Hokutosei
A Hokutosei service hauled by a JR East Class EF510 electric locomotive in September 2010
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Limited express |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Locale | Japan |
| First service | 13 March 1988 |
| Last service | 22 August 2015 |
| Current operator(s) | JR East and JR Hokkaido |
| Route | |
| Start | Ueno |
| End | Sapporo |
| Line used | Tohoku Main Line, Iwate Ginga Railway Line, Aoimori Railway, Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line, Hakodate Main Line, Muroran Main Line, Chitose Line, Hakodate Main Line |
| On-board services | |
| Catering facilities | Dining car |
| Technical | |
| 24 series sleeping cars EF510-500 electric locomotive ED79 electric locomotive DD51 diesel locomotives |
|
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC / 20 kV AC (50Hz) |
| Operating speed | 110 km/h (70 mph) |
The Hokutosei (北斗星?) was a limited express sleeping car train service in Japan which operated between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sapporo Station in the northern island of Hokkaido, taking approximately 16½ hours. It was operated jointly by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) from March 1988. The service became a seasonal service from the 14 March 2015 timetable revision, and was completely discontinued in August 2015, in preparation for the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen.
Going from Ueno to Sapporo, trains called at Ōmiya, Utsunomiya Station, Kōriyama, Fukushima, and Sendai. One train made additional stops at Ichinoseki and Morioka. The first stop in Hokkaido was at Hakodate, with arrival in Sapporo around five hours later.
The Hokutosei ran on the following lines:
Trains reversed at Aomori and Hakodate stations. The Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line consists of the Tsugaru Line, Kaikyō Line, Esashi Line, and Hakodate Main Line.
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