JR East to launch new overnight express train in 2027
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 customised 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.
Blue Trains used to connect the Tokyo and Osaka areas with major destinations across long distances before ending their services in 2015.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
