This time, we will introduce some of the limited express and express trains that ran on the Joban Line, which were operated by diesel railcars even though the entire line was electrified from start to finish. There were also some special trains...
JR East's limited express train "Inaho" runs from Niigata Station in Niigata Prefecture via the Hakushin Line and Uetsu Main Line along the Sea of Japan coast to Sakata Station in Yamagata Prefecture or Akita Station in Akita Prefecture.
As of 2025, the Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa" mainly connects Tokyo Station with Yamagata Station or Shinjo Station in Yamagata Prefecture. Even if you're not particularly a train enthusiast, if you live in Yamagata or are visiting Yamagata...
Currently, you can travel between Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido by plane or the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which runs through the Seikan Tunnel. However, before the Seikan Tunnel and airplanes, the only way to get between the two was by boat.
In Japan, vehicles that run on rails are often called "trains," but there are also many diesel railcars that run on diesel fuel, mainly on local train lines in rural areas.
The Tohoku Main Line, known as the main artery of Tohoku, once operated special express trains called the "Echo Morioka" and "Echo Aomori" in the late Showa period. These trains are probably quite little known.
Currently, there are many electric trains running on Japanese railways, but because electric trains basically require continuous external power supply, they cannot run on lines without power facilities.
In addition to passenger trains, the JR Tohoku Main Line, Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, and Aoimori Railway Line, which run through the Tohoku region, also operate numerous freight trains. And at the head of these freight trains...
Until about 40 years ago (2025), there was an express train that ran from Kanazawa Station in Ishikawa Prefecture to Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture, taking over 12 hours. The train was called the "Shirayuki" express.
Regarding the Owani Line, a railway line operated by the Aomori Prefecture private railway company, Konan Railway, the company intends to suspend train operations at the end of fiscal year 2027.
