jpatokal

So I took jpatokal jr. to the Railway Museum in Omiya today, and as expected it was the best thing since Shimajiro if you happen to be a preschooler who loves trains. To maximize the day's train-ocity, we took the Shinkansen there, which is easy enough since there's a train every 10 min or less between Tokyo and Omiya... but I had a really hard time finding out which train models were used for each service? I couldn't find anywhere on JR's pages that covers this, so I had to resort to cross-referencing Wikipedia and random pages like this for eg. the recently launched E7's schedule.

Surely there's a search engine somewhere where I can just punch in "Tokyo" and "Omiya", and it will show me the next departures and their train models?

ChrisLi

Weekday: http://www.jreast-timetable.jp/1404/...9/1039020.html
Weekend: http://www.jreast-timetable.jp/1404/...9/1039021.html

Most if not all that display 青 (Heading to Shin-Aomori) runs by E5 Shinkansen

http://www.jreast.co.jp/nagano/pdf/140224.pdf

All the listed frequency runs by E7 Shinkansen.

However I doubt its worth it except for the hype because they only travel at 120KM/H for that sector of Shinkansen

jib71

Ooh. Looks complicated ...

This page on JR East's site lists the services that are served by each train - but there are multiple options for some named services:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/amenity/index.html

AlwaysAisle

I understand that Tokyo – Ueno – Omiya is too short of a distance to experience Shinkansen, and may not make sense to specifically choose E7 train to ride on this short segment which does not even reach maximum speed.

However, as a train geek I totally understand just for sake of riding on E7 Shinkansen (I understand all trains look same from none train geeks’ eye). E7 will be used for Kagayaki between Tokyo and Kanazawa when Hokuriku Shinkansen opens on Spring of 2015. E7 Kagayaki will have Gran Class like current E5 running between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori.

Cool that you visited the Railway Museum in Omiya. I have never been one at Omiya but I have been to the Railway Museum when it was located near Ochanomizu station in Tokyo. That was long time ago… When I visited London I took a train up to York to visit National Railway Museum where original Shinkansen 0 model is on display.

JR’s formula is that train can compete with airplane if the travel time is less than three hours. Tokyo – Kanazawa will be 2 – 2.5 hours by Shinkansen. I am wondering what is ANA and JAL’s plan for Haneda-Toyama and Haneda-Komatsu route when Shinkansen start running next year?

armagebedar

Most likely, reduction of service to just that required to feed international flights; at worst, elimination of one or both routes.

jpatokal

So I take it the answer is no? I'm somewhat shocked. I do recall finding a full list of 700 vs N700 services on the Tokaido Shinkansen a few years back, but that might have been a JR Central thing.

And as far as the Hokuriku Shinkansen causing decreased flights, it was a brilliant stroke of planning to build yet another new airport up there a few years ago that's already barely used as it is...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noto_Airport

jib71

After the Shinkansen opens, Flights to Noto might continue to make almost as much sense as they always have - not very much. If I recall, the whole enterprise requires massive subsidies.

jpatokal

ANA and Ishikawa Pref. have an interesting agreement where the two agree on a target minimum occupancy rate, where Ishikawa makes up the loss if the rate is not met, but ANA pays the excess to Ishikawa if it is met. Per the Japanese WP, as of 2010, the rate was met for seven years in a row.

That said, while I'm mildly heartened to hear that operating the airport is apparently not terribly expensive, I'm sure the taxpayers will be paying off the original cost of construction for decades to come...

BalbC

I think it's on the printed timetables. It used to be on the abbreviated limited express/shinkansen timetables they give to Japan rail pass holders. I can't find it online now (except for the pages for the Tokaido Shinkansen on JR Central's site).

closetasfan

I don't know if this helps, but once you get to the museum, if you go to the Shinkansen Observation deck on the top floor, there is a timetable that lists the types used on all trains from Omiya so at least you can figure them out for the return trip.