JR East's new first-class sleeper train to link Tokyo and Tohoku in spring 2027
The train may also run during the daytime in peak travel seasons, JR East said. The company will modify one of its 10-car E657 series limited express trains, currently used for services such as the Hitachi on the JR Joban Line. All seats will be private, cabin-style Green Car (first-class) reserved seats, with the train able to accommodate about 120 passengers in total. The private compartments will be available for single travelers and groups of two or four people.
There will also be two wheelchair-accessible compartments and an open lounge area. The design will feature blue and navy tones inspired by the Blue Train sleeper services that once ran on lines such as the JR Tokaido Line. However, the new train will not include beds, instead using flat-seat configurations among other methods.
The planned schedule includes nighttime departures from the greater Tokyo area and arrivals in the Tohoku region the following morning. JR East plans to announce further details including the pricing and timetable in the future.
At a June 10 press conference, JR East President Yoichi Kise expressed his hopes for the service, saying, "Rather than just focusing on long-distance travel at night, we want to propose a new kind of enjoyable nighttime journey."
JR East currently operates the Cassiopeia sleeper train on a limited basis for tours, but this operation will end in June due to the aging of equipment.
(Japanese original by Yuhi Sugiyama, Business News Department)
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