West Express Ginga
{{Short description|Japanese overnight sleeper train service}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox rail service
| name = WEST EXPRESS Ginga
| image = JR-WEST 117 series "WEST EXPRESS GINGA" at JR-Sojiji.jpg
| image_width = 300px
| caption = The West Express Ginga at JR-Sōjiji Station
| type = Limited express
| status = Operational
| locale = Japan
| predecessor =
| first = 11 September 2020
| last =
| successor =
| operator = JR West
| formeroperator=
| ridership =
| line_used = {{Plainlist|
- Tōkaidō Main Line
- San'yō Main Line
- Hakubi Line
- San'in Main Line
- Osaka Loop Line
- Hanwa Line
- Kisei Main Line}}
| start = {{Plainlist|
- {{STN|Kyoto|x}} (San'in Route, Kinan Route)
- {{STN|Osaka|x}} (San'yo Route)}}
| stops =
| end = {{Plainlist|
- {{STN|Izumoshi|x}} (San'in Route)
- {{STN|Shimonoseki|x}} (San'yo Route)
- {{STN|Shingu|x}} (Kinan Route)}}
| distance =
| journeytime =
| frequency =
| trainnumber =
| class =
| access =
| seating =
| sleeping =
| observation =
| catering =
| stock = 117 series
| gauge = {{RailGauge|1067mm|lk=on}}
| el = 1,500 V DC overhead
| speed =
| owners =
| routenumber =
| map =
| map_state =
}}
The West Express Ginga, stylized as WEST EXPRESS Ginga ({{langx|ja|ウエストエクスプレス 銀河|Uesuto Ekusupuresu Ginga}}), is a limited express train service in Japan operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) since September 2020. It is the second service using the Ginga name, after the now-discontinued Ginga.
Overview
JR West first discussed visions for a new long-distance train in 2016, after launching the Twilight Express Mizukaze.{{cite news |last1=恵 |first1=知仁 |title=JR西日本、新たな長距離列車の運行を検討 「鉄道の旅を気軽に楽しめるものを」 |url=https://trafficnews.jp/post/60660 |access-date=1 October 2024 |work=Traffic News |date=November 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404220106/https://trafficnews.jp/post/60660 |archive-date=2022-04-04 }} In 2019 plans for the West Express Ginga, including its name, design, and rolling stock, were officially revealed.{{cite web |title=WEST EXPRESS 銀河 |url=https://www.westjr.co.jp/press/article/items/190319_00_ginga.pdf |publisher=JR West |access-date=1 October 2024}}
Ginga means galaxy in Japanese. The service is designed to run as a sightseeing train in western Japan (hence West Express).{{cite news |last1=Tsurita |first1=Yuki |title=Photo Journal: Galactic express |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190321/p2a/00m/0na/012000c |access-date=1 October 2024 |work=The Mainichi |date=March 21, 2019}} The service includes passengers being treated to local cuisine and sightseeing guides both on the train and at different stations.{{cite news |last1=Naoi |first1=Masao |title=Sightseeing train 'Ginga' will be full steam ahead again in October |url=https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14716973 |access-date=1 October 2024 |work=Asahi Shimbun |date=September 23, 2022}}
Originally meant to start operations in May 2020, the launch of the service was delayed to September 11, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.{{cite news |last1=Shibasaki |first1=Tatsuya |title=JR West's new sightseeing train debuts after months-long delay due to coronavirus |url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200912/p2a/00m/0bu/025000c |access-date=7 October 2024 |work=The Mainichi |date=September 12, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Oya |first1=Hideyuki |title=Delayed by virus, sightseeing train to make 1st run in Sanin region |url=https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13664131 |access-date=7 October 2024 |work=Asahi Shimbun |date=September 7, 2020}}
Operation status
The West Express Ginga is a limited express train service that requires reservations ahead of time. Unlike the original Ginga, it is not strictly a sleeper train, and has both nighttime and daytime routes. It currently runs three different service routes, each at different times of the year:
= Stations =
Kinan Route ({{STN|Kyoto|x}} to {{STN|Shingu|x}})
In 2024, the West Express Ginga ran its Kinan route from 1 July to 25 September.{{cite web |title=「WEST EXPRESS 銀河」紀南コース4年目運行 |url=https://www.jr-odekake.net/railroad/westexginga/pdf/press_20240507.pdf |publisher=JR West |access-date=1 October 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:100%; margin:1em 0em 2em 2em;" |
| style="border-bottom:solid 3px #224B8F;"
|+Kinan Route - Night (To Shingu) ! style="width:7em;"|Station ! style="width:5em;"|Line ! style="width:10em;"|Arrival ! style="width:10em;"|Departure |
| Kyoto
| rowspan="3"|18pxJR Kyoto Line || — || 21:15 |
|---|
| Shin-Osaka
| 22:10 || 22:13 |
| Osaka
| 22:17 || 22:19 |
| Wakayama
|rowspan="4"|{{rcb|JR Central|Kisei|yes}} | 23:42 || 0:40 |
| Kushimoto
| 6:50 || 8:00 |
| Kii-Katsuura
| 9:05 || 9:10 |
| Shingu
| 9:37 || — |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:100%; margin:1em 0em 2em 2em;" |
| style="border-bottom:solid 3px #224B8F;"
|+Kinan Route - Day (To Kyoto){{refn|group=note|name=Note 1|Weekend times are shown in parentheses.}} ! style="width:7em;"|Station ! style="width:5em;"|Line ! style="width:10em;"|Arrival ! style="width:10em;"|Departure |
| Shingu
|rowspan="11"|{{rcb|JR Central|Kisei|yes}} | — || 13:05 |
|---|
| Kii-Katsuura
| 13:25 || 13:31 |
| Taiji
| 13:42 || 13:45 |
| Koza
| 14:20 || 14:23 |
| Kushimoto
| 14:31 || 15:07 |
| Susami
| 15:46 || 16:00 |
| Shirahama
| 16:23 || 16:24 |
| Kii-Tanabe
| 16:35 || 16:54 |
| Gobō
| 17:27 || 17:28 |
| Kainan
| 18:06 || 18:23 |
| Wakayama
| 18:33 || 18:44 |
| Hineno
| rowspan="2"|18px Hanwa Line | 19:35 (19:28) || 19:37 (19:31) |
| Tennōji
| 20:03 || 20:05 |
| Osaka
| rowspan="3"|18px JR Kyoto Line || 20:16 || 20:17 |
| Shin-Osaka
| 20:21 || 20:22 |
| Kyoto
|| 20:53 || — |
San'in Route ({{STN|Kyoto|x}} to {{STN|Izumoshi|x}})
In 2024, the West Express Ginga ran its San'in route from 18 March to 26 June.{{Cite web|title=「WEST EXPRESS 銀河」2024 年山陰コース 運行概要・おもてなしの詳細について |url=https://www.westjr.co.jp/press/article/items/240208_00_press_ginga_1.pdf|accessdate=|author=|date=|format=|work=西日本旅客鐵道|publisher=|language=ja}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:100%; margin:1em 0em 2em 2em;" |
| style="border-bottom:solid 3px #224B8F;"
|+WEST EXPRESS Ginga (San'in Route){{refn|group=note|name=Note 2|● denotes the train stops at the station, while - denotes the train does not stop at station. Trains going to Kyoto or to Izumoshi are separated by a / for Monday or Friday times.}} ! style="width:7em;"|Station ! style="width:5em;"|Line ! style="width:7em;"|To Kyoto ! style="width:7em;"|To Izumoshi ! style="width:10em;"|Arrival ! style="width:10em;"|Departure |
| Kyoto
| rowspan="2"|18px |
|---|
| Shin-Osaka
| - || ● || — / 22:07 || — / 22:17 |
| Osaka
| rowspan="5"|18px |
| Sannomiya
| ● || ● || 5:50 / 22:50 || 5:51 / 22:51 |
| Kōbe
| ● || ● || 5:46 / 22:53 || 5:47 / 22:55 |
| Nishi-Akashi
| - || ● || — / 23:12 || — / 23:15 |
| Himeji
| - || ● || — / (0:40 / 23:48) || — / 0:42 |
| Bitchū-Takahashi
| rowspan="4"|18pxHakubi Line || ● || - || 21:25 / — || 22:00 / — |
| Shōyama
| - || ● || — / 6:02 || — / 6:34 |
| Neu
| ● || - || 18:25 / — || 18:58 / — |
| Yonago
| ● || ● || 17:38 / 7:46 || 17:48 / (7:56 / 8:18) |
| Yasugi
| rowspan="5"|18px |
| Matsue
| ● || ● || 16:37 / 8:45 || 17:05 / 8:48 |
| Tamatsukuri-Onsen
| ● || ● || 16:27 / 9:01 || 16:30 / 9:02 |
| Shinji
| ● || ● || 16:15 / 9:15 || 16:16 / 9:17 |
| Izumoshi
| ● || ● || — / 9:31 || 16:00 / — |
San'yo Route ({{STN|Kyoto|x}} to {{STN|Shimonoseki|x}})
The West Express Ginga will run its San'yo route between 4 October 2024 to 12 March 2025. Originally run between Osaka and Shimonoseki in its first year, the route will be extended to run from Kyoto to Shimonoseki for 2024.{{cite web |title=運行情報(10-3月：山陽) |url=https://www.jr-odekake.net/railroad/westexginga/course_sanyo/ |access-date=9 October 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:100%; margin:1em 0em 2em 2em;" |
| style="border-bottom:solid 3px #224B8F;"
|+San'yo Route - Night (To Shimonoseki){{cite web |title=2024 年度「WEST EXPRESS 銀河」山陽コース 運行概要・おもてなしについて |url=https://www.westjr.co.jp/press/article/items/240822_00_press_WESTEXPRESSGingaSanyo.pdf |publisher=JR West |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905094630/https://www.westjr.co.jp/press/article/items/240822_00_press_WESTEXPRESSGingaSanyo.pdf |access-date=7 October 2024|archive-date=2024-09-05 }}{{refn|group=note|name=Note 3|() denotes Monday departure times.}} ! style="width:7em;"|Station ! style="width:5em;"|Line ! style="width:10em;"|Arrival ! style="width:10em;"|Departure |
| Kyoto
| rowspan="3"|18px || — || 21:15 |
|---|
| Shin-Osaka
| 22:07 || 22:17 |
| Osaka
| 22:21 || 22:28 |
| Sannomiya
|rowspan="4"|18px | 22:50 || 22:51 |
| Kōbe
| 22:53 || 22:55 |
| Nishi-Akashi
| 23:12 || 12:15 |
| Himeji
| 23:48 (00:40) || 0:42 |
| Hiroshima
|rowspan="10"|18px | 6:42 || 6:51 |
| Miyajimaguchi
| 7:16 || 7:18 |
| Iwakuni
| 7:37 || 7:42 |
| Yanai
| 8:13 || 8:31 |
| Tokuyama
| 9:03 || 9:05 |
| Hōfu
| 9:28 || 9:30 |
| Shin-Yamaguchi
| 9:45 || 9:47 |
| Ube
| 10:10 || 10:11 |
| Shin-Shimonoseki
| 10:41 || 10:42 |
| Shimonoseki
| 10:50 || — |
Rolling stock
The service consists of 6 cars modified from 117 series units that were previously used for the Kansai region's Special Rapid Service. The livery was designed by Yasuyuki Kawanishi, who also designed the Echigo Tokimeki Resort Setsugekka and Hisatsu Orange Railway.{{cite news |last1=福岡 |first1=誠 |title=「ウエストエクスプレス銀河」お披露目 まるで寝台列車のような車内 |url=https://tetsudo-shimbun.com/article/topic/entry-1936.html |access-date=7 October 2024 |work=Tetsudo Shimbun |date=January 25, 2020}}
Gallery
file:JRW West Express Ginga tail cropped.jpg|Car 1 (KuHa116-7016)
file:JRW West Express Ginga Moha 116-7036.jpg|Car 2 (MoHa116-7036)
file:JRW West Express Ginga Moha 117-7036.jpg|Car 3 (MoHa117-7036)
file:JRW West Express Ginga Moha 116-7032.jpg|Car 4 (MoHa116-7032)
file:JRW West Express Ginga Moha 117-7032.jpg|Car 5 (MoHa117-7032)
file:JRW West Express Ginga Kuro 117-7016.jpg|Car 6 (KuHa117-7016)
file:West Express Ginga train logo.jpg|Logo of the WEST EXPRESS Ginga painted on the sides of Cars 1, 4, and 6
See also
Notes
{{Reflist|group="note"|30em}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.jr-odekake.net/railroad/westexginga/ WEST EXPRESS Ginga (Official site)]
{{JR West trains|state=expanded}}
Category:2020 establishments in Japan
Category:Named passenger trains of Japan