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Yamabiko

やまびこ

Yamabiko (やまびこ, meaning "echo") is a limited-stop high-speed Shinkansen service operated on the Tōhoku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Morioka by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), covering 496.5 km over that section. The name predates the bullet train, having been carried by a Fukushima–Morioka semi-express from 1 February 1959 and by an Ueno–Morioka limited express from 1 October 1965 until 22 June 1982, the day before the Tōhoku Shinkansen opened. From the opening of that line on 23 June 1982, Yamabiko became the name for the limited-stop Shinkansen, running initially Ōmiya–Morioka, later Ueno–Morioka after the line reached Ueno (1985) and Tokyo (1991), and eventually Tokyo–Morioka.

An E2 series train on the Yamabiko 154 service at Shiroishi-Zao Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen.
An E2 series train on the Yamabiko 154 service at Shiroishi-Zao Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen. — MNXANL · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

History

Successive timetable revisions reshaped the service. From 1 July 1992, with the opening of the Yamagata Shinkansen, some Yamabiko began coupling with a Tsubasa between Tokyo and Fukushima — originally 400 series, as of 2025 E3 or E8 series — and from March 1997 some also coupled with E3 series Komachi south of Morioka. In the 1 October 1997 revision the all-stations Aoba was merged into Yamabiko, so every Tōhoku Shinkansen train between Tokyo and Sendai or Morioka, fast or all-stations, carried the Yamabiko name. The fastest workings were later split off into new top tiers — Hayate at the Hachinohe extension on 1 December 2002, and afterwards Hayabusa — leaving Yamabiko as the line's mid-level service.

Yamabiko has used E2 series sets since March 1997 and E5 series since November 2011, the latter entering service on 19 November 2011 and replacing the remaining 200 series; E6 series sets joined some runs from 16 March 2013. Earlier stock included the 200 series (1982 until withdrawal from regular service on 16 March 2013) and the double-decker E1 and E4 Max Yamabiko, with a "Sayonara 200 series Yamabiko" farewell special run Morioka–Tokyo on 30 March 2013. The maximum operating speed is normally 275 km/h, but from the 16 March 2024 revision some workings coupled to an E8 series Tsubasa run at up to 300 km/h.

Timeline
  • 1959On 1 February, the name Yamabiko was first used on a semi-express between Fukushima and Morioka on the Tōhoku Main Line; this service ran until 30 September 1963.
  • 1965From 1 October, the Yamabiko name was reintroduced for a limited express between Ueno (Tokyo) and Morioka, which ran until 22 June 1982, the day before the Tōhoku Shinkansen opened.
  • 1982On 23 June, with the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen, Yamabiko became the name of the limited-stop Shinkansen (paired with the all-stations Aoba), running initially between Ōmiya and Morioka.
  • 1992On 1 July, with the opening of the Yamagata Shinkansen, Yamabiko began coupling with the 400 series Tsubasa between Tokyo and Fukushima (as of 2025 the Tsubasa is formed of E3 or E8 series sets).
  • 1997On 22 March the E2 series entered service and, with the opening of the Akita Shinkansen, Yamabiko began coupling with E3 series Komachi south of Morioka; on 1 October the Aoba and Max Aoba services were merged into Yamabiko and Max Yamabiko and the Aoba name was retired.
  • 2011On 19 November, E5 series trainsets were introduced on some Yamabiko services, replacing the remaining 200 series workings.
  • 2013On 16 March, E6 series sets began running on some Yamabiko and the 200 series was withdrawn from regular scheduled service; a farewell Sayonara 200 series Yamabiko special ran from Morioka to Tokyo on 30 March.
  • 2024On 16 March, Tsubasa-coupled Yamabiko were all switched to E5 series sets (ending E2 series Tsubasa-coupled operation), and some E8 series Tsubasa-coupled workings had their top speed raised to 300 km/h.

Sources
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