 JR East KiHa 100 series DMU car KiHa 100-202 at Aomori Station on a Shimokita rapid service in February 2004 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Rapid |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Aomori Prefecture |
| First service |
|
| Current operator(s) | |
| Former operator(s) |  JNR |
| Route | |
| Termini | Hachinohe Ōminato |
| Stops | 8 |
| Distance travelled | 109.7 km (68.2 mi) |
| Service frequency | 3 round trip services daily to Hachinohe |
| Line(s) used | Ōminato Line Aoimori Railway Line |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | Standard only |
| Disabled access | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | None |
| Catering facilities | None |
| Observation facilities | None |
| Entertainment facilities | None |
| Other facilities | Toilets |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | KiHa 100 series DMUs |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | None |
| Operating speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
The Shimokita (しもきた) is a "Rapid" limited-stop train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Aoimori Railway Company, which runs from Hachinohe to Ōminato via the Aoimori Railway Line and the Ōminato Line.
Service pattern
There are three daily round trip services to Hachinohe.
Station list
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers, Notes | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between stations |
Total | |||||
| Hachinohe | 八戸 | - | 0.0 | Tōhoku Shinkansen, Hachinohe Line, Aoimori Railway Line | Hachinohe | Aomori |
| Shimoda | 下田 | 11.1 | 11.1 | Oirase | ||
| Misawa | 三沢 | 9.9 | 21 | Misawa | ||
| Kamikitachō | 上北町 | 10.5 | 31.5 | Tōhoku | ||
| Ottomo | 乙供 | 6.9 | 38.4 | (limited service) | ||
| Noheji | 野辺地 | 19.9 | 51.4 | Aoimori Railway Line ↑, Ōminato Line ↓ | Noheji | |
| Mutsu-Yokohama | 陸奥横浜 | 30.1 | 81.5 | Yokohama | ||
| Chikagawa | 近川 | 12.6 | 94.1 | (limited service) | Mutsu | |
| Shimokita | 下北 | 25.3 | 106.8 | |||
| Ōminato | 大湊 | 2.9 | 109.7 | |||
History
Semi express (1961–1965)
The Shimokita name was first used on 15 September 1961 for a semi express service which operated between Morioka in Iwate Prefecture and Ōwani in Aomori Prefecture via Aomori. This was discontinued on 30 September 1965, replaced by the Michinoku service.
Express (1966–1982)
The Shimokita name was subsequently used from 1 October 1966 for an express service which operated between Morioka and Ikarigaseki in the down direction and between Ōwani and Morioka in the up direction. This was discontinued on 14 November 1982.
Rapid (1993–present)
The Shimokita name was revived in 1993 when new KiHa 100 series DMU trains were introduced on the former Usori rapid services operating between Ōminato, Noheji, and Aomori. On 13 March 2021, the Shimokita service operated jointly by JR East and the Aoimori Railway between Aomori and Ōminato was abolished, though the service continues to operate between Hachinohe and Ōminato.
See also
References
- 12月4日ダイヤ改正後の青森地区列車運転体系 [Operating pattern of Aomori area trains following 4 December timetable revision]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 39, no. 320. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. December 2010. pp. 24–25.
- "Rapid (Ominato - Noheji - Aomori)". www.jreast.co.jp.
- ^ Teramoto, Mitsuteru (23 July 2001). 国鉄・ＪＲ列車名大辞典 [JNR & JR Train Name Encyclopedia] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Chuoshoin Publishing Co., Ltd. pp. 277–278. ISBN 4-88732-093-0.
- 列車名鑑1995 [Train Name Directory 1995] (in Japanese). Japan: Railway Journal. August 1995. p. 32.
- "青い森鉄道列車時刻表" [Aoimori Railway Train Timetable] (PDF) (in Japanese). Aoimori Railway Co., Ltd. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
| Named trains of East Japan Railway Company | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shinkansen | .svg){kind=logo} | |
| Limited express (daytime) | ||
| Rapid | ||
| Local | ||
| Excursion | ||
| Discontinued Shinkansen | ||
| Discontinued Limited express (Daytime) | ||
| Discontinued Limited express (overnight) | ||
| Discontinued Express | ||
| Discontinued Rapid | ||
| Discontinued Liner |
| |
| Discontinued Excursion | ||