Twilight Express

Twilight Express
Twilight Express hauled by an EF81 electric locomotive with headboard in the Osaka area
Overview
Service type	Limited express
Status	Operational
Locale	Japan
First service	1989
Current operator(s)	JR West
Route
Start	Osaka
End	Sapporo
Technical
Rolling stock	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) is a limited express sleeper train service operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Japan. It runs between the city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido and Osaka in south-western Honshu. The journey takes between 22 and 23 hours.

Trains for Sapporo depart Osaka at 11:50, and call at Shin-Ōsaka, 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 is at Tōya at 07:18. The train then makes four more stops before arriving at Sapporo at 09:52.

The same stops are 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 is made at 04:33 with the train eventually making its way to Kyoto at 12:15 and finally arriving at Osaka at 12:52.

The Twilight Express consists of type "A" and "B" accommodations, all specific to this particular train. A flat fee is charged for all berths, regardless of starting or ending location. Currently, accommodation rates range from about ¥9,000 for a "B" single twin berth to about ¥17,000 for a "B" twin berth or an "A" royal berth, up to ¥51,000 for the suite berth.

The other fares, the basic fare and limited express fare, are based on distance. For tourists using the Japan Rail Pass, the basic fare does not have to be paid, although the limited express fare and room fare must be paid.

Trains depart several times per week, with more departures during holiday periods. The Nihonkai train makes daily round-trip runs between Osaka and Aomori, with ongoing connections to Sapporo.

Route

The Twilight Express runs on the following rail lines:

West Japan Railway Company (JR West)

• JR Kyoto Line (Tōkaidō Main Line), Osaka - Yamashina
• Kosei Line, Yamashina - Omi-Shiotsu
• Hokuriku Main Line, Omi-Shiotsu - Naoetsu

East Japan Railway Company (JR East)

• Shinetsu Main Line, Naoetsu - Niitsu
• Uetsu Main Line, Niitsu - Akita
• Ou Main Line, Akita - Aomori Signal Station¹

Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido)

• Tsugaru Kaikyō Line, Aomori Signal Station - Kanita² - Goryōkaku¹
• Hakodate Main Line, Goryōkaku - Oshamambe
• Muroran Main Line, Oshamambe - Numanohata
• Chitose Line, Numanohata - Shiroishi
• Hakodate Main Line, Shiroishi - Sapporo

¹Train reversal point
²Crew change location for conductors (JR West and JR Hokkaido)

The Tsugaru Kaikyō Line runs over the tracks of the Tsugaru Line, Kaikyō Line, Esashi Line and Hakodate Main Line.

Locomotives

Twilight Express hauled by two Class DD51 diesel locomotives in Hokkaidō

Three types of locomotives are used to haul the Twilight Express service:

• Osaka to Aomori: JNR Class EF81 electric locomotive assigned to Fukui Depot
• Aomori to Goryōkaku: JNR Class ED79 electric locomotive assigned to Hakodate Depot
• Goryōkaku to Sapporo: JNR Class DD51 diesel locomotives assigned to Hakodate Depot (double-headed)

Timetable (as of March 2011)

• For the Osaka departure to Sapporo, read down. For the Sapporo departure to Osaka, read up.
• Stations that are not used for passenger pick-up or drop-off are in italics.

Withdrawal plans

Following the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, Twilight Express services are expected to be discontinued from spring 2016.^[1]

References

• West Japan Railway Food Service Net Company Twilight Express Q&A (in Japanese)

External links

• Dream Rail Trip on Twilight Express 2004 promotional video for the Twilight Express. (Windows Media, in English)
• Twilight Express Train Gallery Twilight Express train route and composition information. (In Japanese)

v t e Transportation in Hokkaido JR Hokkaido lines Chitose Esashi Furano Hakodate Hidaka Kaikyō Muroran Nemuro Rumoi Sasshō Sekihoku Sekishō Semmō Sōya Temiya JR trains Cassiopeia Hakuchō Hamanasu Hokuto Hokutosei Ishikari Kitami Lilac Okhotsk Sarobetsu Super Hakuchō Super Hokuto Super Kamui Super Ōzora Super Sōya Super Tokachi Super White Arrow Suzuran Twilight Express White Arrow Other railways Hakodate Streetcar Sapporo Streetcar Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Tōzai Tōhō Taiheiyō Coal (freight only) Airports Asahikawa New Chitose Hakodate Kushiro Memanbetsu Monbetsu Nakashibetsu Okadama Okushiri Rishiri Tokachi-Obihiro Wakkanai Miscellaneous Kitaca SAPICA

v t e Named trains of West Japan Railway Company Shinkansen Hikari Kodama Mizuho Nozomi Sakura Limited express (daytime) Biwako Express Hakutaka Hamakaze Haruka Hashidate Kinosaki Kounotori Kuroshio Maizuru Ohayō Express Oyasumi Express Shirasagi Super Hakuto Super Inaba Super Matsukaze Super Oki Thunderbird Yakumo Limited express (overnight) Sunrise Izumo Sunrise Seto Twilight Express Rapid Marine Liner Discontinued Akatsuki Asakaze Ginga Izumo Kagayaki Kitaguni Kitakinki Monju Ocean Arrow Raichō Seto Tamba Tango Discovery Tango Explorer Tsurugi