Why South Japan has a Small Fleet of Strange High-Speed Commuter Trains | 800 Series Shinkansen
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- čas přidán 16. 03. 2024
- Join me on an adventure aboard the Kyushu Shinkansen's unique 800 series trains, which stand out due to their limited existence of only nine units and the fact that they never serve Tokyo. So, let's embark on a journey from Hakata to Kumamoto, exploring the peculiarities of these trains and see if they are any good?
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Train type: 800 series Shinkansen
Route: Hakata to Kumamoto
Train: 325 Tsubame
Distance: 117 km
Journey time: 48m
Average speed: 146 km/h
Price: 4700 yen or 29 €
A little correction. 3:12 that's the blue N700 series that is only 8 cars long and cannot run beyond Shin-Osaka to Tokyo. That train was probably running the Sakura or Mizuho service.
The 800 series is structurally the same as the 700 series, except for the fact that the designer Mr. Mitooka went for a previously designed but unused nose shape. The unique Kyushu design touches are so nice though! There are so many easter eggs hidden in this train.
I'm guessing the route doesn't have tunnels, so that's why he could use the more traditional design, compare to swordfish or duck bill of the mainline trains, which was designed for noise complaints due to tunnel booms
@@PrograError no real issues with tunnel boom due to low operational speed (260kph).
@@PrograError oh this was one of the options for the 700 series' design, with the same aerodynamic qualities. It was only not used until the 800 series for aesthetic reasons
Ah must have been something wrong with the timestamp of that clip as it matched with a depature time of a Nozomi. Intresting back story :D
Wny the Blue N700 cannot run until Tokyo? I dunno is something regards signalization because mostly if not all models on Tokaido today are standard in the N700S series. Is something regard the differents JRs?
Reminds me of the Javelin service in the UK, it is of similar length and has a similar commuter usage., although the train's interior is far worse
The Javelins have an impressively crummy interior, just the angle steel that holds up the seats gives an incredibly cheap and nasty look, they should have done far better, but then again that's basically every UK train...
@@wewillrockyou1986 Well said, I love the trains but the interior lets it down
I think the interior in these Shinkansen is pretty ugly compared to even some UK trains.
@@AnoujRajput it certainly looks more old fashioned but certainly more comfortable
@@oldtechnobodycaresabout they stated in the review it wouldn’t be comfortable for more than a hour or two
800 was designed for connecting Kagoshima with the south part of the Kyushu shinkansen before the extension in 2011 where the N700/7000-8000 were added. 800s still are needed as they take the pressure of the 8 car sets by offering a 6 car all stop service. They still play a critical role albeit a limited one. Some are already over 20 years old but since they dont see heavy use these trains should be in service for at least another 5 to 7 years. JR WEST and JR Kyushu dont have the amount of money that JR central has to buy new trains, so they both get the most out of thier trains and run them for longer service lifes. But by 2030 JR kyushu will likely need to start replacing thier shinkansen fleet as most of the trains are between 12 to 20 years old.
There was (maybe still is) another commuter service from Hakata along Shinkansen tracks. The original service from cities on Honshu into Hakata was operated by JR West. The depot for these trains was/is situated about 10km beyond Hakata. Originally the depot was in open countryside but gradually suburbs developed in the area. Residents wanted a commuter service along the line instead of just empty train movements. So a station was built beside the depot and named Hakata Minami (Hakata South). When I travelled in 2009, service was provided by extending some Kodama (all stations Shinkansen) trains arriving in Hakata. The fare was the same as for other local public transport over that distance.
It still exist! Trains now runs as shuttles to and from Hakata mostly using Kodama rolling stock.
When you went to the Shinkansen gates, if you kept going straight, there is Ramen Alley, which has a ton of amazing ramen shops from all over Kyushu. The Hakata district itself is very famous for its tonkotsu pork broth ramen and is the home of international chains Ichiran and Ippudo. The 800 series has some of the best looking interiors of any Shinkansen in Japan.
Good video. The Kyushu Shinkansen was opened originally from Kagoshima to Shin-Yatsushiro, and the 800-series trains were built to serve this part of the line originally. By the time the line had been extended to Hakata, the through running from Shin-Osaka made a 700-series derivant more appropriate.
The 800 series was originally designed to directly run to Shin-Osaka. In fact, it had a designed top speed of 285km/h, which matched the top speed of the 700 series shinkansen at the time. However, the full opening of the Kyushu shinkansen was delayed to 2011 (the original segment was open in 2004), and by then a better vehicle, the N700 series, was released. Instead of using the 800 series, JR Kyushu opted for the N700 series instead, which had better top speed (300 km/h) and better acceleration. However, the N700 was originally designed as a 16-car formation only, and modifying it to 8 car formation required a lot of work. JR Kyushu also changed the motor layout of the train, by adding 2 more motor units at the front and back head cars. This is necessary to cope with the excessive gradient found on the Kyushu shinkansen.
That said, the 800 series was never designed to run all the way to Tokyo, as the JR Central blocks any trains other than 16-car formations on the Tokaido shinkansen, in order to maximize capacity.
That is very interesting and helpful information , thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the video. Brings back memories of trips between Kumamoto & Hakata, usually on a N700 variant. The 2+2 layout reminds me of the E6 & E8 mini-Shinkansen up north. Sometimes, it's nice to relax on slower service, like the Tsubame, Hikari, or even the Kodama, to relax and enjoy the scenery and bento.
4:13 you parallel the 885 series, known for their similar look to the ICE 3. JR Kyushu also has a 787 series which has a TGV look to them.
Could be a reference to eons ago when Kyushu was the only island allowed to trade with the Europeans.
Honestly, for Japan, where trains are known to be very expensive, this isn't severely expensive when compared for example with the (dynamic) prices paid in the UK.
The Southeastern Javelin trains operates commuter services that run partially over the HS1 line and cover a distance a few miles shorter than that between Dover and London St Pancras. The tickets start at 20eur but you can tickets online listed over 50eur for this! This is the "closest" train that we have in the UK , but it takes longer (1h20) for a journey 10 miles shorter and the train is far from looking and feeling this nice.
Going Brighton to Luton on the Thameslink, a regional/suburban service through central London, covering the same distance, on trains that are uncomfy for such long rides, takes nearly 2h and tickets also start at 20eur and can go over 40eur.
The 29eur don't really seem that much for that comfy high speed train.
Stange or Strange? (Title) Cool with another vid btw!
Deffo meant strange, what an oversight, thanks for pointing it out
No problem, thanks for another great vid!@@Simon-Andersen
Wow that's on my to do list....somewhere in the future 😎🇸🇪
Thankyou for travelling so far at such great expense for our entertainment.
Glad you enjoyed it! Id be making these trips most likely anyway as traveling is fun :D
The same situation of building a short section of Shinkansen exists today in Nagasaki, and I don't know when will the local government of Saga Prefecture agree to pay for the remaining section...
Japan is an incredible country
;) nice and informative youtube video. Been on this train before some years ago. anyways Your video made me realize how much i missed Japan. Lastly . where there no meal service?
No catering at all on these trains anymore I'm afraid
remember that this is mainly a commuter service
The 800 series is a nice looking shinkansen, wish they had it more instead of getting N700s in Kyushu.
Do their ticket machines work with American credit cards? Amazing how small it looks on the outside but roomy inside.
Yes they do, I've used them many times
Maybe looks are deceiving, but those seats actually look super comfortable.
They were not bad by any means, but compared to whats on offer on other Shinkansen trains i felt like they we're not quite as good. Which is fair enough as these trains are not used on very long trips
@@Simon-Andersen Then the other seats must be the best in the world.
am i the only one reacting negatively to walking on the wrong side of stairs ? :)
They are NOT commuter trains, and they never meant to serve Tokyo, not even Shin Osaka/Sanyo Shinkansen, please get it right
You're the one who got it wrong. You've inserted the "meant " i only said in the video they never reached Tokyo as a fun fact - which is true! A service connecting smaller rural towns into 2 larger urban areas 117km apart with frequent stops and expanded service during commuter hours is very much a high-speed commuter service. It might not have been the intent with these trains, but thats what they are used for now.
@@Simon-Andersen there's a chance he might be from North America, where they use the term commuter train for a train with very limited regional service that caters only to 9-5 commuters, a few trains leave the suburbs/countryside in the morning heading to a metropolitan city centre, and the evening the trains do the opposite movement, with very little service in between or in the opposite direction (often none at all). And the rolling stock is, well, it's the USA.
For most people in Europe the type of service pattern you described here fits like a glove into what we call a commuter train, although we don't usually such a fast rolling stock!
Shinkansens are used for commuter services, as thats what all stop services are designed to do, connect cities that are futher away at higher speed but still within commuter distance, 1hr 15 min or less usually. This is done on other shinkansen routes as well. Joetsu Shinkansen sees alot of commuters as well as Nishi-Kyushu and also hokoriku shinkansen on the Tsurugi services. So yes shinkansens are used as high speed commuter trains. The stations are closer together on these routes which allows for quicker stops.
80 kilometers and 30 minutes definitely checks out as a commuter train.
next time, can we have miles and mph as an alternative option than kilometer and km/h?
Only civilised world measurements - no Brexitland/Muricaland units that make no sense :Kappa:
Now you know how it is for non-Americans to watch American media lol
@@SvalbardSleeperDistrict
@SvalbardSleeperDistrict if its civilized, you should respect britain, america, WHATEVER country because we all have dark history
@@duploman0003 I just, am not living in america, so... hehe
@@SvalbardSleeperDistrict Imperial measurements are the measurements of the civilised world, unlike metric c**p/s**t that makes no sense to anyone
Trains in US are better...
🤔
Which trains?
Name me one American train that has a bidet
Name me one high-speed commuter railway in the US lol
@@Simon-Andersen Brightline 😤