The is a seasonal overnight express

Express train

Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...

 train service operated by East Japan Railway Company

East Japan Railway Company

is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

 (JR East), which runs between Ueno Station

Ueno Station

is a major railway station inTokyo's Taitō ward. It is the station used to reach the Ueno district and Ueno Park -- which contains Tokyo National Museum, The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and other famous cultural facilities...

 in Tokyo and Kanazawa

Kanazawa Station

Kanazawa Station is a JR West railway station located in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the biggest station in Ishikawa Prefecture....

 via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line

Hokuriku Main Line

The is a 358.3 kilometer line of the West Japan Railway Company from Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga to Naoetsu Station in Jōetsu, Niigata. It serves the Hokuriku region on the northern central coast of Honshū, the largest island of Japan, as well as offering connections to the regions of...

. The journey takes approximately seven hours. The train was formerly was operated as a regular daily service by West Japan Railway Company

West Japan Railway Company

, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...

 (JR West) until 13 March 2010, with operations transferred to JR East from this date.

Rolling stock

The train is formed of a 6-car 485 series

485 series

The is a limited express electric multiple unit type introduced in 1964 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by East Japan Railway Company , and formerly also operated by West Japan Railway Company and Kyushu Railway Company in Japan.-481 series:Introduced in 1964, the 481...

 EMU owned by JR East and based at Niigata depot. All seats are reserved.

Prior to 13 March 2010, the trains consisted of a 9-car JR West 489 series

489 series

The is a limited express EMU type introduced in 1972 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated in Japan by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company ....

 based at Kanazawa depot.

History

The Noto name was first used from 22 September 1959 for express services operating between Tokyo and Kanazawa via Maibara

Maibara Station

is a train station in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is the southern terminus of the West Japan Railway Company Hokuriku Main Line, and the boundary of control between JR West and JR Central over the Tōkaidō Main Line....

. These services were discontinued on 31 August 1968.

The name was resurrected from the start of the timetable revision on 10 March 1975 for use on overnight services between Ueno and Kanazawa, which had previously been named Hokuriku

Hokuriku (train)

The was a limited express sleeper train service operated by East Japan Railway Company which ran between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kanazawa via the Shinetsu Main Line and Hokuriku Main Line. The journey took more than seven hours...

.

Regular daily Noto services were discontinued on 13 March 2010. The Noto, however, continued to operate as a "seasonal" service during holiday periods.