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Thunderbird (train)

{{Short description|Japanese limited express train service}}

{{italic title}}

{{about|the Japanese limited express service|the British locomotive|British Rail Class 57|other uses|Thunderbird (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{Infobox rail service

| name = Thunderbird

| logo =

| logo_width =

| image = JRW Series683-4000R.jpg

| image_width =

| caption = A refurbished JR-West 683-4000 series train on a Thunderbird service in April 2022

| type = Limited express

| status = Operational

| locale = Japan

| predecessor =

| first = 1995

| last =

| successor =

| operator = JR West

| start =

| stops =

| end =

| distance =

| journeytime =

| frequency =

| line_used = Tokaido Line (JR Kyoto Line), Kosei Line

| class =

| access =

| seating =

| catering =

| observation =

| entertainment =

| baggage =

| otherfacilities =Universal Toilets

| stock = 681 series, 683 series

| gauge = {{RailGauge|1067mm}}

| el =

| speed =

| owners =

| routenumber =

| map =

| map_state =

}}

The {{nihongo|Thunderbird|サンダーバード|Sandābādo}} is a limited express train service operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between {{STN|Osaka|x}} and {{STN|Tsuruga|x}} in Japan, using portions of the Tokaido Main Line and Kosei Line.

Station stops

Stations in parentheses are not served by all services.

=''Thunderbird''=

Osaka – Tsuruga: {{STN|Osaka|x}} - {{STN|Shin-Osaka|x}} - ({{STN|Takatsuki|x|Osaka}}) - {{STN|Kyoto|x}} - ({{STN|Katata|x}}) - ({{STN|Omi-Imazu|x}}) - {{STN|Tsuruga|x}}

=''Business Thunderbird''=

(an extra train which runs from Osaka to Tsuruga in the morning on weekdays after holidays)

Osaka → Shin-Osaka → Kyoto → Tsuruga{{Needs update|date=March 2024|reason=Unsure if this service still runs or not.}}

Rolling stock

File:JRW Series681-0 V12.jpg

Formations

Services are formed as follows:

=''Thunderbird''=

class="wikitable"
Car No.style="background: #E6FFE6" | 1style="background: #FFF2E6"| 2style="background: #FFF2E6"| 3style="background: #FFF2E6"| 4style="background: #FFF2E6"| 5style="background: #FFF2E6"| 6style="background: #FFF2E6"|7style="background: #FFF2E6"| 8style="background: #FFF2E6"| 9
Accommodation

| style="background: #F5FFF5" | Green || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5" | Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved

class="wikitable"
Car No.style="background: #E6FFE6" | 1style="background: #FFF2E6"| 2style="background: #FFF2E6"| 3style="background: #FFF2E6"| 4style="background: #FFF2E6"| 5style="background: #FFF2E6"| 6style="background: #FFF2E6"|7style="background: #FFF2E6"| 8style="background: #FFF2E6"| 9style="background: #FFF2E6"| 10style="background: #FFF2E6"| 11style="background: #FFF2E6"| 12
Accommodation

| style="background: #F5FFF5" | Green || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5" | Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved

=''Business Thunderbird''=

class="wikitable"
Car No.style="background: #FFF2E6"|1style="background: #FFF2E6"| 2style="background: #FFF2E6"| 3
Accommodation

| style="background: #FFFAF5" |Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5" | Reserved || style="background: #FFFAF5"| Reserved

History

From the start of the 20 April 1995 timetable revision, new 681 series EMUs were introduced on Osaka to Toyama services, named Super Raichō (Thunderbird).{{cite book | script-title=ja: 列車名鑑1995 |trans-title=Train Name Directory 1995| publisher = Railway Journal| date = August 1995 | location = Japan}} These became simply Thunderbird from March 1997.

The last remaining Raichō service was discontinued from the start of the 12 March 2011 timetable revision, with all trains subsequently using the Thunderbird name.{{cite web|url= http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20101217-00000102-jij-bus_all|script-title= ja: 特急「雷鳥」、来年3月で引退＝「サンダーバード」に統一―JR西|trans-title= "Raichō" Limited express to be retired next March and standardized with "Thunderbird" - JR West|date= 17 December 2010|publisher= Yahoo Japan Corporation|language= ja|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101220175536/http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20101217-00000102-jij-bus_all|archive-date= 20 December 2010|access-date= 17 December 2010|url-status= dead}}

From the start of the revised timetable on 14 March 2015, with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, all Thunderbird services were shortened for the first time to run between Osaka, Kanazawa and Wakura-Onsen.{{Cite press release|url=http://www.westjr.co.jp/press/article/items/140827_00_w7.pdf|publisher=West Japan Railway Company|script-title=ja: 北陸新幹線長野〜金沢駅間開業時の特急・快速列車について |date=2014-08-27 |access-date=2014-08-27}}

From the start of the revised timetable on 16 March 2024, all Thunderbird services were shortened for the second time to run between Osaka and Tsuruga with the opening of the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Kanazawa and Tsuruga.{{Cite web |date=31 August 2023 |title=金沢―敦賀間の特急サンダーバード、しらさぎ廃止を発表 JR西日本、敦賀駅で乗り換え必要に |url=https://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/articles/-/1859735 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831013850/https://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/articles/-/1859735 |archive-date=31 August 2023 |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=Fukui Shimbun ONLINE |language=ja}} With effect from the same date, all non-reserved seating was discontinued on all Thunderbird services.{{Cite web |date=15 December 2023 |title=JR西日本，3月16日にダイヤ改正を実施 〜北陸新幹線 金沢—敦賀間が延伸開業〜 |trans-title=Timetable revisions on JR West effective 16 March 2024 |url=https://railf.jp/news/2023/12/15/162300.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217225240/https://railf.jp/news/2023/12/15/162300.html |archive-date=17 December 2023 |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=Japan Railfan Magazine Online |language=ja}}

Incidents

On 3 August 2006, a woman was raped by a 36-year-old man in a train toilet while travelling on the Thunderbird 50 service (just after Fukui Station), despite the car being occupied by approximately 40 other passengers.{{cite web |url= http://www.japantoday.com/jp/shukan/395 |title= Train rapist took advantage of passengers' apathy, fear in night of terror |date= 2 May 2007 |work= Japan Today|location= Japan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516061704/http://www.japantoday.com/jp/shukan/395|archive-date=2007-05-16|url-status=dead }} As a result, JR West introduced a "women-only" section in the reserved-seating cars of Raichō and Thunderbird trains from October 2007, and JR East added prominent "SOS" stickers inside all of its trains in June 2007.{{cite news |url= http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2007/05/24/news/sos-stickers-going-up-in-every-jr-east-car |title= 'SOS' stickers going up in every JR East car |date= 24 May 2007 |work= The Japan Times |publisher= The Japan Times Ltd. |location= Japan|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160409102713/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2007/05/24/news/sos-stickers-going-up-in-every-jr-east-car/ |archive-date= 9 April 2016 |url-status=live |access-date= 29 January 2017 }} On 17 January 2008, the district court in Otsu sentenced the man to 18 years in prison.{{cite news |url= http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/01/18/national/train-rapist-who-cowed-passengers-gets-18-years |title= Train rapist who cowed passengers gets 18 years |date= 18 January 2008 |work= The Japan Times |publisher= The Japan Times Ltd. |location= Japan|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170129030328/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/01/18/national/train-rapist-who-cowed-passengers-gets-18-years#.WI1bj1zMIxE |archive-date= 29 January 2017 |url-status=live |access-date= 29 January 2017 }}

Future developments

All of the 681 and 683 series trainsets used on Thunderbird limited express services are scheduled to undergo a programme of refurbishment from autumn 2015 until the end of fiscal 2018.{{cite web |url= http://tetsudo-shimbun.com/article/topic/entry-304.html|script-title=ja: より快適に！北陸～近畿を結ぶ特急「サンダーバード」、車両リニューアルへ |trans-title=Rolling stock to be refurbished for Thunderbird limited express trains linking Hokuriku and Kinki|date= 28 January 2015|publisher= Tetsudo Shimbun|location= Japan|language= ja|access-date= 28 January 2015}}

See also

  • Shirasagi: Limited-express service between Nagoya and the Hokuriku region, using identical rolling stock with slightly different livery

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

  • [http://www.westjr.co.jp/english/global.html West Japan Railway Company]

{{JR West trains}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thunderbird}}

Category:Named passenger trains of Japan

Category:Railway services introduced in 1995

Category:West Japan Railway Company