Latest news with #E657
Asahi Shimbun
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Asahi Shimbun
JR East pitches overnight service to Aomori from Tokyo in 2027
An artist's rendition of the first car of East Japan Railway Co.'s new overnight train, painted blue in tribute to classic sleeper 'Blue Trains' of the past (Provided by East Japan Railway Co.) East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced plans for a new overnight express train connecting Tokyo with the northeastern Tohoku region in spring 2027. The 10-car E657 series train currently operated on the JR Joban Line as the Hitachi express will be remodeled for the overnight service. The train will depart from Tokyo Station around 9 p.m. and arrive at Aomori Station about 12 hours later. With a capacity for 120 passengers, the service will feature reservation-only Green Car seats. Spaciously designed, cars No. 1 and 10 will feature one-person and two-person Premium Green Car compartments. Standard Green Car compartments will carry up to four passengers with fold-out flat beds. Passengers in other compartments will be able to recline their seats when they want to sleep. Car No. 5 will function as a lounge with vending machines for drinks and snacks. Pricing details have yet to be announced. However, fares for the Premium Green Car and Green Car compartments will be equivalent to those of upper-class Grand Class and standard Green Car seats on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, respectively, JR East said. The exterior of the sleeper train will be painted bright blue in a nod to the classic long-distance sleeper express trains of the past that were nicknamed 'Blue Trains.'
The Mainichi
26-06-2025
- The Mainichi
JR East's new first-class sleeper train to link Tokyo and Tohoku in spring 2027
TOKYO -- East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will introduce a new overnight limited express train set to run between the Tokyo metropolitan area and northeastern Japan's Tohoku region from the spring of 2027, the company has announced. 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)
10-06-2025
JR East to Launch New Overnight Express Train in 2027
News from Japan Society Jun 10, 2025 18:59 (JST) Tokyo, June 10 (Jiji Press)--East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, said Tuesday that it will start operating a new overnight express train in the spring of 2027. The existing E657 express train will be customized for overnight operation to offer a range of private compartments for one to four people, all with premium, fully flat seats. The train will be painted in two shades of blue, recalling the "Blue Train," the general term for former sleeper trains in Japan. JR East will not operate the new train regularly. It will run between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the northern part of the Tohoku northeastern region, depending on the season. "We want to preserve the memories of sleeper trains and offer a new way to travel," JR East President and CEO Yoichi Kise said at a press conference. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
