Echigo Tokimeki Railway

The Echigo TOKImeki Railway Company (えちごトキめき鉄道株式会社, Echigo TOKImeki Tetsudō kabushiki gaisha) (ETR) is a Japanese third-sector railway operating company established in 2010 to operate passenger railway services on the sections of the JR East Shinetsu Main Line and JR West Hokuriku Main Line within Niigata Prefecture when they were separated from the respective JR Group operators in March 2015, coinciding with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to Kanazawa. The main shareholders of the company are Niigata Prefecture, the city of Joetsu, the city of Itoigawa, and the city of Myoko.[1]

Echigo TOKImeki Railway Company
Native name
えちごトキめき鉄道株式会社
Echigo TOKImeki Tetsudō kabushiki gaisha
Private KK
GenreRail transport
Founded22 November 2010
Headquarters
Joetsu, Niigata
,
Japan
Area served
Niigata Prefecture
Key people
Tadahiro Shimazu (President)
ServicesPassenger railway
Websitewww.echigo-tokimeki.co.jp

Lines

Since 14 March 2015, Echigo Tokimeki Railway operates local passenger operations on two lines: 10 stations on the 37.7 km Myōkō Haneuma Line (妙高はねうまライン) (formerly part of the JR East Shinetsu Main Line) between Myōkō-Kōgen and Naoetsu, and 11 stations on the 59.3 km Nihonkai Hisui Line (日本海ひすいライン) (formerly part of the JR West Hokuriku Main Line) between Naoetsu and Ichiburi.[2]

Myōkō Haneuma Line
Myōkō Haneuma Line
An ET127 series EMU on the Myōkō Haneuma Line in June 2015
Overview
Native name妙高はねうまライン
TypeRegional rail
StatusOperational
LocaleNiigata Prefecture
TerminiMyōkō-Kōgen
Naoetsu
Stations10
Operation
Opened15 August 1886
Owner Echigo Tokimeki Railway
Rolling stockET127 series EMUs
E653-1100 series EMUs
Technical
Line length37.7 km (23.4 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC Overhead line
Route map

Service outline

In addition to all-stations "Local" (普通, futsū) services operated by ETR, the line is used by JR East Shirayuki limited express services operating over the section between Jōetsumyōkō and Naoetsu, providing connections with the Hokuriku Shinkansen at Naoetsu,[2] and also by one return "Rapid" service daily operated by the Hokuetsu Express, to and from Echigo-Yuzawa and using the section of the line between Naoetsu and Arai.[3]

Stations
Station Japanese Transfers Location
Myōkō-Kōgen 妙高高原 Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line Myōkō Niigata Prefecture
Sekiyama 関山  
Nihongi 二本木   Jōetsu
Arai 新井   Myōkō
Kita-Arai 北新井  
Jōetsumyōkō 上越妙高 Hokuriku Shinkansen Jōetsu
Minami-Takada 南高田  
Takada 高田  
Kasugayama 春日山  
Naoetsu 直江津
  • ETR Nihonkai Hisui Line
  • ■ Shinetsu Main Line

Rolling stock

Local services on the Myōkō Haneuma Line use a fleet of ten ET127 series 2-car electric multiple unit (EMU) trains transferred from JR East.[2] These have reinforced front-end skirts, and feature a new livery.[2] They operate as two- or four-car formation during the off-peak periods, and as six-car formations during peak periods.[2] Shirayuki limited express services operated by JR East use four-car E653-1100 series EMUs.[2]

  • An ET127 series EMU, May 2015
  • A Shirayuki E653-1100 series EMU

Nihonkai Hisui Line
Nihonkai Hisui Line
An ET122 diesel car on the Nihonkai Hisui Line in June 2015
Overview
Native name日本海ひすいライン
TypeRegional rail
StatusOperational
LocaleNiigata Prefecture
TerminiNaoetsu
Ichiburi
Stations11
Operation
Opened1911
Owner Echigo Tokimeki Railway
Rolling stockET122 DMUs
485 series (JR), 521 series
Technical
Line length59.3 km (36.8 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC / 20 kV AC (60 Hz) Overhead line
Route map

Service outline

While the western boundary of the Nihonkai Hisui Line is at Ichiburi Station, most services on the line operate between Naoetsu and Tomari on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line. At Tomari Station, both ETR trains and Ainokaze Toyama Railway trains use platform 2, allowing a same-platform transfer.[2]

Stations
Station Japanese Transfers Location
Ichiburi 市振 Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line Itoigawa Niigata Prefecture
Oyashirazu 親不知  
Ōmi 青海  
Itoigawa 糸魚川
Kajiyashiki 梶屋敷  
Uramoto 浦本  
Nō 能生  
Tsutsuishi 筒石  
Nadachi 名立   Jōetsu
Arimagawa 有間川  
Tanihama 谷浜  
Naoetsu 直江津
  • ■ Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line
  • ETR Myoko Haneuma Line
  • ■ Shinetsu Main Line

Rolling stock

The eastern section of the line is electrified at 1,500 V DC and the western section of the line is electrified at 20 kV AC (60 Hz) overhead, with a dead section separating the two different power supplies between Itoigawa and Kajiyashiki stations, but in order to eliminate the need to procure new dual-voltage rolling stock, local services on the Nihonkai Hisui Line use a fleet of eight new ET122 single-car diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains based on the JR West KiHa 122 series design.[2] This fleet includes two special-event cars.[2] Services normally operate as single-car trains during the off-peak periods, increased to two cars during the peaks.[2]

Until March 2017, a seasonal limited-stop "Rapid" service operating between Niigata and Itoigawa ran once a day in each direction using a 6-car JR East 485 series EMU.[2][4]

  • An ET122 DMU car, June 2015
  • An ET122 DMU special-event car, May 2015
  • A JR East 485 series EMU

History

The company was founded on 22 November 2010.[1] The new names for the two lines to be operated by the company were announced in June 2012,[5] and the company name was changed to Echigo Tokimeki Railway Company from 1 July 2012.[1] The company was formally granted a railway operating license by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on 28 February 2014.[6]

Resort train
Setsugekka train

A two-car ET122-1000 series diesel multiple unit resort train is due to enter service from 23 April 2016, operating over both of the ETR lines.[7] The two-car diesel train will be branded Setsugekka (雪月花, lit. "Snow, Moon, Flowers").[8]

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See also

References
  1. 会社概要 [Company overview] (in Japanese). Japan: Echigo Tokimeki Railway Company. 2011. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  2. Osano, Kagetoshi (March 2015). 　北陸新幹線並行在来線各社の姿 [Guide to companies operating conventional lines alongside the Hokuriku Shinkansen]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 44 no. 371. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. pp. 28–33.
  3. 北越急行　えちごトキめき鉄道に乗入れ [Hokuetsu Express to inter-run over Echigo Tokimeki Railway]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  4. 2017年3月ダイヤ改正について [Timetable revision in March 2017] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Echigo Tokimeki Railway Company. 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  5. 並行在来線会社名・路線名の候補が決定しました [Names decided for operating company and lines] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan. 22 June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  6. しなの鉄道（株）、えちごトキめき鉄道（株）、あいの風とやま鉄道（株）及びＩＲいしかわ鉄道（株）申請の第一種鉄道事業許可について [Details of railway business approval for Shinano Railway, Echigo Tokimeki Railway Company, Ainokaze Toyama Railway, and IR Ishikawa Railway]. News release (in Japanese). Japan: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  7. リゾート列車（観光列車）愛称名募集 [Invitation to name new resort train]. Echigo Tokimeki Railway (in Japanese). January 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  8. ET122形1000番台「雪月花」が甲種輸送される [ET122-1000 series "Setsugekka" delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
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