Furthermore, during the time when the Limited Express "Towada" (later replaced by "Hakkoda"), which ran from Ueno Station to Aomori Station, was in regular service, the timetable was set to give a rather long standing time for the downtrain (departing from Ueno Station) at Morioka Station during 6:50 and 7:00 in the morning to wait to be overtaken by the successive train, an overnight train service; accordingly, harakomeshi was sometimes sold out when there were many passengers buying the ekiben for breakfast.
また、上野-青森間を走行していた急行十和田（のちに八甲田に替わる）が定期運行されていた時代は、下り列車（上野発）では後続の電車寝台特急に抜かれるのを待つため、朝の6時50分～7時間に盛岡駅で停車時間を長めに取るダイヤになっており、多客時には朝ご飯として買い求める乗客で売り切れることもあった。