Hakutaka

The Hakutaka (はくたか) is a high-speed shinkansen train service jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Tokyo and Kanazawa on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in Japan. The shinkansen service was introduced on 14 March 2015, but the name was first used for a limited express service operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) from 1965 until 1982, and later by JR West and Hokuetsu Express between 1997 and March 2015.

Service outline
, the Hakutaka service sections are as follows:
 * 5 daily return services between Tokyo and Tsuruga
 * 9 daily return services between Tokyo and Kanazawa
 * 1 daily return service between Nagano and Kanazawa

Trains operate at a maximum speed of 260 km/h.

Hakutaka services stop at the following stations. Not all trains stop at stations marked with an asterisk.
 * Tokyo
 * Ueno
 * Ōmiya
 * Takasaki
 * Karuizawa*
 * Sakudaira*
 * Ueda*
 * Nagano
 * Iiyama*
 * Jōetsumyōkō
 * Itoigawa
 * Kurobe-Unazukionsen
 * Toyama
 * Shin-Takaoka
 * Kanazawa
 * Komatsu
 * Kagaonsen
 * Awaraonsen
 * Fukui
 * Echizen-Takefu
 * Tsuruga

Rolling stock

 * E7 series 12-car sets based at Nagano Depot, since 14 March 2015
 * W7 series 12-car sets based at Hakusan Depot, since 14 March 2015

Hakutaka services are operated using JR East E7 series and JR West W7 series 12-car train sets based at Nagano and Hakusan depots respectively.

Pre-shinkansen

 * 485 series EMUs
 * 681 series EMUs owned by JR West
 * 681-2000 series EMUs owned by Hokuetsu Express
 * 683-8000 series EMUs owned by Hokuetsu Express

Limited express services from March 1997 until March 2015 were operated with 6- or 9-car (6+3-car) 681 series or 683-8000 series EMU trains owned by JR West or Hokuetsu Express. Green (first class) car accommodation was provided in car 1.

Formations
Hakutaka shinkansen services use 12-car JR East E7 series and JR West W7 series trainsets, formed as follows, with car 1 at the Tokyo (southern) end. Cars 1 to 10 are ordinary-class cars with 2+3 seating, car 11 is a "Green" car with 2+2 seating, and car 12 is a "Gran Class" car with 2+1 seating. All cars are no-smoking.

October 1965 – November 1982
The Hakutaka service was first introduced on 1 October 1965 as a limited express service operating between Ueno in Tokyo and Kanazawa via Naoetsu. This was discontinued from 15 November 1982.

March 1997 – March 2015
The Hakutaka name was reinstated from 23 March 1997 for use on new limited express services jointly operated by JR West and Hokuetsu Express connecting Kanazawa with Echigo-Yuzawa on the Joetsu Shinkansen via the newly built Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line, operating at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. Services travelling beyond Naoetsu required a switchback. Hakutaka services operated at approximately hourly intervals between Kanazawa and Echigo-Yuzawa, with one return service daily starting and terminating at Fukui. One return working daily operated between Wakura-Onsen and Echigo-Yuzawa. Services stopped at the following stations.

(Fukui) – Kanazawa – Takaoka – Toyama – Uozu – Itoigawa – Naoetsu – Echigo-Yuzawa

The last Hakutaka limited express service ran on 13 March 2015, replaced by new high-speed shinkansen services from the start of the revised timetable introduced the following day.

Shinkansen Hakutaka, (March 2015 – )
From 14 March 2015, the name Hakutaka was transferred to new shinkansen services operating between Tokyo and Kanazawa following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen beyond Nagano.