 A 185 series EMU formation on aMoonlight Nagara service, December 2013 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Rapid |
| Status | Seasonal operation |
| Locale | Japan |
| First service | 16 March 1996 |
| Last service | 29 March 2020 (Final operation) |
| Current operator(s) | JR East,JR Central |
| Route | |
| Termini | Tokyo Ōgaki |
| Stops | Shinagawa,Yokohama,Odawara,Numazu,Shizuoka,Hamamatsu,Toyohashi,Nagoya,Gifu |
| Average journey time | 6:40 westbound, 6:16 eastbound |
| Service frequency | Seasonal |
| Line(s) used | Tokaido Main Line |
| On-board services | |
| Catering facilities | None |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | 185 series EMU |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC |
TheMoonlight Nagara (ムーンライトながら) was a seasonal rapid overnight train service operated byEast Japan Railway Company (JR East) andCentral Japan Railway Company (JR Central), which ran fromTokyo toŌgaki inGifu Prefecture via theTokaido Main Line. From 2009, the service had been offered approximately three weeks per year, corresponding to the spring, summer and year-end holiday seasons.
On 22 January 2021, JR East and JR Central announced the cessation of the Moonlight Nagara service, with no replacements offered at the time, due to increased popularity of highway buses and the ageing of trains operated on the line.[1][2] Since the train service had not operated during the summer and winter of 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, this announcement caused 29 March 2020 to be the final run of the Nagara. As a result, this day also marked the complete cessation of "Moonlight"-branded services from Japan.
From December 2013,Moonlight Nagara services were formed from185 serieselectric multiple unit (EMU) 10-car (4+6-car) formations based at Omiya Depot.[3]
| Car No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | Reserved | Reserved | Reserved | Reserved | Reserved | Reserved | Reserved | Reserved | Reserved | Reserved |
Trains normally comprised three three-car373 series EMUs operated byJR Central and based at Shizuoka Depot.[4] AdditionalMoonlight Nagara 91 and 92 trains also operated during busy seasons, and these comprised ten-car183 series EMU sets owned byJR East and based at Tamachi Depot.[4]
| Station | Distance (km) | Time | Location | Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Japanese | Between stations | From Tokyo | Westbound (-> Ōgaki)[5] | Eastbound (-> Tokyo)[6] | Ward / City | Prefecture / Metropolis | |
| Tokyo | 東京 | - | 0.0 | 23:10 Departure | 5:05 Arrival | Chiyoda | Tokyo | |
| Shinagawa | 品川 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 23:17 Arrival 23:18 Departure | 4:57 Arrival 4:58 Departure | Minato | ||
| Yokohama | 横浜 | 22.0 | 28.8 | 23:35 Arrival 23:36 Departure | 4:40 Arrival 4:41 Departure | Yokohama | Kanagawa | |
| Odawara | 小田原 | 55.1 | 83.9 | 0:30 Arrival 0:31 Departure | ↑ | Odawara | Westbound: First stop after midnight (12am) | |
| Numazu | 沼津 | 42.3 | 126.2 | 1:07 Arrival 1:08 Departure | 3:05 Arrival 3:19 Departure | Numazu | Shizuoka | |
| Shizuoka | 静岡 | 54.0 | 180.2 | 1:48 Arrival 1:50 Departure | 1:52 Arrival 1:55 Departure | Shizuoka | ||
| Hamamatsu | 浜松 | 76.9 | 257.1 | 2:46 Arrival 3:15 Departure | 0:46 Arrival 0:55 Departure | Hamamatsu | Westbound: 29 minutes stop Eastbound: 9 minutes stop | |
| Toyohashi | 豊橋 | 36.5 | 293.6 | ↓ | 0:15 Arrival 0:18 Departure | Toyohashi | Aichi | Eastbound: First stop after midnight (12am) |
| Nagoya | 名古屋 | 72.4 | 366.0 | 5:19 Arrival 5:21 Departure | 23:18 Arrival 23:20 Departure | Nagoya | ||
| Gifu | 岐阜 | 30.3 | 396.3 | 5:40 Arrival 5:41 Departure | 22:58 Arrival 22:59 Departure | Gifu | Gifu | |
| Ōgaki | 大垣 | 13.7 | 410.0 | 5:50 Arrival | 22:48 Departure | Ōgaki | ||
TheMoonlight Nagara service was introduced on 16 March 1996. The name was taken from theNagara River in Gifu Prefecture, and was formerly used for a semi express service which ran between Tokyo and Ōgaki from 1 June 1960 until 1 October 1965.[7]
Overnight services on theMoonlight Nagara route had existed in various forms since 1899, when through services commenced betweenShimbashi in Tokyo andKobe, extending as far west asKagoshima in the 1940s. Prior to World War II, as many as seven overnight round-trip services existed on this route.[citation needed] Rail services were cut dramatically in the wake of the war. The line briefly saw three to four daily overnight services in the late 1950s, but electrification of the line, coupled with the opening of theTokaido Shinkansen high-speed line in 1964, reduced the need for overnight services.
Initially, cars 4 to 9 were designated as non-reserved seating cars west of Yokohama Station, but from the start of the March 2007 timetable revision, all cars were designated as reserved seating between Tokyo andToyohashi.[4]
The service's popularity declined in the 2000s due to competition from discounted overnight bus services. From 14 March 2009, theMoonlight Nagara stopped running on a daily basis and became a seasonal train running only during busy periods.[8]
Named trains ofEast Japan Railway Company | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shinkansen | .svg){kind=logo} | |
| Limited express (daytime) | ||
| Rapid | ||
| Local | ||
| Excursion | ||
| Discontinued Shinkansen | ||
| Discontinued Limited express (Daytime) | ||
| Discontinued Limited express (overnight) | ||
| Discontinued Express | ||
| Discontinued Rapid | ||
| Discontinued Liner |
| |
| Discontinued Excursion | ||