Luxury overnight limited express train service in Japan
Cassiopeia
A
Cassiopeia
service hauled by EF510-509 in August 2010
|
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Service type
| Limited express
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Status
| Operational (Cruise service)
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Locale
| Japan
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First service
| July 1999 (Scheduled service)
2016-present (Cruise service)
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Last service
| March 2016 (Scheduled service)
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Current operator(s)
| JR East
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|
Termini
| Ueno
Sapporo
(Scheduled service)
Sendai
(Cruise service)
Aomori
(Cruise service)
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Average journey time
| Approx. 16½ hours (Scheduled service)
|
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Service frequency
| 3 times weekly (Ueno-Sapporo)
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|
Seating arrangements
| Lounge car
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Sleeping arrangements
| Compartments and suites
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Catering facilities
| Dining car
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Observation facilities
| Observation lounge at end of train
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|
Rolling stock
| E26 series sleeping cars
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Track gauge
| 1,067 mm
(
3 ft 6 in
)
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Electrification
| 1,500 V DC / 20 kV AC (50 Hz)
|
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Operating speed
| 110 km/h (70 mph)
|
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The
Cassiopeia
(
カシオペア
,
Kashiopea
)
is a luxury cruise train service in Japan, operated by
East Japan Railway Company
(JR East). It formerly operated as a
Limited express
from July 1999 until March 2016, when it was discontinued due to the opening of the
Hokkaido Shinkansen
. It ran between
Ueno Station
in Tokyo and the city of
Sapporo
in the northern island of
Hokkaido
. The one-way journey to Sapporo took approximately 16
1
⁄
2
hours.
Route
[
edit
]
The original
Cassiopeia
ran on the following rail lines:
JR East
IGR Iwate Ginga Railway
Aoimori Railway
JR East
JR Hokkaido
The train changed direction at Aomori and Hakodate.
Northbound trains to Sapporo departed from Ueno after 16:00, and called at
?miya
,
Utsunomiya
,
K?riyama
,
Fukushima
,
Sendai
,
Ichinoseki
, and
Morioka
. The first stop in Hokkaido was at
Hakodate
at 05:00 the following day, with arrival in Sapporo around 09:30. Southbound trains to Ueno departed from Sapporo after 16:00; the first stop after leaving Hokkaido was at Sendai, around 04:30 the following day, and the arrival time at Ueno Station around 09:30.
[1]
The original Cassiopeia departed three times per week, with more departures during holiday periods.
Rolling stock
[
edit
]
The train is formed of twelve E26 series sleeping cars, including a lounge car at the Sapporo end and a deluxe suite at the Ueno end. The locomotive power for charter services is provided by
JR Freight
, which include
Class EF81
dual-voltage locomotives or
Class EF64
locomotives from Ueno to Aomori,
Class EH800
AC electric locomotives for the Seikan Tunnel and
Class DF200
diesel locomotives for non-electrified routes in Hokkaido.
Former rolling stock
[
edit
]
The original train was hauled by a JR East Tabata-based
Class EF510-500
dual-voltage electric locomotive between Ueno and Aomori, by a JR Hokkaido
ED79 AC electric locomotive
between Aomori and Hakodate, and by a pair of JR Hokkaido
DD51 diesel locomotives
between Hakodate and Sapporo.
[2]
Prior to June 2010, the services were hauled by JR East
Class EF81
dual-voltage electric locomotives.
[3]
-
A
Cassiopeia
service in April 2012, hauled by JR East Class EF510-500 electric locomotive EF510-510
-
A
Cassiopeia
service at Hakodate Station in March 2016, hauled by JR Hokkaido Class ED79 electric locomotive ED79 14
-
A
Cassiopeia
service in Hokkaido in September 2011, hauled by a pair of JR Hokkaido Class DD51 diesel locomotives
-
A
Cassiopeia
service at Utsunomiya Station in September 2007, hauled by a JR East Class EF81 electric locomotive
Formation
[
edit
]
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
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5
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6
|
7
|
8
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9
|
10
|
11
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12
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SuRoNeFu E26
|
SuRoNe E26
|
MaShi E26
|
SuRoNe E27
|
SuRoNe E27
|
SuRoNe E27
|
SuRoNe E27
|
SuRoNe E27
|
SuRoNe E27
|
SuRoNe E27
|
SuRoNe E27
|
KaHaFu E26
|
Cassiopeia Suite
|
Cassiopeia Suite / Cassiopeia Deluxe
|
Dining car
|
Cassiopeia Twin
|
Cassiopeia Twin / Mini lobby
|
Cassiopeia Twin / Shower room
|
Cassiopeia Twin
|
Cassiopeia Twin
|
Cassiopeia Twin / Mini lobby
|
Cassiopeia Twin / Shower room
|
Cassiopeia Twin
|
Lounge Car/ Generator
|
Accommodation and fares
[
edit
]
The
Cassiopeia
consists of all type "A" accommodation, all specific to this particular train. A flat fee is charged for all rooms, regardless of starting or ending location. Accommodation rates range from about ¥27,000 for a Cassiopeia Twin room to ¥51,000 for a Cassiopeia Suite.
The other fares, the basic fare and limited express fare, are based on distance. For tourists using the
Japan Rail Pass
during the original service, the basic fare did not have to be paid. However, there is a charge of about ¥5,500 each way for travelling on a section of railroad not owned by Japan Railways between Morioka and
Aomori
.
History
[
edit
]
The
Cassiopeia
service from Ueno to Sapporo first ran on 16 July 1999.
[4]
From the start of the revised timetable on 17 March 2012, smoking was banned in the restaurant car of
Cassiopeia
services.
[5]
End of scheduled services
[
edit
]
The last scheduled
Cassiopeia
services were discontinued in March 2016 ahead of the opening of the
Hokkaido Shinkansen
high-speed line. The last down service departed from Ueno Station in Tokyo on 19 March 2016, and the last up service departed from Sapporo on 20 March, arriving at Ueno on 21 March.
[4]
Cruise services
[
edit
]
Neither JR East nor JR Hokkaido owns electric locomotives capable of operating through the
Seikan Tunnel
to and from Hokkaido after the overhead line voltage was raised from 20 kV to 25 kV AC with the opening of the
Hokkaido Shinkansen
on 26 March 2016, but JR East leases
JR Freight
Class EH800
electric locomotives to haul the
Cassiopeia
trainset on seasonal services through the Seikan Tunnel after the Hokkaido Shinkansen opened.
[6]
The coaches are also used on cruise train services to other destinations within the JR East region, which include
Sendai
and
Aomori
.
[6]
-
A
Cassiopeia
cruise train hauled by JR East Class EF64-1000 and EF81 electric locomotives in June 2016
-
A
Cassiopeia
cruise train hauled by JR Freight Class EH800 electric locomotive EH800-3 in Hokkaido in July 2016
-
A
Cassiopeia
cruise train hauled by JR Freight Class DF200 diesel locomotive DF200-61 in Hokkaido in July 2016
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- JR Timetable, March 2008 issue
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Cassiopeia
.
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JR Hokkaido
lines
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JR named trains
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Discontinued JR named trains
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Sapporo Municipal Subway
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Other railways
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Terminals
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- Rail
- Airports
- Ports
- Hakodate
- Otaru
- Tomakomai
- Kushiro
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Public Ferries
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Miscellaneous
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- Cards
- Tunnels
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Shinkansen
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Limited express
(daytime)
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Rapid
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Local
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Excursion
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Discontinued Shinkansen
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Discontinued Limited express (Daytime)
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Discontinued Limited express (overnight)
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Discontinued Express
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Discontinued Rapid
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Discontinued Liner
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