Tango Explorer

Tango Explorer
タンゴエクスプローラー

Tango Explorer at Nishi-Maizuru Station
Overview
Service type Intercity rail
Locale Ōsaka, Hyōgo, Kyōto Prefectures
First service 1990
Last service 2011
Former operator(s) Kitakinki Tango Railway, JR West
Route
Start Shin-Osaka
End Miyazu, Toyooka
Distance travelled 　207.3 km (129 mi)
Average journey time 　3 hours, 19 minutes
Service frequency 　Two round trips daily
On-board services
Class(es) Unreserved, reserved, and Green class seating
Technical
Rolling stock Kitakinki Tango Railway KTR001 series DMU
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

Tango Explorer (タンゴエクスプローラー Tango-ekusupurōrā) was a limited express service operated by Kitakinki Tango Railway and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Shin-Osaka and Miyazu and/or Toyooka stations. The term also referred to the KTR001 series (currently used for "Tango Relay" services between Fukuchiyama and Toyooka) rolling stock itself. "Tango" refers to the Tango (丹後) region of northern Kyoto Prefecture.

Prior to 1999, the Tango Explorer operated from Kyoto Station, but with the introduction of the Tango Discovery service, Tango Explorer services begin at Shin-Osaka.

Services

Tango Explorer services were generally run with three-car trains, though during peak holiday periods six-car trains (three paired sets) are used. When the Tango Explorer KTR001 series trainset was out of operation, KTR8000 series DMUs (used on the Tango Discovery service) or JNR 183 series EMUs were sometimes used.

Terminuses are in bold.

Shin-Osaka - Osaka - Amagasaki - Takarazuka - Sanda - (Shin-Sanda) - (Aino) - Sasayamaguchi - (Tanikawa) - Kaibara - (Kuroi) - Fukuchiyama - Ōe - Miyazu - Amanohashidate - Nodagawa - Tango-Ōmiya - Mineyama - Amino - Kumihama - Toyooka