Kinugawa (train)

The Kinugawa (きぬがわ) and Spacia Kinugawa (スペーシアきぬがわ) are limited express train services in Japan operated jointly by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Tobu Railway between Shinjuku in Tokyo and Kinugawa-Onsen in Tochigi Prefecture.

Station stops
Kinugawa and Spacia Kinugawa services alike stop at the following stations.
 * Shinjuku
 * Ikebukuro
 * Urawa
 * Ōmiya
 * Tochigi
 * Shin-Kanuma
 * Shimo-Imaichi
 * Kinugawa-Onsen

Rolling stock
Since 4 June 2011, Kinugawa services are formed of refurbished 253-1000 series 6-car EMU sets, and Spacia Kinugawa services are formed of Tobu 100 series Spacia EMUs. Prior to 4 June 2011, JR East services were formed of a dedicated 6-car 485 series EMU set, which was occasionally substituted by a reserve 189 series set nicknamed Ayano (彩野).

History
The Kinugawa service was introduced from 18 March 2006 as a limited express service operated jointly by JR East and Tobu between Shinjuku and Kinugawa-Onsen, utilizing a newly constructed link between the two railways' tracks at Kurihashi Station, where trains stop briefly for a crew change.

From the start of the revised timetable on 16 March 2013, Kinugawa services also stop at Urawa Station.