Sunrise Izumo
The Sunrise Izumo is an overnight sleeping car train service in Japan operated jointly by Central Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company since July 1998.
Operations
The Sunrise Izumo runs daily between and in Shimane Prefecture, taking approximately 12 hours for the journey. The service operates in conjunction with the Sunrise Seto service to between Tokyo and. The combined 14-car train departs from Tokyo, and stops at,,,,, , , and arrives at, where the train splits. Between Okayama and Izumoshi, the 7-car Sunrise Izumo train stops at,,,,,, and, before arriving in Izumoshi. The return train departs from Izumoshi, and is coupled with the Sunrise Seto from Takamatsu at Okayama Station, departing together from there, and arriving at Tokyo Station in the next morning.Station list
- Sunrise Izumo trains make brief stops for several reasons, such as crew changes at JR region boundaries and also train meetings, which are very prominent when on the Hakubi Line, as the majority of the line is only single track. Passengers cannot board or get off the train when it makes such stops at stations.
- Regularly, only eastbound services will operate between Atami and Yokohama via the Tōkaidō Freight Line, where trains enter the line at Odawara and exit at Chigasaki back to the Tōkaidō Main Line.
Formation
| Car No. | 1/8 | 2/9 | 3/10 | 4/11 | 5/12 | 6/13 | 7/14 |
| Numbering | KuHaNe 285 | SaHaNe 285 | MoHaNe 285 | SaRoHaNe 285 | MoHaNe 285 | SaHaNe 285 | KuHaNe 285 |
| Accommodation | B single berths | B single berths | B solo berths | Single DX berths | B single berths Nobinobi floor space | B single berths | B single berths |
| Accommodation | B single/ single-twin berths | B single/ single-twin berths | B solo berths | Sunrise twin berths | B single berths Nobinobi floor space | B single/ single-twin berths | B single/ single-twin berths |
| Facilities | Mini saloon area, vending machine, shower | Vending machine |
- Car 2/9 has a wheelchair-accessible compartment
- Each car has toilet facilities at one end.
- Smoking is prohibited outside of smoking cabins.
Accommodation, Ticketing and Facilities
To ride the train, several fares are required. All passengers require a basic fare ticket and a limited express ticket based on the distance traveled. On top of these, those wishing to travel in a private room must also pay for a berth ticket, while those traveling in the Nobinobi sleeping area must pay a small seat reservation charge in order to reserve an individual sleeping space.
The berth and seat reservation charges are fixed, regardless of where the journey starts and ends.
| Person | Accommodation | Price |
| 1-person use berth | A Single Deluxe | ¥13980 |
| 1-person use berth | B Single Twin | ¥9600 |
| 1-person use berth | B Single | ¥7700 |
| 1-person use berth | B Solo | ¥6600 |
| 2-people use berths | B Sunrise Twin | ¥15400 for two people |
| 2-people use berths | B Single Twin | ¥15000 for two people |
| 1-person use seating | Nobinobi sleeping area | ¥530 seat reservation charge |
For example, a passenger traveling one-way from Tokyo to Okayama in regular season would have to pay for a basic fare ticket and a limited express ticket between Tokyo and Okayama before adding on either the Nobinobi reservation charge or the berth ticket.
Tickets can be purchased up to one month before departure at a JR Midori no Madoguchi in Japan, or online through the JR West Seat Reservation website. Holders of the Japan Rail Pass can reserve a Nobinobi space for free, or reserve a berth by paying the limited express and berth charges.
A shower is located in cars 3 and 10. Passengers using the A Single Deluxe compartments are provided with a free shower card to use the showers on the train, while other passengers have to pay ¥330 for a shower card if they desire to use the showers. Lounges are also located in cars 3 and 10. Drink vending machines are available in cars 3, 5, 10 and 12.
History
The Sunrise Izumo services were introduced together with the Sunrise Seto on 10 July 1998. Previously, the Izumo operated as a separate "Blue train" service connecting Tokyo with the Sanin region. However, these trains were becoming less popular as equipment became outdated, and air and bus services attracted more passengers. The Sunrise Izumo was intended to attract more passengers to train transportation by introducing newly designed trains and by reducing the journey time.Following the introduction of the Sunrise Izumo, the original Izumo locomotive-hauled "Blue train" service was reduced from two return workings daily to one return working, serving the Sanin Main Line between and Tottori Prefecture, most of which was not electrified and thus inaccessible by the electric Sunrise Express trains. The Izumo was ultimately discontinued on 13 March 2006 due to continuing decline in ridership, leaving the Sunrise Izumo as the only overnight train service between the Sanin region and Tokyo.
Ridership on overnight trains in Japan continues to decline, and from March 2009, the Sunrise Izumo and Sunrise Seto became the only overnight sleeping car trains to operate west of Tokyo via the Tokaido Line.