Sunrise Izumo

The Sunrise Izumo (サンライズ出雲, Sanraizu Izumo) is an overnight sleeping car train service in Japan operated jointly by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) since July 1998.[1][2]

Sunrise Izumo

285 series EMU on a Sunrise Izumo service, April 2013
Overview
Service type	Limited express
Status	Operational
Locale	Japan
Predecessor	Izumo
First service	10 July 1998
Current operator(s)	JR Central, JR West
Route
Start	Tokyo
End	Izumoshi
Distance travelled	953.6 km (592.5 mi)
Average journey time	approx. 12 hours
Service frequency	1 return working daily
Train number(s)	Westbound: 5031M → 4031M Eastbound: 4032M → 5032M
Line(s) used	JR East: JT Tōkaidō Main Line, Tōkaidō Freight Line JR Central: Tōkaidō Main Line JR West:  A  Tōkaidō Main Line,  A   S   W  Sanyō Main Line,  V  Hakubi Line,  A   D  San'in Main Line
On-board services
Seating arrangements	None
Sleeping arrangements	Private compartments/open-plan sleeping areas
Catering facilities	None
Technical
Rolling stock	285 series EMUs
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC
Operating speed	130 km/h (80 mph)

Operations

The Sunrise Izumo runs daily between Tokyo and Izumoshi in Shimane Prefecture, taking approximately 12 hours for the 953.6 km (592.5 mi) journey.[2] The service operates in conjunction with the Sunrise Seto service to Takamatsu between Tokyo and Okayama. The combined 14-car train departs from Tokyo, and stops at Yokohama, Atami, Numazu, Fuji, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu (final evening stop), Himeji (first morning stop), and arrives at Okayama, where the train splits. Between Okayama and Izumoshi, the 7-car Sunrise Izumo train stops at Kurashiki, Bitchū-Takahashi, Niimi, Yonago, Yasugi, Matsue, and Shinji, before arriving in Izumoshi. The return train departs from Izumoshi, and is coupled with the Sunrise Seto from Takamatsu at Okayama Station, departing together from there, and arriving at Tokyo Station in the next morning.

• 
  A Sunrise Seto & Sunrise Izumo combined formation on the Sanyo Main Line, May 2012
• 
  Sunrise Izumo and Sunrise Seto units being uncoupled at Okayama Station, March 2013

Station list

Line	Station		Distance (km)		Time[3]		Location
	Name	Japanese	Between stations	From Tokyo	Westbound (-> Izumoshi)	Eastbound (-> Tokyo)	Ward / City / District	Prefecture / Metropolis
Tōkaidō Main Line	Tokyo	東京	-	0.0	22:00 Departure	07:08 Arrival	Chiyoda	Tokyo
	Yokohama	横浜	28.8	28.8	22:23 Arrival 22:24 Departure	06:44 Arrival 06:45 Departure	Yokohama	Kanagawa
	Atami	熱海	75.8	104.6	23:21 Arrival 23:23 Departure	05:43 Arrival 05:45 Departure	Atami	Shizuoka
	Numazu	沼津	21.6	126.2	23:39 Arrival 23:40 Departure	05:26 Arrival 05:27 Departure	Numazu
	Fuji	富士	20.0	146.2	23:53 Arrival 23:54 Departure	05:09 Arrival 05:10 Departure	Fuji
	Shizuoka	静岡	34.0	180.2	00:19 Arrival 00:20 Departure	04:38 Arrival 04:40 Departure	Shizuoka
	Hamamatsu	浜松	76.9	257.1	01:11 Arrival 01:12 Departure	↑ (Brief stop)	Hamamatsu
	Toyohashi	豊橋	36.5	293.6	(Brief stop)		Toyohashi	Aichi
	Nagoya	名古屋	72.4	366.0	↓	↑ (Brief stop)	Nagoya
	Gifu	岐阜	30.3	396.3	↓ (Brief stop)	↑	Gifu	Gifu
	Maibara	米原	49.6	445.9	(Brief stop)		Maibara	Shiga
	Ōsaka	大阪	110.5	556.4	↓ (Brief stop)	00:32 Arrival 00:34 Departure	Osaka	Osaka
	Sannomiya	三ノ宮	30.6	587.0	↓	00:12 Arrival 00:13 Departure	Kobe	Hyogo
Sanyō Main Line	Himeji	姫路	57.3	644.3	05:25 Arrival 05:26 Departure	23:33 Arrival 23:35 Departure	Himeji
	Okayama	岡山	88.6	732.9	06:27 Arrival (Decouple and separate from Sunrise Seto) 06:34 Departure	22:30 Arrival (Couple with Sunrise Seto) 22:34 Departure	Okayama	Okayama
	Kurashiki	倉敷	15.9	748.8	06:46 Arrival 06:47 Departure	22:13 Arrival 22:14 Departure	Kurashiki
Hakubi Line
	Bitchū-Takahashi	備中高梁	34.0	782.8	07:14 Arrival 07:14 Departure	21:47 Arrival 21:48 Departure	Takahashi
	Niimi	新見	30.4	813.2	07:43 Arrival 07:44 Departure	21:19 Arrival 21:20 Departure	Niimi
	Nunohara	布原	3.9	817.1	↓	↑ (Brief stop)
	Niizato	新郷	14.5	831.6	↓	↑ (Brief stop)
	Kami-Iwami	上石見	3.9	835.5	↓ (Brief stop)	↑	Hino	Tottori
	Ebi	江尾	31.4	866.9	↓ (Brief stop)	↑	Kofu
	Hōki-Mizoguchi	伯耆溝口	9.2	876.1	↓	↑ (Brief stop)	Saihaku
San'in Main Line	Yonago	米子	15.9	892.0	09:03 Arrival 09:05 Departure	19:54 Arrival 19:56 Departure	Yonago
	Yasugi	安来	8.8	900.8	09:13 Arrival 09:14 Departure	19:45 Arrival 19:46 Departure	Yasugi	Shimane
	Iya	揖屋	10.4	911.2	↓	↑ (Brief stop)	Matsue
	Matsue	松江	9.7	920.9	09:29 Arrival 09:31 Departure	19:23 Arrival 19:24 Departure
	Tamatsukuri-Onsen	玉造温泉	6.6	927.5	↓	↑ (Brief stop)
	Shinji	宍道	10.4	937.9	09:45 Arrival 09:46 Departure	19:05 Arrival 19:06 Departure
	Izumoshi	出雲市	15.7	953.6	09:58 Arrival	18:51 Departure	Izumo

• Sunrise Izumo trains make brief stops for several reasons, such as crew changes at JR region boundaries and also train meetings, which are very prominent when on the Hakubi Line, as the majority of the line is only single track. Passengers cannot board or get off the train when it makes such stops at stations.
• Regularly, only eastbound services will operate between Atami and Yokohama via the Tōkaidō Freight Line, where trains enter the line at Odawara and exit at Chigasaki back to the Tōkaidō Main Line.

Formation

Trains are formed of dedicated 7-car 285 series Sunrise Express electric multiple units (EMUs) owned by both JR Central and JR West. They are formed as shown below, with cars numbered 8 to 14 in the down (westbound) direction, with car 14 at the Tokyo end, and 1 to 7 in the up (Tokyo-bound) direction, with car 7 at the Tokyo end.[1]

Car No.	1/8	2/9	3/10	4/11	5/12	6/13	7/14
Numbering	KuHaNe 285	SaHaNe 285	MoHaNe 285	SaRoHaNe 285	MoHaNe 285	SaHaNe 285	KuHaNe 285
Accommodation	B single berths	B single berths	B solo berths	Single DX berths	B single berths Nobinobi floor space	B single berths	B single berths
	B single/ single-twin berths	B single/ single-twin berths		Sunrise twin berths		B single/ single-twin berths	B single/ single-twin berths
Facilities			Mini saloon area, vending machine, shower		Vending machine

• Car 2/9 has a wheelchair-accessible compartment
• Each car has toilet facilities at one end.[4]
• Smoking is prohibited outside of smoking cabins.[3]

Accommodation, Ticketing and Facilities

The Sunrise Express services consist of six types of accommodation. There are five types of berths: A Single Deluxe, B Sunrise Twin (2-person use), B Single Twin (1 or 2-person use), B Single and B Solo. There is also a carpeted sleeping space called the Nobinobi sleeping area.

To ride the train, several fares are required. All passengers require a basic fare ticket (乗車券, Jousha ken) and a limited express ticket (特急券, Tokkyu ken) based on the distance traveled. On top of these, those wishing to travel in a private room must also pay for a berth ticket (寝台券, Shindai ken), while those traveling in the Nobinobi sleeping area must pay a small seat reservation charge (座席指定料金, zaseki shitei ryoukin) in order to reserve an individual sleeping space.

The berth and seat reservation charges are fixed, regardless of where the journey starts and ends.

Accommodation Price Table[5][6]

Person	Accommodation	Price
1-person use berth	A Single Deluxe	¥13980
	B Single Twin	¥9600
	B Single	¥7700
	B Solo	¥6600
2-people use berths	B Sunrise Twin	¥15400 for two people
	B Single Twin	¥15000 for two people
1-person use seating	Nobinobi sleeping area	¥530 seat reservation charge (+200 for peak seasons) (-200 for off seasons)

For example, a passenger traveling one-way from Tokyo to Okayama in regular season would have to pay for a basic fare ticket and a limited express ticket between Tokyo and Okayama (¥10670 and ¥3300, respectively) before adding on either the Nobinobi reservation charge or the berth ticket.

Tickets can be purchased up to one month before departure at a JR Midori no Madoguchi in Japan, or online through the JR West Seat Reservation website. Holders of the Japan Rail Pass can reserve a Nobinobi space for free, or reserve a berth by paying the limited express and berth charges.

A shower is located in cars 3 and 10. Passengers using the A Single Deluxe compartments are provided with a free shower card to use the showers on the train, while other passengers have to pay ¥330 for a shower card if they desire to use the showers. Lounges are also located in cars 3 and 10. Drink vending machines are available in cars 3, 5, 10 and 12.

• 
  "Single Deluxe" compartment
• 
  Car 4/11 corridor
• 
  Single berth
• 
  Single-twin berth
• 
  Nobinobi open-plan sleeping area (car 5/12, upper floor)
• 
  Nobinobi open-plan sleeping area (car 5/12, lower floor)
• 
  Shower cubicle (car 3/10)
• 
  Mini lounge area (car 3/10)

History

Locomotive-hauled Izumo service, December 1997

The Sunrise Izumo services were introduced together with the Sunrise Seto on 10 July 1998.[7] Previously, the Izumo operated as a separate "Blue train" service connecting Tokyo with the Sanin region. However, these trains were becoming less popular as equipment became outdated, and air and bus services attracted more passengers. The Sunrise Izumo was intended to attract more passengers to train transportation by introducing newly designed trains and by reducing the journey time.

Following the introduction of the Sunrise Izumo, the original Izumo locomotive-hauled "Blue train" service was reduced from two return workings daily to one return working, serving the Sanin Main Line between Kyoto and Tottori Prefecture, most of which was not electrified and thus inaccessible by the electric Sunrise Express trains.[7] The Izumo was ultimately discontinued on 13 March 2006 due to continuing decline in ridership, leaving the Sunrise Izumo as the only overnight train service between the Sanin region and Tokyo.

Ridership on overnight trains in Japan continues to decline, and from March 2009, the Sunrise Izumo and Sunrise Seto became the only overnight sleeping car trains to operate west of Tokyo via the Tokaido Line.[8]

See also

• Sunrise Seto
• Izumo (train), the blue train predecessor to the Sunrise Izumo
• List of named passenger trains of Japan

References

1. ＪＲ新幹線＆特急列車ファイル [JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File]. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. 2008. p. 124. ISBN 978-4-330-00608-6.
2. Haraguchi, Takayuki (2009). Encyclopedia of JR's Railway Cars: ＪＲ全車輌. Japan: Sekai Bunka. p. 34. ISBN 978-4-418-09905-4.
3. JR時刻表 [JR Timetable]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. March 2013. p. 144. EAN 4910053110334.
4. JR電車編成表 2013夏 [JR EMU Formations - Summer 2013]. Japan: JRR. May 2013. p. 122. ISBN 978-4-330-37313-3.
5. "寝台券" [Berth ticket]. jr-odekake.net (in Japanese). West Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
6. "指定席券" [Reserved Seat Ticket]. jr-odekake.net (in Japanese). West Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
7. こだわりの新幹線＆特急列車ガイド [In-depth Shinkansen & Limited Express Guide]. Japan: Ikaros Publishing. August 2000. pp. 194–195. ISBN 4-87149-284-2.
8. Ogano, Minoru (March 2011). 新幹線・特急大図鑑2011 [Shinkansen & Limited Express Directory 2011]. Japan: JTB Publishing. p. 112. ISBN 978-4-533-08193-4.

External links

• JR West Sunrise Izumo / Sunrise Seto (in Japanese)