Trains and Buses - Coexistence or Replacement?

JR East and Northen Iwate Transportation have launched an experimental one-year scheme with regard to trains and buses between Morioka and Miyako in the northeast region of Japan. JR passengers who have a valid train ticket that covers JR Yamada line can also get on a coach (except for a few stations). However, those who have a coach ticket cannot choose trains as this scheme is unilateral. It may be beneficial for not only local residents but also long-distance travellers, but it could potentially lead to a permanent closure of Yamada line.

Morioka is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture with more than 280,000 people, and it is about 530 km (330 miles) north of Tokyo. It has not generally been regarded as a popular tourist destination by Japanese people, but The New York Times placed it in the second in its "52 Places to Go in 2023" list after London.

Miyako is a city roughly 68 km (42 miles) east of Morioka with a population of around 46,000 people. Miyako has been well known for fishing industry for centuries (such as salmons, cods and sea urchins) as well as manufacturing industry especially pumps, centrifuges and fertiliser.

There has been a high demand for transportation between these two cities. There are mountains in between so that both rail and road transportation have suffered from steep gradients. JR Yamada line opened in 1934, but most local residents have preferred coach service since 1978 when National Route 106 (a road parallel to Yamada line) opened. The coach route is called "106 Express Bus", and Northen Iwate Transportation provides the service more frequently than JR East though costs slightly more. A single fare between Morioka and Miyako by coach is 2,200 yen while by train costs 1,980 yen.

Morioka → Miyako

JR Yamada line	Bus 106
	5:45 → 8:00
6:32 → 9:01	7:40 → 9:55
	9:40 → 11:20
	10:40 → 12:20
11:09 → 13:30	11:40 → 13:20
	12:45 → 15:00
13:12 → 15:31	13:45 → 15:25
	14:45 → 16:25
	15:45 → 17:25
	16:45 → 19:00
17:46 → 20:21	17:45 → 19:25
	19:00 → 21:15

Yamada line has not been useful in spite of efforts by JR East. The company has been using KiHa 100 series since 2007, which is far more comfortable and energy-saving than obsolete KiHa 52 and KiHa 58 trains, and journey time has been shortened since then. The company also rearranged the schedules to make train connection with Tohoku Shinkansen to and from Tokyo better. Rails were replaced with newer ones that allow faster speed and signalling systems have been upgraded. More trains than before were provided in the 2010s to attract more local residents but it was unsuccessful. Today, only a few passengers to and from other cities like Tokyo and Sendai use the train.

Therefore, JR has decided to look for cooperation with the bus company rather than trying to win a race against it. As bus operators across the country have struggled with staff shortages, it may be beneficial for the bus company as well. This experiment is one of a few positive trials that public transport companies in Japan have recently started.

The only concern is that there are too small number of rail services. The experimental scheme is likely to result in far more long-distance passengers shifting to coach. As ridership of Yamada line declines further, JR East may consider closing the line in the future. If the scheme becomes permanent, it would be hard to justify keeping the railway open.

The scheme is available from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, but could be extended for a while if both companies wish to do so.

The New Yakumo

Today, a brand new 273 series train entered into limited express Yakumo services that connect Okayama and Izumoshi in western Japan. This article focuses on the new and old trains and briefly looks back its history with timetables.

Origin of its name

Day-time limited express trains of Japanese National Railways and JR Group are usually named after birds or names of places. For example, Shirasagi (Nagoya – Tsuruga) means egret and Azusa (Shinjuku – Matsumoto) was named after Azusa River. Yakumo is neither of them. Its origin is an ancient Japanese phrase "yakumo tatsu" (八雲立つ) that has been used in poems, first appeared in the oldest literary work in the country called Kojiki that dates back to 712 AD.

"Yakumo tatsu" literally means countless clouds coming up the sky, and this phrase is mostly followed by the word "Izumo" in ancient poems such as waka. Those who are interested in it should also check makura kotoba (lit. pillow words).

The new Yakumo

Limited Express Yakumo has been connecting Okayama and Izumoshi via San-yo Main, Hakubi and San'in Main Lines since 1982, and it is 220 km (137 miles) long. There are 15 services a day on each direction (i.e. hourly), though some of them do not run on certain days. The fastest service takes 2 hours and 57 minutes.

The 273 series was developed specifically for Yakumo. Hakubi Line is known for having tight curves with steep gradients as well as heavy snow in winter. These severe conditions did not allow ordinary trains running fast safely and comfortably so that JR West decided to introduce the brand new trains rather than reallocating redundant train units from other places. According to the company, computer-controlled tilting features of the 273 series make train far more comfortable than old rolling stock.

Six out of 15 Yakumo services are provided by the new trains so far, and the other nine will also be the 273 series by 15 June this year. Each service is formed of four coaches, but some of them could be formed of eight during holidays.

Old Yakumo

381 series has been in service since electrification of Hakubi and San'in Main Line in 1982. Today, it is often called the last electric train that Japanese National Railways introduced. Though it is highly popular among railway enthusiasts in these days, it had been infamous for uncomfortable rolling as local TV station reported so just three months after the introduction.

There are a few reasons why the 381 series is so uncomfortable. One of them is that because its tilting feature is not computer-controlled but dependent on centrifugal force. The train tilts a few seconds after entering a curve and restores to the original position a few seconds after leaving the curve.

JR West converted a few intermediate carriages to so-called "Panorama Green Car", first class which passengers can enjoy views while on a train, but it was not clear whether it could distract them from motion sickness.

All remaining 381 series carriages were dramatically refurbished in 2007-11. JR West calls them "yuttari Yakumo", which means "relaxing Yakumo". However, even with new seats and clean toilets did not improve the bumpy ride and rolling. Hence, railway enthusiasts made parodies of the brand: "guttari Yakumo" (lit. "exhausting Yakumo") or even "guttari hakumo" (lit. "exhausting & vomiting").

The last regular service provided by the 381 series will be Yakumo 1 (Okayama 7:05 → Izumoshi 10:18) on Saturday 15 June 2024. However, the company notes that a few 381 series units might be used during holidays and when there is a lack of available train. It is expected that the old train remains for a while, possibly until early-2025.

Comparing timetables

It might be interesting to compare old timetables. Here are fastest Yakumo services in 2024, 1982, 1973 and 1968.

Alphabets for coach layouts mean as follows:
G for Green Car (first class) with seat reservation,
D for a dining car,
N for standard class WITHOUT seat reservation, and
R for standard class WITH seat reservation.

2024 (Click to browse)▼

As mentioned above, there are 15 services a day on each direction, and six of them are now provided by the 273 series. JR West plans to introduce more on 26 April, 7 May, 15 and 16 June. The following train is currently the 381 series, but it will be replaced with the new train from Friday 26 April.

Yakumo 29 (7029M)

Okayama	21:20
Kurashiki	21:31
Bitchu-Takahashi	21:55
Niimi	22:23
Hoki-Daisen	23:25
Yonago	23:30
Yasugi	23:38
Matsue	23:53
Shinji	0:06
Izumoshi	0:17
(duration: 2h 57m)

(From 26 April)

Coach no.	1	2	3	4
←	G & R	R	R	R

1982 (Click to browse)▼

When the 381 series was introduced, each train had more coaches than today but there were only eight services a day on each direction.

Yakumo 12 (1042M)

Izumoshi	14:57
Matsue	15:26
Yonago	15:54
Niimi	17:02
Bitchu-Takahashi	17:33
Kurashiki	17:57
Okayama	18:09
(duration: 3h 12m)

Coach no.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
	N	N	N	G	R	R	R	R	R	→

1973 (Click to browse)▼

By 1972 (when San-yo Shinkansen as far as Okayama opened), Yakumo looked mostly the same as today though it was provided by KiHa 181 series diesel train. There were four services on each direction, and one of them was extended to Hamada on San'in Main Line. However, the fastest service did not go as far as that.

Yakumo 4 (2032D)

Izumoshi	14:50
Tamatsukurionsen	15:13
Matsue	15:21
Yonago	15:49
Niimi	17:08
Kurashiki	18:09
Okayama	18:22
(duration: 3h 32m)

Coach no.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
	N	N	G	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	→

1968 (Click to browse)▼

There was another limited express Yakumo before 1972. In 1965, JNR introduced a long-distance train with the same name using KiHa 80 series diesel train, connecting Shin-Osaka and Hamada via Fukuchiyama Line. The entire journey was 502.8 km (312 miles) long and took more than eight hours. There was only one train on each direction. Many businessmen chose this service as Tokaido Shinkansen and this Yakumo allowed a one-day travel towards northern Chugoku region.

There was no Green Car and "standard class" coaches at that time. JNR had adopted a different scheme that simply consisted of first and second class seating. The table further below shows the coach layout in accordance with terms used today.

Yakumo (1003D)

Shin-Osaka	12:00
Osaka	12:08
Takarazuka	12:34
Fukuchiyama	14:09
Kinosaki*	15:16
Hamasaka	15:56
Tottori	16:29
Agei*	17:13
Yonago	17:59
Matsue	18:27
Izumoshi	18:58
Iwami-Ōda*	19:28
Iwami-Gōtsu*	20:04
Hamada	20:22
(duration: 8h 22m)

Some stations have been renamed as follows:
Kinosaki → Kinosakionsen (2005)
Agei → Kurayoshi (1972)
Iwami-Ōda → Ōdashi (1971)
Iwami-Gōtsu → Gōtsu (1970)

Coach no.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
←	R	G	D	R	R	R	R

Tsurumi Line: shabbiness and modernness

Tsurumi line is a commuter rail in Yokohama and Kawasaki cities, roughly 20 km (13 miles) south of Tokyo. The line is just 9.7 km (6 miles) long including two short branch lines, and the lines lie in an industrial district with factories and plants. Not only passenger trains but also freight trains run.

Despite being in large cities with a population of 3.7 million and 1.5 million people respectively, Tsurumi line looks like a railway in a rural town. It is fully electrified (except a few sidings for freight trains), but passenger trains are formed of just three coaches. Trains run every five minutes in the morning but every 20 minutes during off-peak times between Tsurumi and Hama-Kasawaki. There are significantly fewer services on branch lines: every 80 minutes on Umi-Shibaura branch line and just three trains a day on Okawa branch line (weekend). All stations but Tsurumi have been unstaffed since 1971, and some stations are so shabby that look abandoned.

The line had been served by secondhand trains reallocated from other lines for decades, but a brand new E131 series was introduced in December 2023. It is the first "genuine" new train since the line was nationalised in 1943.

Since 16th March 2024, all Tsurumi line services have been driver-only. Thus, there will be no conductor onboard. The new train will make the service even more efficient, environmentally friendly and less costly than before.

Bullet train crisis as JR East's negligence worsens

This morning, a bullet train overshot a platform by 500 metres. Tohoku, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen were closed for more than three hours, causing severe disruptions on the rest of the network. No injuries have been reported so far, but this incident could have resulted in a fatal crash killing tens or even hundreds of people.

It is suggested that it was not a driver's fault but the company's negligence, but an official investigation is still at an early stage. This article summarises the case and past accusations published by a trade union, which might be beneficial to understanding that the Japanese railway is not always perfect and might no longer be as safe as before.

According to NHK, Yamagata Shinkansen service Tsubasa 121 from Tokyo to Shinjo failed to slow down when approaching Koriyama station at around 7:30 am and overshot the platform by approximately 500 metres. The driver found that the train was out of control just before entering the station and made an emergency announcement that the train could not stop. Passengers felt significant shocks amid fears. Fortunately, nobody was injured. They could alight from the train 80 minutes after the overshooting. JR East insists that chunks of snow between wheels and rail or inside the braking system significantly reduced friction and thus air brakes did not work.

It could have been a major disaster. The train passed points faster than speed limits, which could potentially lead to a derailment. Moreover, it could have been hit by another train, either a subsequent service or an opposite one. In fact, a train on the other track was due to arrive at Koriyama a minute later (Yamabiko 206 for Tokyo).

Tohoku region has been well known for a heavy snowfall. Hence, all bullet trains have been equipped with enhanced braking systems and heaters. JR East argues that even with these equipment and devices cannot prevent all abnormalities.

However, this incident could have been avoided easily if JR East had learned from the past. It was revealed last year that E3 series, the rolling stock for Tsubasa with each unit consisted of seven carriages, did not have enough braking power in winter. On 18 December 2022, a similar incident occured precisely at the same location due to snow. At around 10:05 pm, Tsubasa 159 overshot the platform by 160 metres. JR East Transport Service Workers Union urged the company to review its safety procedures in the following month, and the company conceded that all Yamagata Shinkansen trains would face the same problem in winter and promised to do something. Therefore, the company decided to add an empty 10-car E2 series (with more powerful brakes) train to Tsubasa even though only seven out of 17 carriages in total were for passenger use. JR East and the trade union considered that it would have enough power to slow down and stop the train.

Nevertheless, JR East apparently did not take such a measure this winter despite knowing that Tsubasa without a 10-car train would cause the same incident, and it actually happened. Hence, Nature does not justify anything in this case.

As reported in January, JR East has slipped into self-complacency and failed to address safety issues. That is why, it has caused major incidents repeatedly, many of which could have been a fatal accident. Employers and employees of JR East must have been thinking that the series of incidents does not matter as nobody died yet, but they were just lucky. It is reminded that "Disasters don't just happen. They're a chain of critical events".

The Red List of Trains in Japan (Feb-2024 update)

I added a new article to The Red List of Trains in Japan. The new article is about JR West 273 series which is due to enter into service in approximately five weeks. Furthermore, a quite few articles (especially those of JR Cenral) have been updated and some errors have been corrected.

The website is likely to be updated less frequently from April as I start a new job. Follow my Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads or X (Twitter) accounts for latest developments.