Kamome
Kamome (かもめ) is a limited express train operated by JR Kyushu in Japan. It operates between Hakata and Nagasaki on the Kagoshima Main Line and the Nagasaki Main Line. Kamome means seagull in Japanese.
885 series Shiroi Kamome | |
Overview | |
---|---|
Service type | Limited express |
First service | 1937 |
Current operator(s) | JR Kyushu |
Route | |
Line(s) used | Kagoshima Main Line, Nagasaki Main Line |
Technical | |
Rolling stock | 787 series, 885 series EMUs |
Operating speed | 130 km/h (80 mph) |
History
The Kamome name (written as "鷗") was first used from 1 July 1937 on limited express trains operating between Tokyo and Kobe. This service continued until February 1943.[1]
The name (written as "かもめ") was subsequently revived from 15 March 1953 for use on limited express services operating between Kyoto and Hakata. This service was discontinued in March 1975 with the completion of the Sanyō Shinkansen to Hakata.[1]
The service in its current form commenced on 1 July 1976, coinciding with electrification of the Nagasaki Main Line (initially operating between Kokura and Nagasaki, later between Hakata and Nagasaki) using 485 series EMUs.[1]
Rolling stock
Rolling stock currently used
- 787 series EMUs (initially branded Hyper Saloon, since 1989)
- 885 series tilting EMUs (branded Shiroi Kamome and Shiroi Sonic, since 2000)
Station stops
Stations in parentheses are not served by all trains.
- Hakata - (Futsukaichi) - Tosu - Shin-Tosu - Saga - (Hizen-Yamaguchi) - Hizen-Kashima - Isahaya - Urakami - Nagasaki
Special stops
- Balloon Saga: Some trains heading towards Nagasaki stop here during the Saga International Balloon Fiesta.
- Tara: Some trains stop here during the crab season (generally December to February).
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kamome. |
- JR Timetable, December 2008
- JR新幹線&特急列車ファイル (JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File). Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. 2008. ISBN 978-4-330-00608-6.
- 列車名鑑1995 (Train Name Directory 1995). Japan: Railway Journal. August 1995.