line between Miyako Station and Kamaishi Station was transferred from JR East to Sanriku Railway in 2019).
There are no trains that run coupled together either.
It is a train that is hard to imagine as the successor to the once complex and bizarre second-generation "Rikuchu."

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summary

The second-generation express train "Rikuchu" ran in a way that is almostunthinkable today:.
Because of its complex and bizarre operation, it remains a legendary train among railway enthusiasts.
I hope you feel that you have gained a glimpse into the fascinating history of railways in the Tohoku region.

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