Japan's JR East to Launch New Overnight Train in Spring 2027; Overnight Train to Connect Tokyo, Northern Tohoku Region
Courtesy of East Japan Railway Co.
An artist's rendering of East Japan Railway Co.'s overnight express train set to debut in 2027
East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will launch a new overnight express train in the spring of 2027, connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area and the northern part of the Tohoku region, the company said Tuesday.
JR East aims to create an enjoyable travel experience by providing all passengers with their own private compartments.
A 10-car express train currently used on the JR Joban Line will be converted into the overnight train, and one of the cars will be made into a dining car. The train will have compartments to accommodate one, two or four people will be able to carry about 120 passengers. The seats in some of the compartments will be able to be converted into sleeping spaces.
The exterior of the sleeper train will be mostly blue, reminiscent of Japan's long-distance trains of the past that were nicknamed 'Blue Trains.'
JR East will change the train's destination depending on the season and the schedule will be decided at a later date.
According to the company, there will be two classes of compartments, and an upper-class compartment will be more expensive than Grand Class premier seats on the Tohoku Shinkansen train.
'We hope this train will be able to provide passengers with an enjoyable overnight travel experience, so that riding the train itself will be the purpose of their trips,' said President Yoichi Kise during Tuesday's press conference.
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SoraNews24
a day ago
- SoraNews24
JR's new overnight sleeper train will connect Tokyo and northern Japan, is private cabin-only
A way to ride the rails from Tokyo to Tohoku while you snooze. For many years, the Shinkansen has been time-conscious travelers' go-to method for going from one region of Japan to the other. That doesn't always mean that the Shinkansen is the option that maximizes your sightseeing time, though, since while it's often the fastest point-to-point way to get around, you're still going to be spending a period of time sitting on a train instead of seeing the sights, and if your bullet train pulls into your next destination town late at night, you're not really going to be doing anything after you drag yourself out of bed the next morning. So it's good to know that East Japan Railway Company, a.k.a. JR East, is going to be offering a new way to travel between Tokyo and Japan's northeastern Tohoku region while you're asleep, announcing that it's going to be introducing a new overnight sleeper train. Though not Shinkansen-class in terms of speed, the special express train will still travel much more quickly than conventional commuter carriages, and also make fewer stops on their journey from Tokyo to Tohoku. All passengers will have private cabins, with configurations for solo travelers and parties of up to four people. Rather than separate chairs and mattresses, the cabin interior preview images show sofa-style seats that can be reconfigured into full-flat sleeping spaces. ▼ A solo-traveler cabin configured with a seat and table ▼ The same cabin, reconfigured for when the traveler wants to sleep The 10-car train will have a total capacity of 120 passengers, with one car serving as a common-space lounge. The train's exact route and timetable, as well as its official name, are yet to be announced, but JR East gives an example itinerary of leaving Tokyo at 9 p.m. and arriving at Aomori Station the next morning at 9 a.m., in time to grab/catch some scallops for breakfast. The new sleeper train will serve as a replacement of sorts for the outgoing Cassiopeia sleeper train, which used to link Tokyo and northern Japan, but which has been out of regular service since 2016 and now is only used for special-event short-term tours. The Cassiopeia is being completely retired this summer, and the new sleeper train is slated to go into service in the spring of 2027. Source: JR East (1, 2) via NHK News Web Images: JR East ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan's JR East to Launch New Overnight Train in Spring 2027; Overnight Train to Connect Tokyo, Northern Tohoku Region
Courtesy of East Japan Railway Co. An artist's rendering of East Japan Railway Co.'s overnight express train set to debut in 2027 East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will launch a new overnight express train in the spring of 2027, connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area and the northern part of the Tohoku region, the company said Tuesday. JR East aims to create an enjoyable travel experience by providing all passengers with their own private compartments. A 10-car express train currently used on the JR Joban Line will be converted into the overnight train, and one of the cars will be made into a dining car. The train will have compartments to accommodate one, two or four people will be able to carry about 120 passengers. The seats in some of the compartments will be able to be converted into sleeping spaces. The exterior of the sleeper train will be mostly blue, reminiscent of Japan's long-distance trains of the past that were nicknamed 'Blue Trains.' JR East will change the train's destination depending on the season and the schedule will be decided at a later date. According to the company, there will be two classes of compartments, and an upper-class compartment will be more expensive than Grand Class premier seats on the Tohoku Shinkansen train. 'We hope this train will be able to provide passengers with an enjoyable overnight travel experience, so that riding the train itself will be the purpose of their trips,' said President Yoichi Kise during Tuesday's press conference.
3 days ago
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
