The trajectory of the Joban Line express train "Hitachi", which has been at the mercy of the times but has played a role in connecting the Pacific coast of Tohoku [Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture]

The Hitachi Limited Express is a limited express train that runs between Shinagawa Station in Tokyo and either Iwaki Station in Fukushima Prefecture or Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture via JR East's Joban Line *. As of March 2024, there are 15 round trips per day, making it the most frequent limited express train currently running on conventional lines. In this article, we will introduce the history of the Hitachi Limited Express from its inception to the present day.

*The section between Shinagawa Station and Nippori Station in Tokyo and the section between Iwanuma Station and Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture are not technically part of the Joban Line, but for the sake of simplicity, this article will refer to the entire section on which the Hitachi train operates as the Joban Line

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The introduction of the Hitachi limited express

The Hitachi limited express train was introduced during the timetable revision of the Japanese National Railways (the predecessor of JR) in October 1969. At the time, it only ran from Ueno Station in Tokyo to Taira (now Iwaki) Station in Fukushima Prefecture, with one train departing from Ueno to Hira in the evening and one train departing from Hira to Ueno the following morning

The name of the limited express "Hitachi" comes from "Hitachi," the old name of the province that mainly refers to present-day Ibaraki Prefecture. There is a station called "Hitachi" on the Joban Line, and there is also a famous large company named after it along the line, but this is not the origin of the name

When it first appeared, the trains were not electric trains like the current Hitachi , but diesel-fueled Kiha 81 series railcars . The Kiha 81 series was the vehicle used the Hatsukari limited express , which ran between Ueno Station and Aomori Station via the Joban Line, from December 1960 to September 1968. This means that after just one year, the Kiha 81 series has returned to the Joban Line.

When the Hitachi was first introduced, it was a seasonal train, but just one year later, in October 1970, it became a regular train that ran year-round

From October 1972, the 485 series electric train, . At that time, the Hitachi train, which covers the 362.9 km between Ueno Station and Sendai Station, also began to operate one round trip per day. The outbound train took 4 hours and 34 minutes to travel from Ueno Station to Sendai Station, with an average speed (including stop times) of 79.5 km/h. This was quite fast for an express train other than the Shinkansen at the time. As a result, the number of trains was repeatedly increased.

In 1982, the Tohoku Shinkansen opened from Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture to Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture, and was extended to Ueno Station in 1985, but this did not have a direct impact on the Hitachi

The Joban Line seems to overlap with the Tohoku Shinkansen in that it connects the Tokyo metropolitan area with Sendai. When I was a child, I wondered, "Why is there a Shinkansen between Ueno and Sendai, but there is a conventional express train?" However, the Joban Line is not a line that runs close to the Tohoku Shinkansen, but its stops along the way are completely different from those of the Tohoku Shinkansen. That's why the Hitachi express train remained. Meanwhile, with the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen, most express trains disappeared from the Tohoku Main Line, which runs close to and parallel to the Tohoku Shinkansen

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Awesome guy with a tuxedo body

In 1987, the Japanese National Railways was split up and privatized, and the entire Joban Line was taken over by JR East. Naturally, the company that operates the Hitachi is also JR East

Although demand for the Hitachi was strong, it faced competition from express buses running on the Joban Expressway. Therefore, the newly established JR East decided to develop a new type of rolling stock that would surpass the 485 series electric trains used on the Hitachi in terms of both speed and onboard comfort. The result was the 651 series electric train , which began commercial operation in March 1989. Its maximum speed was higher than the 485 series' 120 km/h, making it the first non-Shinkansen limited express train to reach 130 km/h.

The carriages, painted primarily white, were nicknamed
"tuxedo bodies." The front end was equipped with an LED display, which was innovative at the time, that displayed train names and other information. The interior was designed with business travelers, the main customer base, in mind, and featured a subdued interior. It was about two years after JR was established, and two months after the era name changed from Showa to Heisei, so in many ways, the carriages evoked a new era.

The Joban Line express trains using the 651 series "Super Hitachi ," making them easily distinguishable from the 485 series "Hitachi" express trains. The "Super Hitachi" took 4 hours and 19 minutes to travel between Ueno Station and Sendai Station, with a scheduled speed of 84.1 km/h. The 117.5 km journey between Ueno Station and Mito Station (Ibaraki Prefecture) took just 1 hour and 6 minutes, with a staggering scheduled speed of 106.8 km/h. "Amazing guy with a tuxedo body" was no joke.

In October 1997, a new type of train, the E653 series, was introduced and the Fresh Hitachi . The following year, in December 1998, the 485 series was retired, and the Joban Line's limited express trains were reorganized into two systems: the Super Hitachi, an express type operated by the 651 series with few stops, and the Fresh Hitachi, an express type operated by the E653 series with more stops.

The Super Hitachi continued to gradually reduce its travel time, and with the timetable revision in December 2010, the travel time between Ueno Station and Sendai Station was reduced to 4 hours and 9 minutes

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The unexpected end of direct service to Sendai Station

However, right after the timetable change in December 2010, JR East made a major announcement regarding the Joban Line's limited express trains. The main theme of the announcement was that new rolling stock would be introduced on the Joban Line's limited express trains from spring 2012, replacing the 651 series. The new rolling stock referred to was the "E657 series electric train,"

However, what shocked people living along the line more than the introduction of the new rolling stock was the end of direct express train service between Ueno and Sendai stations. With the introduction of the E657 series, express trains using the E657 series would only run between Ueno and Iwaki stations, and a new express train with a new name using the E653 series would run between Iwaki and Sendai stations

There was some opposition, particularly from the Hamadori area of ​​Fukushima Prefecture, to the elimination of direct trains from Ueno Station north of Iwaki Station, with some arguing that "there will be no direct trains to Tokyo, making it farther away," but in February 2011, a public call for suggestions for nicknames for the new express trains was made, and the division of the operating sections of the Joban Line express trains proceeded as a given. The call for suggestions was closed, and the results were scheduled to be announced in April, but JR East never announced a new nickname

This is because on March 11th, a major disaster and accident occurred, as you know

The Super Hitachi 15 was bound for Haranomachi in Fukushima Prefecture, Super Hitachi 50 after arriving at its final destination, Haranomachi Station , when the disaster occurred. The four 651 series trains remained at Haranomachi Station for five years, and were eventually scrapped, never to run again.

From March 2011, the section of the Joban Line that passes through the Hamadori area was forced to be suspended for an extended period of time, and naturally, the Super Hitachi was no longer able to operate north of Iwaki Station. With the timetable revision in March 2012, the Super Hitachi that ran directly to Sendai Station was officially discontinued, even on the timetable. Although this was a completely different process from what JR East had intended when they announced it in December 2010, it ended up happening exactly as they had announced

The new E657 series trains were introduced as scheduled in March 2012, and the 651 series was scrapped and converted to Takasaki Line express trains, while the E653 series was converted to Uetsu Main Line express trains. The following year, in March 2013, "Super Hitachi" and "Fresh Hitachi" trains were operated by the E657 series (though the 651 series made a comeback from October 2013 to March 2015). In March 2015, the "Super Hitachi" was renamed "Hitachi" and was renamed "Tokiwa the "Ueno-Tokyo Line" opened in Tokyo, and many "Hitachi" and "Tokiwa" trains began running to Shinagawa Station. As of 2024, all "Hitachi" trains depart from Shinagawa Station for outbound trains and head to Shinagawa Station for inbound trains.

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Full line operation resumed

In July 2019, JR East announced that it would resume full service on the Joban Line in March 2020, marking the first full-line service in nine years.
The announcement regarding the Joban Line's limited express trains again surprised many people. It was announced that limited express trains would operate directly between Tokyo and Sendai, with three round trips per day.

Given the recent trend of JR's long-distance trains being phased out nationwide, the "revival" of this long-distance express train was extremely unusual. Furthermore, it was decided in 2010 that the Joban Line's express trains would be split at Iwaki Station, so this reversal of that plan seems to have been overturned. From JR East's posters and statements from its president at the time, it appears that the company wanted the existence of the express train connecting Tokyo and Sendai to symbolize the resumption of full-line service and to convey the connection between Tokyo and the Hamadori region of Fukushima Prefecture. This author speculates that, in connection with the reconstruction efforts, there may be an increased demand for direct service between Tokyo and the Hamadori region

On March 14, 2020, the Hitachi Limited Express began service to Sendai Station, marking the first time in nine years that a Joban Line express train has run on the line. The significance of the return of direct service to Sendai goes beyond simply symbolizing the resumption of full-line service. After the Joban Line resumed full service, the Tohoku Shinkansen, a major artery running through the Tohoku region, was repeatedly rendered inoperable by earthquakes and equipment accidents. As the only train connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area with Sendai, the Hitachi Limited Express played a part in transporting passengers who could no longer travel on the Tohoku Shinkansen. It can be said that the full resumption of service on the Joban Line after nine years and the fact that direct service to Sendai was operational during normal times were of great significance

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Joban Line and Joban Coalfields

The Joban Line, on which the Hitachi Limited Express runs, is now primarily used for commuter transport within the Tokyo metropolitan area and long-distance transport between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tohoku region, but in the past it also served as a frequent freight train route. One of the purposes for which the Joban Line (note: it was named the Joban Line in 1909) was originally built at the end of the 19th century the Joban coalfields, . The opening of the Joban Line made it possible to transport coal quickly, which led to the development of the Joban coalfields.

A facility where you can learn about the history of the Joban coalfield "Iwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum Horuru," has opened near Yumoto Station in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture (about an 11-minute walk). The Hitachi express train also stops at Yumoto Station, so it is easily accessible from the Tokyo metropolitan area and Sendai with a single train ride.

Furthermore, with the energy revolution of the 1960s, the Joban Coalfield also saw its mines closed and fell into decline, but the "Dream Island of Hawaii" . At first glance, the plan to convert the coal mining industry into a tourism industry seemed absurd, but it was a great success and the facility is now known as "Spa Resort Hawaiians."

The nearest station is Yumoto Station, and it can be reached in about 15 minutes by free shuttle bus from the station

Iwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum <Information>

• Name: Iwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum (Horuru)
• Address: 3-1 Mukouda, Tokiwa Yumotocho, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
• Phone number: 0246-42-3155
• Official URL: Iwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum Horuru
• Closed: Third Tuesday (or the following day if it is a public holiday), January 1st
• Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30)

Google Maps

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Spa Resort Hawaiians <Information>

• Name: Spa Resort Hawaiians
• Address: 50 Warabidaira, Tokiwa Fujiwara-cho, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
• Phone number: 0570-550-550 (9:00-17:30)
• Official URL: [Official] Spa Resort Hawaiians Homepage
• Opening hours: 10:00-21:30 (varies by facility, last admission 1 hour before closing)

Google Maps

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summary

The Joban Line's limited express trains have played an important role connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Pacific coastal areas of the Tohoku region since their introduction in 1969. At one point, it was decided to split up operations at intermediate stations, and shortly after that, the line was at the mercy of an unprecedented disaster

However, the Hitachi continues to run today, connecting Tokyo with Iwaki and Sendai, carrying with it the various thoughts of people, such as their hopes for the recovery of the Tohoku region. Why not try using the Hitachi limited express, which is convenient for sightseeing along the Joban Line, such as Iwaki City?

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