page_title: Sunrise Izumo
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Sunrise Izumo / History
caption_attribution_description: English: JR East class EF65-1000 electric locomotive EF65-1116 on the Izumo 4 overnight sleeping car service at Tokyo Station 日本語: 寝台特急「出雲4号」東京駅にて　1997年12月14日
context_page_description: 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.
context_section_description: 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 However, these trains were becoming less popular as equipment became outdated, and air and bus services attracted more passengers.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 Kyoto 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.
caption: Locomotive-hauled Izumo service, December 1997
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