Asama (train)

The Template:Nihongo is a high-speed Shinkansen train service operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in Japan.<ref name="kotsu2008">Template:Cite book</ref> The shinkansen service was introduced in October 1997, but the name was first used for a semi-express service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1961.<ref name="meikan1995">Template:Cite book</ref> “Asama" is the name of an active volcano (Mount Asama) near Karuizawa, on the boundary between Gunma and Nagano Prefecture.

Operations

All 16 Asama services stop at Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, Template:STN, and Template:STN. 11 of them make an additional stop at Template:STN, Template:STN, and Template:STN.

Train formations

Asama services are operated using 12-car E7 series or W7 series trainsets formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Tokyo end.<ref name="jrr2012_summer">Template:Cite book</ref> Car 11 is a "Green" car, and car 12 is a "Gran Class" car with 2+1 seating. Unlike on Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa services, however, a dedicated attendant service is not provided in Gran Class cars on Asama services.<ref name="tt201403"/> All cars are no-smoking.<ref name="tt201403"/>

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Class	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Reserved	Reserved	Reserved	Reserved	Reserved	Green	Gran Class
Facilities	Toilets		Toilets, phone		Toilets		Wheelchair space, accessible toilet, phone		Toilets		Wheelchair space, accessible toilet	Toilets

• 
  Interior of an E7 series Gran Class car 12
• 
  Interior of an E7 series Green car 11
• 
  Interior of an E7 series ordinary-class car 10

Rolling stock

• E7 series 12-car F sets (since 15 March 2014)
• W7 series 12-car W sets (since 14 March 2015)

Services were initially operated using a dedicated fleet of fourteen 8-car E2 series "N" sets based at Nagano Shinkansen Depot.<ref name="jrr2012_summer"/> Trains are designed to maintain speeds of Template:Convert on the 30 km continuous gradient of 30‰ between Template:STN and Karuizawa.

New E7 series 12-car sets, also based at Nagano Depot, were introduced on Asama services from the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014.<ref name="dj361">Template:Cite magazine</ref> These trains included "Gran Class" seating arranged 2+1 abreast. E7 series trainsets were initially used on seven return services daily, with a further four return workings added from 19 April 2014.<ref name="dj361"/> JR West W7 series 12-car sets, based at Hakusan Depot, were introduced from the start of the revised timetable on 14 March 2015.

• 
  An E7 series set on an Asama service in February 2021

Former rolling stock

• E2 series 8-car J sets (from 1 October 1997 until 2002)
• E2 series 8-car N sets (from 1 October 1997 until 31 March 2017)
• 200 series 12-car F80 set (February 1998 only)
• E4 series 8-car P50/P80 sets, as Max Asama (22 July 2001 - 15 September 2003)

• 
  An 8-car Nagano Shinkansen E2 series set J6 arriving at Karuizawa Station on a Tokyo-bound Asama service in February 1998
• 
  A JR East E2 series set N11 arriving at Tokyo Station on an Asama service in June 2002
• 
  An E4 series set
• 
  Modified set F80 on a Nagano Shinkansen Asama service in February 1998

Pre-shinkansen

189 series Asama service at Ōmiya Station in 1991

• 181 series EMU sets (October 1966–)
• 189 series EMU 9/11/12-car sets (October 1975–September 1997)
• 489 series EMU sets

History

Semi-express Asama

The name Asama was first introduced on 1 March 1961 for Template:Nihongo services operating between Nagano and Niigata. This service operated until 30 November 1962, after which the train was renamed Template:Nihongo. From 1 December 1962, the name was used for the semi-express services operating between Ueno in Tokyo and Nagano on the Shinetsu Line. This service continued until 30 September 1963, after which the train was renamed Template:Nihongo.<ref name="meikan1995"/>

Limited express Asama

489 series in Asama livery on the Shinetsu Main Line, August 1997

After a gap of three years, the name Asama was re-introduced from 1 October 1966 on the Limited express services operating between Ueno and Nagano or Naoetsu. By the late 1990s, there were 29 workings daily in each direction, formed of 9- or 11-car 189 series EMU formations. During the busy summer periods, a second Green car was sometimes added to increase formations to 12 cars.<ref name="meikan1995"/>

The typical 11-car 189 series formation in 1995 was as shown below, with car 1 at the Ueno end.<ref name="meikan1995"/>

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Numbering	KuHa 189	MoHa 188	MoHa 189	MoHa 188	MoHa 189	SaRo 189	MoHa 188	MoHa 189	MoHa 188	MoHa 189	KuHa 189
Accommodation	Reserved	Reserved	Reserved	Reserved	Reserved	Green	Reserved	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Non-reserved

Shinkansen Asama

From 1 October 1997, the name Asama was used for the services on the newly opened Nagano Shinkansen (absorbed into the Hokuriku Shinkansen from 2015), operating between Template:STN and Template:STN.<ref name="kotsu2008"/>

During the 1998 Winter Olympics in February 1998, additional services were provided using one specially modified 200 series train (set F80), limited to a maximum speed of 210 km/h.<ref name="railfan444">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Four E4 series double-decker "Max" trains (sets P51/52 and P81/82) were also specially built for seasonal use on the Nagano Shinkansen as Max Asama services, but only two (sets P81 and P82) are capable of travelling as far as Nagano because the line west of Karuizawa runs on a 60 Hz power supply, unlike the rest of the line that runs on a 50 Hz power supply.

From the start of the revised timetable on 10 December 2005, Asama services were made entirely no-smoking.<ref name="jrr2012_summer"/>

The services operated using E2 series eight-car sets (until 31 March 2017) were formed as follows. Car 7 was a "Green" (first class) car.<ref name="tt201403">Template:Cite book</ref> All cars were no-smoking.<ref name="tt201403"/>

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Class	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Non-reserved	Reserved	Reserved	Green	Reserved
Facilities	Toilet		Toilet	Phone	Toilet		Toilet, wheelchair space	Wheelchair space, phone

• 
  Interior of an E2 series Green car
• 
  Interior of an E2 series ordinary-class car

From the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014, new E7 series 12-car trainsets were introduced on Asama services.<ref name="dj361"/> Initially used on seven return services daily, this number was increased to eleven return services daily from 19 April 2014.<ref name="dj361"/>

Following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension beyond Nagano to Kanazawa in 2015, the Asama name continued to be used for those services operating between Tokyo and Nagano,<ref name="news20131010">Template:Cite web</ref> with some services still operated by 8-car E2 series trains.<ref name="jreast20140827">Template:Cite web</ref>

The last services operated using eight-car E2 series trainsets ran on 31 March 2017, from which date all Asama services were formed of E7 and W7 series trainsets.<ref name="railfan20170401">Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• List of named passenger trains of Japan

External links

• JR East E7 series Kagayaki/Hakutaka/Asama/Toki/Tanigawa Template:In lang