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Tsubasa the Yamagata Shinkansen , mainly connects Tokyo Station with Yamagata Station or Shinjo Station in Yamagata Prefecture. Even if you are not particularly fond of railways, if you live in Yamagata or have been to Yamagata, there are probably many people who know about it or have ridden it.
The Yamagata Shinkansen opened in 1992, but even before that, trains called "Tsubasa" had been running. we will introduce the express train "Tsubasa", which is the predecessor of the Yamagata Shinkansen
Tsubasa has begun operation as a diesel express train
The Tsubasa Express began operating in conjunction with the schedule revision in October 1961Ueno Station in Tokyo Akita Station in Akita Prefecture , and stopped at Utsunomiya Station and Kuroiso Station in Tochigi Prefecture, Koriyama Station and Fukushima Station in Fukushima Prefecture, Yonezawa Station, Yamagata Station and Shinjo Station in Yamagata Prefecture, and Yokote Station in Akita Prefecture. By line name, the route between Ueno Station and Fukushima Station is the Tohoku Main Line, and the route between Fukushima Station and Akita Station is the Ou Main Line.
The schedule at the start of service is that the descent train departs from Ueno Station at 12:30, arrives at Fukushima Station at 4:11, and arrives at Akita Station at 9:00. The up train departs from Akita Station at 8:10am, arrives at Fukushima Station at 12:57pm, and arrives at Ueno Station at 4:40pm. The travel time between Ueno Station and Akita Station 8 hours and 30 minutes .
The current Akita Shinkansen "Komachi" runs between Ueno Station and Akita Station in about 3 hours and 50 minutes, which means that Tsubasa at the time took more than twice as long. However, at the time, there were no trains connecting Ueno and Akita in a shorter time than Tsubasa, so it seems that there was a strong demand for this.
In 1958, the Hatsukari express train connecting Ueno Station and Aomori Station began operating as the first express train in the Tohoku region. However, since "Hatsukari" was via the Joban Line south of Miyagi Prefecture, it did not go to Utsunomiya Station or Fukushima Station on the Tohoku Main Line. Tsubasa was the first express train to pass through these stations.
*For more information on the express train "Hatsukari", please see this article.
There was also an express train called "Oga" running between Ueno Station and Akita Station. There is also an article about the details of "Oga", so please take a look.
When the train first began service, the Tsubasa was operated by a 6-car Kiha 82 series diesel vehicles This vehicle was mass-produced based on the Kiha 81 series, the first express diesel vehicle used by the JNR (JR's predecessor).
Kiha 82 series diesel car
A diesel vehicle is a vehicle that runs by turning the engine using fuel installed in a vehicle. In Japan, it is common to use diesel oil as fuel, and is also called a diesel car. Tsubasa's journey began as a diesel express train.
The distance between Fukushima Station and Yonezawa Station is over Itaya Toge This section was overrun by the power output of the Kiha 82 series engine alone, which resulted in a heavy load on the engine, so auxiliary locomotives were connected. However, even with the help of a locomotive, it took about an hour to travel just 43km from Fukushima Station to Yonezawa Station (currently the "Tsubasa" is about 35 minutes).
EF16 type electric locomotive used as an auxiliary locomotive at Itaya Pass (photographed by the author)
*For more information on the history of the Itaya Pass railway, please see this article.
Introducing Tsubasa and Yamabato express trains departing from and arriving at Morioka Station
The Tsubasa car was added one car in 1963, and it was a seven-car formation. Furthermore, Tsubasa, which connects Ueno Station and Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture , will also be operated as a 6-car Kiha 82 series. Between Ueno Station and Fukushima Station, a 7-car train departing and arriving at Akita Station and a 6-car train departing and arriving at Morioka Station were connected, operating in 13-car trains (similar to the current Shinkansen line, Yamabiko and Tsubasa trains connecting between Tokyo Station and Fukushima Station). In October 1964, one additional car was added to the lineup departing from and arriving at Morioka Station, resulting in a 14-car formation, including the lineup departing from and arriving at Akita Station.
At the same time, the Yamabato express train connecting Ueno Station and Yamagata Station has begun operating on a 7-car Kiha 82 series. The current Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa" connects Tokyo Station with Yamagata Station and Shinjo Stations, so the Yamabato train can be said to be a train that is closer to the current Yamagata Shinkansen.
Tsubasa, which departs and arrives at Morioka Station, was separated from Tsubasa, which departs and arrives at Akita Station in 1965 and renamed Yamabiko The nickname "Yamabiko" was later passed down to trains on the Tohoku Shinkansen. In addition, the Tsubasa departing and arriving at Akita Station has been released one round trip, with two round trips per day.
With the timetable revision in October 1968, some Tsubasa trains began to run to Tokyo Station, and for a limited time, the leading car of the original Kiha 81 series, the original diesel car for express trains, will be used for the Tsubasa. This vehicle features a distinctive front shape called a Bulldog.
Itaya Pass, which is difficult to overcome even with new vehicles.
The Kiha 82 series had auxiliary locomotives connected at Itaya Pass, but in 1970, a new Kiha 181 series diesel vehicle was introduced to the Tsubasa in order to allow people to climb on their own. The travel time between Ueno Station and Akita Station has been reduced slightly to around 8 hours and 15 minutes, and the number of vehicles has also been increased from the previous 7-car formation to 10-car formations. The following year, in 1971, it was added to a 12-car formation.
However, for the Kiha 181 series, the self-treating hike at Itaya Pass is heavy, and engine problems occur frequently, especially in the summer. In the end, until Tsubasa was replaced by a train, we had to connect the auxiliary locomotives again and cross Itaya Pass
In 1975, the entire section of the Ou Main Line was electrified (※), and trains were now available for running. Therefore, Tsubasa was converted to a limited express train with a 12- car 485 series The 485 series train is one of the most representative Japanese Railways vehicles, with 1,453 cars being manufactured.
Limited express "Tsubasa" by 485 series train (Photo after JR launch)
The travel time between Ueno Station and Akita Station was approximately 7 hours and 35 minutes, and the travel time between Fukushima Station and Yonezawa Station, which crossed Itaya Pass, has been reduced to about 40 minutes, indicating the difference in performance between the diesel cars and trains at the time.
The schedule revision in October 1978 saw a slight increase in travel time, but the number was increased to three round trips per day.
*The section on the Ou Main Line between Shinjo Station and Innai Station, which is a section that spans Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, has returned to non-electrification since 2025. For more information, please see this article.
Changes due to the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen
In June 1982, opened between Omiya Station and Morioka Station As a result, in November, the operational system of conventional express trains on the Tohoku Main Line, which is parallel to the Tohoku Shinkansen, was significantly changed . Of course, "Tsubsa" is no exception.
Before the November schedule revision, Tsubasa was operated three round trips a day between Ueno Station and Akita Station.
Ueno Station to Akita Station: 1 downhill, 2 uphill
Fukushima Station to Akita Station: 3 downhill, 3 uphill
Yamagata Station → Akita Station: 1 down train
It has been revised as above. The number of trains traveling between Ueno Station and Fukushima Station, which parallel the Tohoku Shinkansen, has been reduced to 1.5 round trips per day.
Until now, the only first and last stops in the Tohoku region of Tsubasa were Akita StationMorioka Station (which had been operating for a very short period of time) Fukushima Station and Yamagata Station have been newly added.
In addition, the train has been reduced from 12-car formations to 9-car formations. The reason for the reduction in cars is probably because the number of people using Tsubasa to Akita Station will decrease.
With the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen, travel time required to travel between Fukushima and Akita Station by using the Tohoku Shinkansen and the Tazawa Express at Morioka Station is shorter than taking the Tsubasa. People heading to Akita from Fukushima Prefecture and the Tokyo metropolitan area probably started using the route via Morioka rather than Tsubasa.
In March 1985, the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Ueno Station. In this timetable revision
Ueno Station to Akita Station: 1 round trip
Fukushima Station to Akita Station: 3 round trips
Fukushima Station to Yokote Station: 1 round trip
Fukushima Station to Shinjo Station: 1 round trip
Fukushima Station to Yamagata Station: 2 round trips
Yamagata Station to Aomori Station: 1 round trip
This is now (Yamabato, which connected Ueno Station and Yamagata Station, was abolished due to this timetable revision). New stations for first and final stations include Aomori Station
Furthermore, I think the reason why only one round trip left for trains departing from and arriving at Ueno Station was largely due to the fact that the express train "Aizu" (operated between Ueno Station and Aizuwakamatsu Station) was operated in common (reused) rather than the convenience of omitting transfers between Shinkansen and conventional lines at Fukushima Station.
The vehicles used also have a complex situation, with 9-car trains, 6-car trains without green cars, and depending on the season, some trains can have 9-car trains with green cars.
The following year, the timetable revision in November 1986 saw that service to Aomori Station would be cancelled in just over a year and a half, and would be shortened to a timetable between Yamagata Station and Akita Station. The number of cars on this train has been reduced to three-car trains (5-car trains depending on the season).
Since then, operational sections have been extended and increased several times. In the process, Omagari Station in Akita Prefecture has been added to the lineup of first and last stations.
Operation is over due to the opening of the Yamagata Shinkansen
In 1990, construction work began to be carried through the Yamagata Shinkansen between Fukushima Station and Yamagata Station on the Ou Main Line . Please see the article below for information on how the Yamagata Shinkansen opened.
The following year, 1991, Tsubasa's operation between Fukushima and Yamagata stations ended. Trains departing and arriving at Ueno Station and Fukushima Station have now changed directions at Yamagata Station and run via the Senzan Line (a line connecting Sendai Station with Umae Chitose Station in Yamagata Prefecture) ( Ueno Station via Tohoku Main Line [Sendai Station] via Senzan Line [Yamagata Station] via Ou Main Line [Akita Station, etc.]).
Due to this change, the trains that departed from and arrived at Fukushima Station have been changed to the first and final stations from Sendai Station Tsubasa has now become a train that has started and endedall the stations in the prefectural capitals of the six prefectures in the Tohoku region (Akita, Morioka, Yamagata, Fukushima, Aomori, and Sendai) In that sense, it may be safe to say that it was a limited express train that had a strong presence that represents trains in the Tohoku region.
The Yamagata Shinkansen opened on July 1, 1992, and began operating between Tokyo Station and Yamagata Station. The new train has been nicknamed "Tsubasa", and the conventional express train "Tsubasa" has ended .
However, although the Shinkansen "Tsubasa" has been carried over as its nickname, the operating section is within Yamagata Prefecture, so the role of the train that is responsible for access to Akita Prefecture, which was played by the conventional express train "Tsubasa". To repeat, if you compare it to the name of a former train, it is closer to Yamabato than Tsubasa
Vehicles at the start of Yamagata Shinkansen opening, 400 series train (painted when it was first introduced, retired) Author : spaceaero2 - Works by the author himself, CC Display-ShareAs 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7808984
Meanwhile, a new express train "Komakusa" has begun operating between Yamagata Station and Shinjo Station and Akita Station, where the conventional line "Tsubasa" was operating. However, when the Yamagata Shinkansen extended to Shinjo Station in 1999, Komakusa was changed to service north of Shinjo Station and then changed to a rapid train . In 2002, the rapid train "Komakusa" was also abolished .
in conclusion
Tsubasa, a traditional express train, has played a role in connecting the metropolitan area, Fukushima prefecture, with Yamagata and Akita prefectures for many years. We hope you remember that there used to be a train like this.
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