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| Sapporo, 29 Aug 2013 |
In Japan, there is no regular train served by coach. Japanese National Railway adopted the Modernisation Programme in 1960, aimed for more efficient and less costly train services. It decided to replace coaching stock with EMUs and DMUs, resulting in the decline of locomotive-hauled train. After the privatisation of JNR, all JR companies continued the Programme until 2016, when the last train Hamanasu was withdrawn.
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| Aomori, 2 Nov 2011 |
Hamanasu was a night express train which ran daily from Aomori to Sapporo (approx. 300 miles, 7.5 hrs). Hamanasu was introduced in 1988 when Seikan Tunnel was opened and ferry services were discontinued, and it was regarded as an alternative means of transportation.
It consisted of seven coaches in off-peak season; two Class B (standard) berth coaches, one "carpet coach" for passengers sleeping on the floor and four standard-class seated coaches. More carriages were added in peak seasons by up to 14 coaches in total.
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| Sapporo, 29 Aug 2013 |
All carriages and locomotives were built in 1970s. The train was hauled by Class ED79 electric locomotive (between Aomori and Hakodate) and Class DD51 diesel locomotive (between Hakodate and Sapporo). Coaches were mixture of 24 series (berth) and 14 series (seated).
Hamanasu had been well known as the last loco-hauled train and the last "express" among all JR regular services. In 2010s, many railway enthusiasts predicted that they would soon meet its demise as conditions of locomotives and coaches were deteriorated. Furthermore, night train is no longer popular among Japanese people so that it was inevitable to be discontinued. The last day of the service was 21st March 2016, several days before a new bullet train line was opened.
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| Urawa - Akabane (near Higashi-Jujo station), 26 Mar 2013 |
It should also be noted that the Programme is still ongoing. JR Central had already demolished all locomotives and JR East will follow it by 2025. These facts suggest that even coach trains for tourists (including preserved trains) cannot last long.