Twilight Express
The Twilight Express hauled by an EF81 electric locomotive in January 2013
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Limited express |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Locale | Japan |
| First service | July 1989 |
| Last service | March 2016 |
| Former operator(s) | JR West |
| Route | |
| Start | Osaka |
| End | Sapporo |
| Distance travelled | approx. 1,500 km (930 mi) |
| Average journey time | 22-23 hours |
| Technical | |
| 24 series sleeping cars | |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC / 20 kV AC |
| Operating speed | 110 km/h (70 mph) |
The Twilight Express (トワイライトエクスプレス Towairaitoekusupuresu?) was a limited express sleeping car train service operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Japan from 1989 until March 2015. It ran between the city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido and Osaka in south-western Honshu, a distance of approximately 1,500 km (930 mi), with the journey taking between 22 and 23 hours. From May 2015 until March 2016, the train operated as a luxury cruise train between Osaka and Shimonoseki in western Japan.
Trains for Sapporo departed Osaka at 11:50, calling at Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, Tsuruga, Fukui, Kanazawa, Takaoka, Toyama, Naoetsu, and Nagaoka, with the final passenger pick-up made at Niitsu at 19:39. The first stop in Hokkaido was at Tōya at 07:18. The train then made four more stops before arriving at Sapporo at 09:52.
The same stops were made in the reverse, with the Twilight Express departing Sapporo at 14:05 and making its final pickup at Tōya at 16:33. The first stop at Niitsu was made at 04:33, with the train eventually making its way to Kyoto at 12:15 and finally arriving at Osaka at 12:52.
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Wikipedia