Nozomi (train)

Nozomi (のぞみ, "Wish") is the fastest train service running on the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen lines in Japan. The service stops at only the largest stations, and along the stretch between Shin-Osaka and Hakata, Nozomi services using N700 series equipment reach speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph). The trip between Tokyo and Osaka, a distance of 515 kilometres, takes 2 hours 22 minutes on the fastest Nozomi.^[1]

The trains stop at fewer stations than the Hikari and Kodama trains. On the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Nozomi trains stop at Tokyo Station, Shinagawa Station, Shin-Yokohama Station, Nagoya Station, Kyoto Station, and Shin-Ōsaka Station.^[1] On the Sanyō Shinkansen, all Nozomi trains stop at Shin-Kobe Station, Okayama Station, Hiroshima Station, Kokura Station, and Hakata Station, but certain trains stop at additional stations as well. The Nozomi train service is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass.^[2]

The word nozomi in Japanese means "hope" or "wish".

Stopping patterns (as of August 2011)

Key

● All trains stop
○ Some trains stop
△ Few trains stop
¹ Some trains begin/terminate in Nishi-Akashi, Himeji, Okayama or Hiroshima.
² Some trains begin/terminate in Nagoya.

Note: Basic Nozomi stopping patterns are shown. Additional Nozomi trains with differing stopping patterns are added during holiday and high-peak travel periods, and are not included in this table.

Rolling stock

• N700 series (July 2007 – )
• 700 series (March 1999 – )

• 
  N700 series, June 2008
• 
  700 series, October 2008

Former rolling stock

• 300 series (March 1992 – March 2012)
• 500 series (March 1997 – February 2010)

• 
  300 series, February 2011
• 
  500 series, February 2010

Formations

Trains are formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Hakata end, and car 16 at the Tokyo end.^[3][4]

N700 series

(All cars are no-smoking, except for smoking compartments located in cars 3, 7, 10, and 15)

• 
  N700 series Green car interior
• 
  N700 series standard-class car interior

700 series

Car No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Class	Standard Non-reserved	Standard Non-reserved	Standard Non-reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Green Reserved	Green Reserved	Green Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved	Standard Reserved
Facilities	WC	Cardphone	WC / vending machine		WC	Cardphone	WC		WC		Vending machine / WC / wheelchair space	Cardphone	WC		Vending machine / WC / cardphone
Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	No-smoking	Smoking	Smoking

History

Wartime steam services

The Nozomi name was first used for long-distance express services operated between Busan in Japanese-occupied Korea and Mukden (now Shenyang) in the former Manchukuo (now China) from 1934.^[5] From 1938, the services were extended to run between Busan and Hsinking (now Changchun) in Manchukuo. The 1,530 km journey from Busan to Hsinking took over 29 hours, with an average speed of 52 km/h (32 mph). The services were run down between 1943 and 1944.^[5]

Shinkansen services

Nozomi shinkansen services commenced on March 14, 1992 using new 300 series trainsets with a top speed of 270 km/h. From March 1997, 500 series trainsets were introduced on Tokyo - Hakata Nozomi services, running at a maximum speed of 300 km/h and covering the section between Shin-Osaka and Hakata in 2 hours 17 minutes.

700 series trains were introduced on Nozomi services in 1999, and N700 series trains were introduced from July 1, 2007, initially with four daily round-trip runs. All through Nozomi services (Tokyo–Hakata) were operated by N700 series trains by 2009, and all regularly scheduled Nozomi services were operated by N700 trains by 2011.

See also

• List of named passenger trains of Japan

References