The Musashino (むさしの) is an all-stations train service in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Tokyo between Hachiōji on the Chuo Line or Fuchū-Hommachi on the Musashino Line and Ōmiya in Saitama Prefecture.[1] It avoids passengers having to change trains at Minami-Urawa or Musashi-Urawa to access the western portion of the Musashino line to/from Ōmiya. This train only operates a few services in the morning and evening peaks each day. Shimōsa is a similar service linking Ōmiya and the eastern side of the Musashino Line. The trains terminate at Fuchū-Hommachi, Ōmiya and Hachiōji. The trains from Hachiōji travel on the Chuo Line. After Kunitachi station, trains will go through a cargo branch. After stopping at Shin-Kodaira, the train uses the Musashino Line. After Kita-Asaka station, the train goes by special freight non-stop tracks. After passing Nishi-Urawa station, the train turns to Ōmiya arriving tracks. Trains usually stop on Platforms 3 and 4 at Ōmiya station.
Musashino Line service diagram, including Shimousa and Musashino services
Services consist of two trains from Fuchū-Hommachi to Ōmiya in the morning, together with one return working from Ōmiya to Hachiōji and back. In the evening, there are two services from Ōmiya to Hachiōji, and one service from Hachiōji to Ōmiya.[2]
Services share rolling stock with the Musashino Line and are currently operated by 209-500 series, E231-0 series, or E231-900 series 8-car EMUs with longitudinal seating throughout.[4]
A 205 series EMU on a Musashino rapid service, July 2011
165 series on a Shinkansen Relay rapid service at Hachiōji Station, August 2001
The Musashino was formed in 2001 following the renaming of the earlier Rapid Shinkansen Relay. From 1 December 2002, 6-car 115 series EMU formations based at Toyoda depot in Tokyo replaced the previous 165 and 169 series EMU formations.[5]
115 series 6-car EMU on a Musashino rapid service, March 2004
Prior to the 4 December 2010 timetable revision, two return workings operated on weekdays, with one return Holiday Rapid Musashino working at weekends, as shown below.[6]
From the start of the revised timetable on 4 December 2010, the Musashino ceased to be a limited-stop "rapid" service, with trains stopping at all stations, and the number of daily services increased.[7]
^"JR北海道・JR東日本 2010(平成22)年12月4日ダイヤ改正レポート" [JR Hokkaido & JR East 2 December 2010 Timetable Revision Report]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 40, no. 321. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. January 2011. pp. 82–83.
^"行楽列車"ホリデー快速"と武蔵野線ジャンクション" ["Holiday Rapid" Excursion train and Musashino Line junctions]. Japan Railfan Magazine. No. 439. Japan: Kōyūsha. November 1997. p. 30.
^"JR北海道・JR東日本 2010年12月4日ダイヤ改正概要" [JR Hokkaido & JR East 4 December 2010 Timetable Revision Overview]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 39, no. 319. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. November 2010. p. 81.
^"臨時列車運転情報" [Seasonal Train Schedule Information]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 39, no. 318. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. October 2010. p. 94.
^２０１０年１２月 ダイヤ改正について [Details of December 2010 Timetable Revision] (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). JR East. 24 September 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
A 205 series EMU on a Musashino rapid service, July 2011
Musashino Line 209–500 series
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