The Kitakinki (北近畿) was a limited express train service operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in Japan from 1986 until March 2011, which ran from Shin-Osaka to Kinosaki Onsen in Hyōgo Prefecture.[1]

Kitakinki

183 series EMU on a Kitakinki service, September 2007
Overview
Service type	Limited express
First service	1986
Last service	2011
Current operator(s)	JR West
Route
Line(s) used	Tokaido Main Line, Fukuchiyama Line, Sanin Main Line
Technical
Rolling stock	183 series EMU
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph)[1] (max.)

Service pattern and station stops

As of January 2011, 11 down services (Kitakinki 1–21) from Shin-Osaka and 10 up services (Kitakinki 2–26) to Shin-Osaka ran daily, with the journey time from Shin-Osaka to Kinosaki Onsen taking approximately 2 hours 45 minutes.[2]

Kitakinki services stopped at the following stations. (Stations in parentheses were not served by all trains.)[2]

Shin-Osaka - Amagasaki - Takarazuka - Sanda - (Shin-Sanda) - (Aino) - Sasayamaguchi - (Tanikawa) - Kaibara - Isō - (Kuroi) - Fukuchiyama - (Wadayama) - (Yōka) - (Ebara) - (Toyooka) - (Kinosaki Onsen)

History

The Kitakinki service was introduced on 1 November 1986.[1] The new services used 4- and 6-car DC 183-800 series electric multiple units converted from former dual-voltage (AC/DC) 485 series EMUs. These received a thin crimson line below the window band to signify the improved passenger accommodation.[3]

• 
  183 series on a Kitakinki service in revised JNR livery, January 2010

Services used 4- or 7-car 183 series formations.[1]

From 18 March 2007, all cars were made non-smoking.[4]

From 12 March 2011, Kitakinki services were renamed Kounotori, coinciding with the introduction of new 287 series EMUs.[5]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kitakinki.

• JR West Kitakinki information (in Japanese)