H5 JR Hokkaido design reveled

[cteno4]

JR Hokkaido's version of the E5 was released. few spots on its nose, purple stripe, and interior winter motif. wonder when the models will be released? just a new paint job.

 

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201404170062

 

jeff

[miyakoji]

The E5 is a recent design (latest/greatest in safety and efficiency) and they're probably saving money by just building more of them, so this is good. Plus it probably has all the winterization it needs. A more unique livery would be nice, though.

[Densha]

At least they're going for a already proved design, nobody would trust JR Hokkaido Shinkansen after all the recent mishaps. I guess JR East will cooperate very closely with the Hokkaido Shinkansen project.

[kvp]

 

few spots on its nose

I think the spots are spotlight from above the model. The only special feature seems to be the purple line.

[Krackel Hopper]

Interesting! I had a feeling Hokkaido would be using the E5.. Seemed logical.. much like Kyushu running the N700s

 

The article as well as other articles makes it sound as though the H5 will be running all the way to Tokyo..? I wonder what sort of agreement JR East & JR Hokkaido worked out to allow Hokkaido to use East's Shinkansen line?

 

Or will the H5 only run Sapporo to Aomori and you'll have to transfer to the E5 for the remainder of the trip to Tokyo?

 

Now the waiting game.. how long will it take Tomix to launch a limited edition set?

 

Hopefully they do a special painted train (like the Kyushu R10 rainbow) to commemorate the new line!

 

I know this post is full of speculation and assumptions.. just thoughts in my head..

[Davo Dentetsu]

I think a bit more effort into a more unique scheme would have been better for identification.

[Densha]

The article as well as other articles makes it sound as though the H5 will be running all the way to Tokyo..? I wonder what sort of agreement JR East & JR Hokkaido worked out to allow Hokkaido to use East's Shinkansen line?

 

Or will the H5 only run Sapporo to Aomori and you'll have to transfer to the E5 for the remainder of the trip to Tokyo?

As translated from the Japanese sources on Wikipedia: the H5 will run from Tokyo to Hakodate and eventually from Tokyo to Sapporo. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Shinkansen)

 

Interesting is the article about the H5 that also mentions a lot of numbers and dates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H5_series):

• 6-19 October 2014: delivery first two sets H5 at Hakodate port
• before the end of the year test runs on the Hokkaido Shinkansen
• other two sets delivered in 2015 (yes in total only 4 sets!)

   

• max speed H5 of course 320 km/h
• max speed on Hokkaido Shinkansen 260 km/h
• max speed in Seikan Tunnel 140 km/h (because it will have shared tracks with 1067mm after all!):

  (Citation from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Shinkansen)

  Initially the maximum speed through the Seikan tunnel will be 140 km/h (85 mph) due to the risk of a narrow gauge freight train travelling in the opposite direction being derailed by the shockwave of air that moves ahead of Shinkansen trains at higher speeds in tunnels.[citation needed] There are approximately 50 freight trains passing through the Seikan Tunnel each day, and so limiting the travel of such trains through the tunnel to times outside of Shinkansen services is not an option.

  By 2018, it is proposed to allow one Shinkansen service each day to travel at 260 km/h (160 mph) (the maximum speed proposed for the tunnel) by ensuring no freight trains are scheduled to travel through the tunnel at that time. To achieve the full benefit of Shinkansen trains travelling through the tunnel at 260 km/h (160 mph), other alternatives are being considered, such as a system to automatically slow Shinkansen trains down to 200 km/h (125 mph) when passing narrow gauge trains, and loading freight trains onto special "Train on Train" standard gauge trains (akin to a covered piggyback flatcar train) built to withstand the shockwaves of oncoming Shinkansen trains traveling at full speed. This would enable a travel time from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate of 3 hours and 45 minutes.

   

[kvp]

4 sets and 4 hours of travel time means one train every 2 hours with no spares. And i think most of the time the trains would be half empty.

 

Also, the length of the tunnel is 53.85 km, time to go through the tunnel at 260 km/h is 12 minutes. I think most freight trains could wait 12 minutes every 2 hours. They just have to modifiy the timetable so that train pairs should meet in the tunnel. This would be the logical solution. Also, they could also partition the tunnel with a steel wall and add a few doors for emergeny evacuation. This way, the classic narrow gauge passanger trains could use it too.

[Densha]

My guess is that E5's and H5's will both be used for services to Hokkaido. If I remember correctly JR West 8-car N700's also travel further into Kyushu than only Hakata together in a pool with JR Kyushu N700's. Just like the E7 and W7 will be used on the Hokuriku Shinkansen in one pool in the future.

Edited April 18, 2014 by Densha

[Kabutoni]

I wonder if JR Hokkaido is going to wrap this train in a Doraemon livery later. They probably will. And then it will derail and catch fire as tradition dictates.

[Densha]

Oh lol. That made for a good laugh.

[Guest ___]

“Our bullet train service is aimed at connecting Shin-Hakodate (provisional name) and Tokyo in four hours and 10 minutes,” said Osamu Shimada, who became president of JR Hokkaido this month. “The bullet train’s travel time could be as short as that by an airplane, depending on the station where the passenger boards the train.”

 

Maybe my swiss watch is long in the tooth, but I could have sworn the time my flight pushed back from Narita, till we hit the gate at Chitose was only like 45 minutes. The ride to Sapporo from Chitose was about the same.

 

I'm pretty sure, from downtown Tokyo to downtown Sapporo was less than 4 hours. And in the statement above, that 4:30 is just to Hakodate. Oops, that's right, the alginment goes north to Sapporo, then south down to Hakodate.