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

This time,express and limited express trains that ran on the Joban Line, specifically those that were operated by diesel railcars (DMUs) even though the entire section from the starting point to the final destination was electrifiedwe will introduce
Note that there were numerous cases where DMUs were used for temporary trains (*), and it is difficult to investigate them all, so we will only introduce regular DMUs.

*A good example is the special train that was operated to transport visitors to the 1985 Tsukuba Science Expo

The terms "diesel railcar" and "electrification"article on the Tohoku Main Linewere explained in

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

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

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/42115

In Japan, vehicles that run on rails are often called "trains," but there are also many diesel railcars, which run on diesel fuel, operating mainly on local lines in rural areas. Diesel railcars can run on unelectrified lines that lack the infrastructure required for electric trains (such as overhead wires), but they can also run on electrified lines without any problems. Diesel railcars that run directly between non-electrified and electrified lines can be found all over the country. In some cases, even though the entire route from start to finish is electrified, they are operated by diesel railcars instead of electric trains. Not only that...

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Joban Line

The Joban Line is a railway line that runs from Nippori Station in Tokyo to Iwanuma Station in Miyagi Prefecture, passing through stations such as Mito Station in Ibaraki Prefecture and Iwaki (formerly Taira until 1994), Haranomachi, and Soma in Fukushima Prefecture.
However, there are basically no trains that start or end at Nippori Station or Iwanuma Station.
Trains running on the Joban Line go as far as Ueno Station and Shinagawa Station (service to Shinagawa Station began in March 2015) on the Tokyo side, and on the Miyagi side, they connect to the Tohoku Main Line and run directly to Sendai Station.
In the past, there were also trains that ran beyond Sendai Station towards Morioka and Aomori.

In this article, we will generally treat the sections between Ueno Station and Nippori Station, and between Iwanuma Station and Sendai Station as part of the Joban Line

The Joban Line was electrified south of Toride Station (Ibaraki Prefecture) by June 1949. Electrification continued
to Katsuta Station in June 1961 and to Takahagi Station in October 1962. Electrification reached Taira Station in May 1963
, extending the electrified section to the Tohoku region.
Subsequently, electrification continued to Kusano Station in September 1963, and electrification to the terminal station, Iwanuma Station, was completed in August 1967.

As of August 1967, the Tohoku Main Line was electrified up to Morioka Station, so trains could run to Morioka Station via either the Tohoku Main Line or the Joban Line.
Electrification of the Tohoku Main Line up to its terminus, Aomori Station, was completed in August 1968.

Express "Tokiwa" (diesel railcars operated as express trains between Ueno Station and Mito Station, Taira Station, and Haranomachi Station)

The "Tokiwa" train was established in 1955 as a rapid train running between Ueno Station and Mito Station.
In 1958a semi-express train, and its operating section was extended to Taira Station (present-day Iwaki Station).

Electrification of the Joban Line progressed to Taira Station in 1963, and most of the "Tokiwa" trains were changed to electric train service.

However, since the two round trips of the "Tokiwa" per day remained diesel-powered,a diesel-powered semi-express train was created that ran exclusively under overhead wires from Ueno Station to Mito Station, or from Ueno Station to Taira Station.
The time it took to travel the 211.6 km from Ueno Station to Taira Station was about 3 hours and 10 minutes for electric trains and about 3 hours and 20 minutes for diesel trains. This was
not much inferior to the electric "Tokiwa," so it could be said that it was relatively fast for a diesel train.

The reason why only some "Tokiwa" trains were operated with diesel railcarsso that they could be coupled with diesel railcar trains.
Diesel railcars and electric trains do not operate coupled together, with very few exceptions.

In the case of "Tokiwa," it operated in conjunction with "Okukuji" and "Kujigawa," which ran on the non-electrified Suigun Line from Mito Station, between Ueno Station and Mito Station.
The reason "Tokiwa" operated in conjunction with diesel railcars was that, despite running on the electrified Joban Line, it needed to be operated by diesel railcars.
Incidentally, "Kujigawa" was renamed and merged into "Okukuji" in October 1968.

In March 1966, the "Tokiwa"an express train.
Looking at the October 1967 timetable, it can be confirmed that one round trip of the "Tokiwa," which was operated by diesel railcars, ran as far as Soma Station on the southbound side (however, the section between Haranomachi Station and Soma Station was treated as a local train), and the northbound service started from Haranomachi Station
Therefore, the longest section in which the "Tokiwa" ran under overhead wires "as an express train operated by diesel railcars"between Ueno Station and Haranomachi Stationwas
However, according to the October 1968 timetable, this "Tokiwa" service that ran as far as Haranomachi Station was replaced by electric train service.

In October 1978, another express train on the Joban Line, the "Soma," was merged into the "Tokiwa."
As a result, southbound trains running from Mito Station to Sendai Station and northbound trains running from Sendai Station to Ueno Station were also created (both operated by electric trains).
The express "Tokiwa" served for a long time, but was discontinued in the March 1985 timetable revision, being upgraded to the limited express "Hitachi." The
diesel express "Okukuji," which was coupled with the diesel "Tokiwa," was also discontinued at the same time.

The former express train "Tokiwa" was discontinued, but since 2015, a train named "Tokiwa" has been running as a limited express on the Joban Line.
As of March 2025, there are 18 round trips per day.

However, the current "Tokiwa" service only runs from Shinagawa or Ueno Station to stations in Ibaraki Prefecture such as Tsuchiura, Katsuta, and Takahagi. The name
"Tokiwa" is derived from "Jōban" (常盤), which is one character each from the old provincial names Hitachi (present-day Ibaraki Prefecture) andIwaki(present-day eastern Fukushima Prefecture), butthe train does not go to Fukushima Prefecture, which is a bit odd.
Incidentally, the former rapid, semi-express, and express "Tokiwa" trains that terminated at Mito Station also had a similar issue: "They're called 'Tokiwa,' but they don't go to Fukushima Prefecture."

Express "Soma" (Mito Station → Sendai Station, Sendai Station → Ueno Station)

"Soma" train started operating a little later than the "Tokiwa," beginning service in June 1960 as a semi-express train between Mito Station and Sendai Station.
The journey took about 4 hours and 10 to 20 minutes.
In March 1966, both the "Soma" and the "Tokiwa"express trainswere upgraded to
The name can only be derived from the fact that it passes through Soma City in the northern part of the Hamadori region of Fukushima Prefecture. It
does, of course, stop at Soma Station.

In August 1967, the electrification of the Joban Line was completed, but the train continued to be operated by diesel railcars, makinga diesel express train that ran under overhead wires for its entire routeit
Then, at the latest by October 1967 (I couldn't find any definitive information about the exact date), the route of the northbound train, which had previously run from Sendai to Mito, was extended to Ueno Station, making it a train that ran the entire length of the Joban Line.
The journey time from Sendai Station to Ueno Station was 6 hours and 18 minutes.

the "Soma" remained a diesel trainbecause it was coupled with other diesel trains.
The southbound "Soma" from Mito to Sendai was coupled with the diesel express "Iwaki No. 1" between Mito Station and Taira Station.

The Iwaki No. 1 was a train that separated from the Soma at Taira Station and entered the Ban'etsu East Line, and when it arrived at Koriyama Station in Fukushima Prefecture, it was coupled with the express Aizu (renamed the express Inawashiro in October 1968) and headed to Sendai Station

Incidentally, the express train "Inawashiro" was a unique train typical of the JNR (the predecessor of JR) era.
Please also check out the article explaining "Inawashiro".

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Introducing the "Inawashiro" express train, which had three destinations and was so confusing that even the train staff were confused [Fukushima Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/36181

On today's railways, the destinations of medium- to long-distance trains are usually simple. While it's not impossible, it's rare for passengers to be taken to an unexpected destination after boarding a train. Furthermore, on trains where passengers could be taken to an unintended station, such as the Shinkansen trains Hayabusa and Komachi, or Yamabiko and Tsubasa, which operate in conjunction with each other, passengers are generally given ample information at stations and on board. However, while technically a single train, it has three destinations, which can be quite confusing for passengers and even for the train staff guiding passengers...

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By the way, only the southbound "Soma" train was coupled with the "Iwaki" train.
The northbound "Soma" trainran alone, burning diesel fuel, all the way from Sendai Station to Ueno Station, under the overhead wires without being coupled with any other diesel trains.
It's a bit of a waste.

In October 1968, the electric train "Soma" was introduced, but with the timetable revision in March 1972, the service area was extended to run between Ueno Station and Morioka Station, and the service was renamed the express "Morioka," and the electric train "Soma" was discontinued

The remaining diesel railcar, "Soma," also disappeared in October 1978 when it was renamed "Tokiwa" and converted to an electric train.
As mentioned earlier, "Tokiwa" was also discontinued in March 1985.

Limited Express "Hitachi" (diesel railcars operated from Ueno Station to Taira Station, and from Taira Station to Tokyo Station)

The train named "Hitachi" appeared even later than "Soma," in October 1963.
It began operation as a semi-express train running between Ueno Station and Taira Station, and was operated by electric trains from the start.

The name originates from "Hitachi," the former name of Ibaraki Prefecture.
While the "Hitachi" train has stopped at Hitachi Station in Ibaraki Prefecture since its inception, this does not appear to be the origin of the name.

In March 1966, it was upgraded to an express train along with the Tokiwa and Soma, but in October 1967 it was merged with the Tokiwa, and the nickname Hitachi was once abolished

Then, about three and a half years later, in October 1969, the limited express "Hitachi" was launched as a train operating between Ueno Station and Taira Station.
The journey took about three hours.
Initially, it was a train that ran only during certain seasons, but in October of the following year, 1970, it became a regular daily train.

Although the entire Joban Line was already electrified, the initial "Hitachi" serviceoperated using the KiHa 81 series dieselwas
by Japanese National Railways (JNR). This wasbecause the "Hitachi" service reused the KiHa 81 series diesel railcars that were used for the "Inaho" limited express train, which connected Ueno.
In October 1969, the Uetsu Main Line (Niitsu Station to Akita Station) had not yet been electrified, so the "Inaho" service needed to be operated by diesel railcars.

the limited express "Inaho," please see the article below.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The Inaho limited express train has been connecting the Sea of ​​Japan side of the Tohoku region with the Tokyo metropolitan area and Niigata Prefecture [Aomori Prefecture, Akita Prefecture, Yamagata Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/43260

JR East's limited express train, "Inaho," runs from Niigata Station in Niigata Prefecture to Sakata Station in Yamagata Prefecture or Akita Station in Akita Prefecture via the Hakushin Line and Uetsu Main Line along the Sea of ​​Japan coast. Only two round trips per day run between Niigata Station and Akita Station, while five round trips per day run between Niigata Station and Sakata Station. Currently, its main role is to connect the Kaetsu region of Niigata Prefecture with the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture. However, in the past, "Inaho" also ran as far south as Ueno Station in Tokyo and as far north as Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture. This time, let's trace the changes in the operating routes of the "Inaho" limited express. Limited express "Inaho"...

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The KiHa 81 series trains used for the "Inaho" service were scheduled to depart Akita Station in the morning, arrive at Ueno Station in the evening, and then depart Ueno Station the following afternoon for Akita Station.
This was inefficient as the trains would be resting in the Tokyo depot from the evening until the following afternoon. Therefore, the KiHa 81 series trains that arrived at Ueno Station were used to make one round trip as the "Hitachi" limited express train, running from Ueno Station to Taira Station at night and then from Taira Station to Ueno Station the following morning
(this method of utilizing trains is called "interim operation").

So, the reason the "Hitachi" was operated by diesel railcars was because it ran in between the "Inaho" services, but there was another rational reason for using diesel railcars.
The Joban Line is electrified throughout its entire length, but the electrification method changes partway along.
Specifically, the section between Toride Station and Fujishiro Station in Ibaraki Prefecture is the dividing line; south of this, the line is electrified using 1,500V DC power for electric trains, while north of this, it is electrified using 50Hz AC, 20,000V.

To operate the "Hitachi" train with electric trains, it would be necessary to prepare expensive AC/DC dual-voltage electric trains that can handle both DC and AC power.
On the other hand,if diesel railcars are used, they can run regardless of the electrification system.
Incidentally, there are still lines that operate diesel railcar trains for similar reasons, such as the JR Uetsu Main Line and the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line.

In April 1971, the terminus of the northbound "Hitachi" train was changed from Ueno StationTokyo Station, extending its operating section.

The operation of the "Hitachi" using diesel railcars did not last long.
With the completion of electrification on the Uetsu Main Line, the "Inaho" was replaced with the 485 series electric train, a representative limited express train vehicle from the JNR era, in the October 1972 timetable revision.

Furthermore, since the electrification system of the Uetsu Main Line changes midway, the 485 series trains are, of course, AC/DC dual-voltage trains.
And at the same time that the "Inaho" service was converted to electric trains,the "Hitachi" service was also changed to be operated using 485 series trains(
the sharing of rolling stock between the "Inaho" and "Hitachi" services, which had been done during the Kiha 81 series era, was discontinued).

The "Hitachi" service was increased, and the operating sections of some trains were extended to Haramachi Station and Sendai Station. This was
, which is still in operation today,when the "Hitachi" service that runs the entire length of the Joban Linewas born.

The "Hitachi" limited express train continued to see increased service, solidifying its position as the flagship train of the Joban Line.
After several changes in rolling stock, it continues to operate today, with the timetable as of March 2025 showing 12 round trips per day between Shinagawa Station and Iwaki Station, and 3 round trips per day between Shinagawa Station and Sendai Station.
The travel time between Ueno Station and Iwaki Station, which used to take about 3 hours with the KiHa 81 series, has been shortened to around 2 hours and 10 minutes.

For more information on the Joban Line's limited express trains, including the Hitachi, please see the article below

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The trajectory of the Joban Line Limited Express "Hitachi," which has played a vital role in connecting the Pacific coast of Tohoku despite being tossed about by the times [Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/30690

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, it operates 15 round trips per day, making it the most frequent limited express train currently operating on conventional lines. This article explores the history of the Hitachi Limited Express from its inception to the present day. *Although the sections between Shinagawa Station and Nippori Station in Tokyo and between Iwanuma Station and Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture are not technically part of the Joban Line, for the sake of simplicity, this article will refer to the entire section on which the Hitachi operates as the Joban Line. Limited Express...

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Conclusion

On a personal note, I used to live along the Joban Line.
Looking at the timetable for articles like this one, I've often thought, "Wow, there used to be so many interesting trains running here! I wish I could have seen them!" I wonder
what kind of trains will run on the Joban Line in the future.

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