Limited express and rapid trains that ran only under overhead wires despite being diesel-powered (Tohoku Main Line)

In Japan, vehicles that run on railsdenshaare often calledkidosha" (diesel trains) that run on diesel fuel, mainly on local lines in rural areas.

Diesel railcars can run on non-electrified lines that lack the infrastructure for electric trains (such as overhead wires), but they can also run on electrified lines without any problems.
Diesel railcar trains that operate through services between non-electrified and electrified lines exist throughout Japan.

In some cases,even though the entire route from the starting point to the final destination is electrified, trains are operated by diesel railcars instead of electric trains.
Moreover, back when the Japanese National Railways (JNR), the predecessor of JR, was still in operation,there were several long-distance express and limited express trains that were operated by diesel railcars even though the entire route they ran on was electrified.

This time, we will introduce express, limited express, and semi-express trains that ran on the Tohoku Main Line, specifically those that were operated by diesel railcars despite the entire line being electrified. Note
that there were numerous cases of diesel railcars being used for temporary trains, making it difficult to investigate them all, so this list will only cover regularly scheduled trains.

Furthermore, cases where only some train sets run under overhead wires for the entire route, even if the train has multiple destinations and starting stations, are excluded
(for example, the express train "Hakkoda" from Ueno to Aomori, Kuji, and Mori is excluded even though only the Aomori-bound train set runs under overhead wires for the entire route).

We will introduce trains that ran directly from the Tohoku Main Line to other electrified lines (the Joban Line and the Ou Main Line) in a separate article at a later date

Tohoku Main Line

The Tohoku Main Line was a railway line that connected Tokyo Station in Tokyo Prefecture to Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture, passing through stations such as Omiya (Saitama Prefecture), Utsunomiya, Fukushima, Sendai, and Morioka.
which are separate companies from JR,IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway" and "Aoimori Railwaybut since this is a topic from the JNR (Japanese National Railways) era, we will treat the section from Morioka Station to Aomori Station as part of the Tohoku Main Line.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The history of the Tohoku Main Line, which runs north to south through the Tohoku region

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/30079

The Tohoku Main Line, which runs north to south through the Tohoku region, was serviced by numerous limited express and express trains until the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen in 1982. The line played a vital role in transporting people within the Tohoku region and between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tohoku region. The Tohoku Main Line's former terminus, Aomori Station, connected to the Seikan Ferry, providing access to Hokkaido. It also continues to play an important role today, providing commuter and student transportation in each region and freight trains connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area with the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. This article explores the history of the Tohoku Main Line, highlighting the Nippon Railway Company, which formed the basis of the current Tohoku Main Line...

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The Tohoku Main Line was electrified from Tokyo Station to Kuroiso Station (Tochigi Prefecture) by May 1959.
In July of the same year, the section from Kuroiso Station to Shirakawa Station (Fukushima Prefecture) was electrified, extending the electrified section to the Tohoku region.
Subsequently, electrification to Fukushima Station was completed in March 1960, to Sendai Station in March 1961, to Morioka Station in October 1965, and to Aomori Station in August 1968.

Limited Express "Hibari" (Ueno Station - Sendai Station)

The limited express "Hibari" was a train introduced in October 1961 as part of the Japanese National Railways' timetable revision.
It ran from Ueno Station in Tokyo to Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture, via the Tohoku Main Line.

The Tohoku Main Line had completed electrification south of Sendai Station in March 1961, so it would seem that the "Hibari" train could be operated by electric train.
However, there are several types of electrification, and the Tohoku Main Line changed its electrification method midway.
Specifically, with Kuroiso Station in Tochigi Prefecture as the dividing line, the trains ran on 1,500V DC south of the station and 20,000V AC (50Hz) north of the station.

In 1961,electric trains capable of running on both DC and AC electrified sections and being suitable for express train servicewere still under development.
designed for express trainsthe KiHa 82 series, were used,express trains being operated by diesel railcars even though the entire line was electrifiedresulting in

However, the KiHa 81 series, which could be called the prototype for the KiHa 82 series, experienced frequent problems shortly after its debut the previous year.
As a result, the KiHa 82 series, which was manufactured to be used for the "Hibari" limited express, was kept on standby as a reserve vehicle for other limited express trains, and the "Hibari" service was not operated.
The "Hibari" actually began operatingin April of the following year, 1962.The
journey time from Ueno Station to Sendai Station was just under 5 hours.

Subsequently, dual-voltage electric trains were successfully developed, and in October 1965, the rolling stock used for the "Hibari" train was replaced with electric trains, shortening the travel time between Ueno Station and Sendai Station to about four and a half hours.
In October 1968, the travel time was shortened even further to under four hours, demonstrating the performance difference between electric and diesel trains at the time.

As an express train connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area with Sendai, the largest city in the Tohoku region, it enjoyed strong demand, and in the October 1978 timetable, it ran as many as 15 round trips per day.
However, with the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen between Omiya Station and Morioka Station in 1982, all regularly scheduled (daily) "Hibari" trains were discontinued in the November timetable revision.
Even after its discontinuation, it has been revived several times as a special train.

Express "Kurikoma" (Sendai Station - Morioka Station, Aomori Station) Express "Himekami" (Sendai Station - Morioka Station)

"Kurikoma" was newly established as a semi-express train in the June 1960 timetable revision and was operated using diesel railcars.
The route was between Sendai Station and Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture, and the journey took approximately 3 to 3.5 hours.

In October 1965, the electrified section of the Tohoku Main Line was extended from Sendai Station to Morioka Station, but the "Kurikoma" continued to be operated by diesel railcars,a diesel railcar semi-express train that ran under overhead wires for its entire routebecoming
the following year, 1966an express trainIt was upgraded to

In October 1968, the "Kurikoma" service was extended to Aomori Station.
in August of the same yearAlthough the Tohoku Main Line had been electrified up to Aomori Stationcontinued to operate using diesel railcars.
The journey time from Sendai Station to Aomori Station was approximately 6 to 6.5 hours.

The reason why the "Kurikoma" continued to be operated by diesel railcarsbecause it was coupled with other diesel railcar trains thatis likely
ran directly from the Tohoku Main Line to other lines. The trains it coupled with included the express trains "Sakari" and "Murone" that ran from Ichinoseki Station onto the Ofunato Line, the express trains "Hayachine" and "Rikuchu" that ran from Hanamaki Station onto the Kamaishi Line, and the "Natsudomari" that came from the Hachinohe Line at Shirinai (now Hachinohe) Station. All of these trains ran directly onto non-electrified lines and therefore could not be operated by electric trains
(however, as of October 1968, the northbound "Kurikoma No. 1" did not couple with any other trains).

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

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

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/29510

Today, there are almost no trains that run on unusual routes on Japanese railways. For example, the rapid "Rias" trains that run on the Yamada Line in Iwate Prefecture follow a simple route between Morioka Station and Miyako Station, and operate only within the Yamada Line. There's nothing particularly unusual about them. However, during the days of Japan National Railways (JNR), the predecessor to JR, trains with complex routes ran throughout the country. The "Rikuchu" express train, which we'll introduce today, is a prime example of such a train. The first "Rikuchu" trains connected Ueno Station with Morioka Station and Miyako Station...

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Furthermore, the coupling of electric and diesel railcars is not usually done, with very few exceptions.
As long as the "Kurikoma" ran coupled with these diesel railcar express trains, it could not be converted to an electric train.

In October 1970, some "Kurikoma" trains were shortened to run only between Sendai Station and Morioka Station, and their nameHimekamewas changed to
However, in March 1972, the "Himekame" service was extended again to Aomori Station, and the name was changed back to "Kurikoma."

At the same time, the "Kurikoma" train was replaced from a diesel railcar to an electric train.
Naturally, all coupled operation with diesel railcar trains was discontinued.
The shortest travel time between Sendai Station and Aomori Station was 4 hours and 45 minutes, a stark contrast to the 6 hours it took in the diesel railcar era.
Incidentally, this section also took the limited express "Hatsukari" about 4 hours and 25 minutes, so it was almost as fast as a limited express train.

In 1982, when the Tohoku Shinkansen opened to Morioka Station, the timetable was revised in November

• The section between Sendai Station and Morioka Station is downgraded to the rapid "Kurikoma" service
• The section between Morioka Station and Aomori Station has been upgraded to the limited express "Hatsukari."

This change was made, and the "Kurikoma" was discontinued as an express train

The remaining rapid train "Kurikoma" was also discontinued in the March 1985 timetable revision, just over two years later.
It seems that ridership wasn't particularly bad, but I think a division of labor had probably taken place: those who wanted to travel quickly between Sendai Station and Morioka Station would take the Shinkansen (which only takes about 50 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes), while those who wanted to travel more affordably, even if it took 3 hours, would take connecting local trains.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

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

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/28372

When people living in the Tokyo metropolitan area visit the Tohoku region by public transportation, they often use bullet trains such as the Tohoku Shinkansen. However, the Tohoku Shinkansen only opened in 1982, about 40 years ago. Before then, what did people travel to the Tohoku region by? One option was the Hatsukari, the first limited express train to run through the Tohoku region. The Appearance of the Tohoku Region's First Limited Express Train: In the prewar and immediate postwar period, the limited express trains of the Japanese National Railways (the predecessor of today's JR) were truly special trains, as their official name "limited express train" suggests, and express trains were the main mode of long-distance travel.

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Conclusion

"Train timetables are something to read," and I personally agree.
It's fun to look at a reprinted timetable and discover that there used to be trains like this...

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

A locomotive, passenger cars, and a diesel railcar!? The strangest train formations in the world [Aomori, Akita, Iwate]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/38111

It's fair to say that electric trains are the mainstay of Japan's railways today. On non-electrified lines where electricity is unavailable, diesel railcars, which run on diesel fuel, are used. While this has disappeared completely in recent years, during the days of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), before the founding of JR, trains operated in various locations using locomotives to pull passenger cars. Because electric trains and diesel railcars are self-propelled, they are rarely, with very few exceptions, pulled by locomotives for commercial operation. However, on the Tohoku Main Line during the JNR era, locomotives pulled passenger cars...

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In particular, when I looked at the timetable again to write this article, I realized for the first time that the Kurikoma was an express train operated by diesel railcars under overhead wires for the entire route

I don't think a time machine will be invented in my lifetime, but if there was one, riding a train from the days of the Japanese National Railways would definitely be one of the things I would want to do

Yuto Ono

A former railway engineer and current freelance writer who has loved trains since childhood, his dream is to make train travel his career