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High-speed shinkansen service in Japan
Komachi
An E6 series train on a Komachi service in October 2016
The Komachi service was named after a famous poet from the area, Ono no Komachi, whose name (小町) is also synonymous with "belle" or "beauty" in Japanese.
Station stops
Komachi services stop at the following stations on the Akita Shinkansen between Morioka and Akita. For details of station stops between Tokyo and Morioka, see the Hayabusa articles.
Since 15 March 2014, most Komachi services have operated by seven-car E6 series trainsets with running at a maximum speed of 320 km/h (200 mph) on the Tohoku Shinkansen coupled to E5 series Hayabusa trainsets. Car 11, the "Green" (first class) car, is at the Tokyo end. All seats are reserved and no-smoking.
Car No.
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Class
Green
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Facilities
Wheelchair space
Wheelchair space / Cardphone
Cardphone
E3 series
A six-car E3 series set on a Komachi service, November 2013
Komachi services were also operated by five-car E3 series trainsets (later augmented to six cars). These sets were formed as shown below, with car 11, the "Green" (first class) car, at the Tokyo end. All seats were reserved and no-smoking.
Car No.
11
12
13
14
15
16
Class
Green
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Facilities
Wheelchair space
Wheelchair space
Cardphone
Cardphone
Accommodation
E6 series Green car interior with 2+2 seating
E6 series standard class car interior with 2+2 seating
History
Komachi services began on the newly opened Akita Shinkansen line from the start of the revised timetable on 22 March 1997 using a fleet of 16 new 5-car E3 series trains running at a maximum speed of 275 km/h (170 mph) on the Tohoku Shinkansen. The name Komachi was officially announced in July 1996. Services initially consisted of 13 return workings daily between Tokyo and Akita, and one return working between Sendai and Akita. Most trains ran coupled with 200 seriesYamabiko trainsets between Tokyo and Morioka, but three return workings ran coupled with newly introduced E2 series sets, running at a maximum speed of 275 km/h (170 mph) between Utsunomiya and Morioka, and giving a fastest journey time of 3 hours 49 minutes between Tokyo and Akita (an average speed of 163.4 km/h). The train services proved popular, and from the December 1998 timetable revision, an addition return working was added, and the E3 series trains were lengthened to six cars each. From the December 1999 timetable, all Komachi services ran together with E2 series Yamabiko trains, allowing overall journey times to be reduced, with a typical journey time of 4 hours 4 minutes.
From 16 March 2013, new Super Komachi (スーパーこまち) services started, using new E6 series trains running at a maximum speed of 300 km/h (185 mph) on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Initially, a fleet of four trains was used to operate four return services daily between Tokyo and Akita. The fastest journey time was reduced to 3 hours 45 minutes, 5 minutes faster than the fastest previous Komachi services. From the start of the revised timetable on 15 March 2014, all services were operated by E6 series trains, and the name was returned to simply Komachi. At the same time, the maximum speed on the Tohoku Shinkansen (on the section between Utsunomiya and Morioka) was further raised to 320 km/h (200 mph).
See also
Akita Relay, a temporary limited express service that operated to Akita while the Akita Shinkansen was being constructed
^ 3月15日ダイヤ改正と各地の話題 [15 March timetable revision and topics from around the regions]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 43, no. 361. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. May 2014. pp. 12–13.
^ Teramoto, Mitsuteru (July 2001). 国鉄・ＪＲ列車名大辞典 [JNR & JR Train Name Encyclopedia]. Tokyo: Chuoshoin Publishing Co., Ltd. p. 239. ISBN4-88732-093-0.
^ 秋田新幹線の新しい列車名は"スーパーこまち"に [New trains on Akita Shinkansen to be named 'Super Komachi']. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
２０１４年３月ダイヤ改正について [March 2014 timetable revision details] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. 20 December 2013. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
An E6 series train on a Komachi service in October 2016
E6 series Green car interior with 2+2 seating
E6 series standard class car interior with 2+2 seating
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