Usui Pass
The capacity and speed restrictions of the Usui Pass still represented a serious bottleneck, and in 1984, all freight operations over the section were discontinued and rerouted via the Chūō Main Line. This made a large number of the class surplus to requirements, and 26 were reallocated to Shimonoseki depot in 1984 for use on Shiodome (Tokyo) to Shimonoseki freight services. However, the EF62s proved unsuitable for these duties, and this sub-fleet was withdrawn before JNR became JR in 1987, leaving a small number of locomotives still working on Shinetsu Mainline duties.