Twilight Express

Twilight Express
Twilight Express hauled by an EF81 electric locomotive with headboard in the Osaka area
Service type	Limited express
Operator	JR West
Maximum speed	110 km/h
Started	1989
Rolling stock	24 series sleeping cars

The Twilight Express (トワイライトエクスプレス) is the longest overnight train service operating in Japan. Operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), it runs between the city of Sapporo on the northern island of Hokkaido and Osaka on south-western Honshu. The journey takes between 22 and 23 hours.

Trains for Sapporo depart Osaka at 11:50, and call at Shin-Ōsaka, Kyoto, Tsuruga, Fukui, Kanazawa, Takaoka, Toyama, Naoetsu, and Nagaoka, with the final passenger pick-up made at Niitsu at 19:39. The first stop in Hokkaidō is at Tōya at 07:18. The train then makes four more stops before arriving at Sapporo at 09:52.

The same stops are made in the reverse, with the Twilight Express departing Sapporo at 14:05 and making its final pickup at Tōya at 16:33. The first stop at Niitsu is made at 04:33 with the train eventually making its way to Kyoto at 12:15 and finally arriving at Osaka at 12:52.

The Twilight Express consists of type "A" and "B" accommodations, all specific to this particular train. A flat fee is charged for all rooms, regardless of starting or ending location. Currently, accommodation rates range from about ¥9,000 for a "B" single twin room to about ¥17,000 for a "B" twin room or an "A" royal room, up to ¥51,000 for the suite room.

The other fares, the basic fare and limited express fare, are based on distance. For tourists using the Japan Rail Pass, the basic fare does not have to be paid, although the limited express fare and room fare must be paid.

Trains depart several times per week, with more departures during holiday periods. The Nihonkai train makes daily round-trip runs between Osaka and Aomori, with ongoing connections to Sapporo.

Route

The Twilight Express runs on the following rail lines:

West Japan Railway Company (JR West)

• JR Kyoto Line (Tōkaidō Main Line), Osaka - Yamashina
• Kosei Line, Yamashina - Omi-Shiotsu
• Hokuriku Main Line, Omi-Shiotsu - Naoetsu

East Japan Railway Company (JR East)

• Shinetsu Main Line, Naoetsu - Niitsu
• Uetsu Main Line, Niitsu - Akita
• Ou Main Line, Akita - Aomori Signal Station¹

Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido)

• Tsugaru Kaikyō Line, Aomori Signal Station - Kanita² - Goryōkaku¹
• Hakodate Main Line, Goryōkaku - Oshamambe
• Muroran Main Line, Oshamambe - Numanohata
• Chitose Line, Numanohata - Shiroishi
• Hakodate Main Line, Shiroishi - Sapporo

¹Train reversal point
²Crew change location for conductors (JR West and JR Hokkaido)

The Tsugaru Kaikyō Line runs over the tracks of the Tsugaru Line, Kaikyō Line, Esashi Line and Hakodate Main Line.

Locomotives

Twilight Express hauled by two Class DD51 diesel locomotives in Hokkaidō

Three types of locomotives are used to haul the Twilight Express service:

• Osaka to Aomori: JNR Class EF81 electric locomotive assigned to Fukui Depot
• Aomori to Goryōkaku: JNR Class ED79 electric locomotive assigned to Hakodate Depot
• Goryōkaku to Sapporo: JNR Class DD51 diesel locomotives assigned to Hakodate Depot (double-headed)

Timetable (as of March 2011)

• For the Osaka departure to Sapporo, read down. For the Sapporo departure to Osaka, read up.
• Stations that are not used for passenger pick-up or drop-off are in italics.

Down	Station name	Up
Dp 11:50 (Track 10) ↓	Osaka	Ar 12:52 (Track 3) ↑
Ar 11:55 (Track 12) Dp 11:56	Shin-Ōsaka	Dp 12:48 (Track 17) Ar 12:47
Ar 12:24 (Track 0) Dp 12:25	Kyoto	Dp 12:18 (Track 7) Ar 12:15
Ar 13:46 Dp 13:48	Tsuruga	Dp 10:52 Ar 10:36
Ar 14:40 (Track 1) Dp 14:40	Fukui	Dp 09:56 (Track 5) Ar 09:54
Ar 15:37 (Track 7) Dp 15:40	Kanazawa	Dp 08:51 (Track 1) Ar 08:49
Ar 16:14 Dp 16:14	Takaoka	Dp 08:18 Ar 08:18
Ar 16:30 (Track 6) Dp 16:31	Toyama	Dp 08:03 (Track 3) Ar 08:01
17:28	Itoigawa	06:58
Ar 17:57 Dp 17:59	Naoetsu	Dp 06:27 Ar 06:25
Ar 18:56 Dp 18:58	Nagaoka	Dp 05:29 Ar 05:17
Ar 19:37 Dp 19:39	Niitsu	Dp 04:40 Ar 04:33
20:14	Nakajō	↑
20:41	Echigo-Hayakawa	3:29
21:50	Fujishima	↑
22:07	Sakata	2:04
23:51	Akita	0:34
1:24	Ōdate	23:04
2:05	Hirosaki	22:27
↓	Tsugaru-Shinjō	21:56
↓	Aomori Signal Station (near Aomori Station) Train reversal point	↑
3:19	Kanita Crew change station for conductors JR West <> JR Hokkaido	20:38
↓ Enter 3:41 Exit 4:20 ↓	Seikan Tunnel	↑ Exit 20:17 Enter 19:41 ↑
5:05	Goryōkaku Train reversal point	18:43
↓	Oshamambe	17:05
Ar 07:18 Dp 07:18	Tōya	Dp 16:33 Ar 16:23
Ar 07:52 Dp 07:54	Higashi-Muroran	Dp 15:50 Ar 15:48
Ar 08:11 Dp 08:12	Noboribetsu	Dp 15:34 Ar 15:33
Ar 08:50 Dp 08:50	Tomakomai	Dp 15:00 Ar 14:59
Ar 09:10 Dp 09:11	Minami-Chitose	Dp 14:39 Ar 14:39
↓ Ar 09:52 (Track 3)	Sapporo	↑ Dp 14:05 (Track 4)
Down	Station name	Up

References

• ＪＲ新幹線＆特急列車ファイル (JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File). Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. 2008. pp. 126. ISBN 978-4-330-00608-6. 

• West Japan Railway Food Service Net Company Twilight Express Q&A (in Japanese)

External links

• Dream Rail Trip on Twilight Express 2004 promotional video for the Twilight Express. (Windows Media, in English)
• Twilight Express Train Gallery Twilight Express train route and composition information. (In Japanese)