New JR East luxury cruise train to run through Seikan Tunnel

[bikkuri bahn]

It was revealed by JR East on Dec. 2 that the new luxury suite train "Shikishima", scheduled to begin operation in the spring of 2017, will operate on one cruise plan through the Seikan Tunnel to Noboribetsu/Lake Toya in Hokkaido.  The four day plan departs Ueno Station, goes to Nikko, then proceeds north on the Tohoku Main Line to Hokkaido.  The return course takes the Sea of Japan side route, and transits Niigata Prefecture and the Joetsu Line to reach Ueno. The train will be capable of running under 25kV AC lines as well as 20kV AC and 1500V DC, as well as on non-electrified lines using its hybrid diesel setup.

http://trafficnews.jp/post/46466/

 

official website:

http://www.jreast.co.jp/shiki-shima/

Edited December 4, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[Takahama Trainwatcher]

DCC-friendly please, Mr Kato.

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

With the plan to running on Seikan Tunnel, of course the train would DS-ATC equipment being fitted along with the usual ATS-P and ATS-Ps equipments

 

One interesting note from the news is:

 

"ただ現在、青函トンネルでは火災事故防止のため、原則としてその内部でディーゼルエンジンを作動させての走行は実施されていません。"

 

which means:

 

"To anticipate fire incident inside Seikan Tunnel when running inside the tunnel, the on-board diesel engine would be not used/activated" (the diesel engine itself is actually would be only used when the train runs on non-electrified track)

[kvp]

Is there any information on the actual drive system that will be used in the train? Like number, location and setup of diesel generators, batteries, transformers, etc...

[Sacto1985]

I wonder will this be an all-new trainset or will it use rebuilt Cassiopeia/Hokutosei rail cars?

[200系]

Can't add much as I'm not a big fan of those luxury/cruise trains, and neither do I like the design (to put it mildly). I do think the idea is interesting though, and I'm also curious about the tech used.

 

that said though:

 

 

 

I wonder will this be an all-new trainset or will it use rebuilt Cassiopeia/Hokutosei rail cars?

 

What do you really think? 

 

This is the fate of retired Hokutosei 24系 cars (warning, depressive footage):

 

Muroran (JR Hokkaido):

 

 

Nagano (JR East):

 

 

[miyakoji]

What do you really think?

 

Yeah I think we've already discussed that this is a new build, but JR East did buy those KIHA141s from JR Hokkaido to rebuild for the SL Ginga service.  And those were orginally 50 series passenger cars.  So, the precedent is there.  Plus it's gotta be one of the weirdest conversion (and reconversion) stories amongst Japanese rolling stock.

[bikkuri bahn]

I must add that the portion about running through the Seikan Tunnel is still very vague.  We won't really know until the actual specifications of the trainset are revealed.  If there is no provision on-board for 25kV running, the train will have to pulled through the tunnel with the JR-F locomotives.

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

I must add that the portion about running through the Seikan Tunnel is still very vague.  We won't really know until the actual specifications of the trainset are revealed.  If there is no provision on-board for 25kV running, the train will have to pulled through the tunnel with the JR-F locomotives.

No 25kV 50Hz AC specification = must be hauled by EH800

 

 

I wonder will this be an all-new trainset or will it use rebuilt Cassiopeia/Hokutosei rail cars?

Unfortunately, it would use all-new train. Rebuilding Cassiopeia coaches would be too expensive and impossible, since the Train Suite Shikishima would be an EMU...

 

 

Is there any information on the actual drive system that will be used in the train? Like number, location and setup of diesel generators, batteries, transformers, etc...

Regarding the actual drive system, the train is planned to use a combination of diesel and electric propulsion (which means that this would be a hybrid train). But I think that the diesel engines would be placed on the front and rear end cars, since the intermediate cars are storing the traction controls and auxiliary power units (transformer, IGBT-VVVF main control system, converter, battery, SIV, etc)...

[VJM]

Given the pictures, it's not loco-hauled.

 

http://www.jreast.co.jp/shiki-shima/train.html

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

Given the pictures, it's not loco-hauled.

 

http://www.jreast.co.jp/shiki-shima/train.html

It has been already revealed long ago (but not longer than a century ) that the train is a EMU. Well, we already know that distributed power system allows a train to be more punctual in the timetable, so this is the reason why JR East decided to use EMU base for this luxury train

[katoftw]

Judging by the shape of these car and the interior shots.  I wouldn't be surprized if some Cassiopeia cars and used in this new train.

[kvp]

http://www.jreast.co.jp/shiki-shima/img/train/page6organizationsp.png

 

Looks like two driving generator cars, 4 or 8 electric motor cars and some trailers in the middle. So i guess either Tc-M-M-T-T-T-T-M-M-Tc or Mc-M-M-M'-T-T-M'-M-M-Mc (with M'-s being either pantographless motors or trailers).

[cteno4]

From profit of the way on yahoo jtrains

 

http://www.mainichi.jp/english/articles/20160114/p2a/00m/0na/019000c

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

In the latest episode of The Railway Journal.  It showed 3 different route.  From memory:-

1- up and down the tohoku main line, Uneo to Aomori plus return.

2- up the tohoku main line, somewhere in hokkaido then akita via gono and ou lines, niigata, through gunma, back to uneo.

3- up tohoku main, Ban-estu west line, niigata, joetsu, nagano, back to uneo

[katoftw]

wiki had the routes anyway.  cannot say this info had come out or anyone had drawn attention to it:-

 

2-day itinerary (spring - autumn)

Day 1 Ueno → Enzan → Obasute (overnight onboard train) 

Day 2 Aizu-Wakamatsu → Ueno

 

4-day itinerary (spring - autumn)

Day 1 Ueno → Nikko (overnight onboard train) 

Day 2 Hakodate → Datemombetsu → Noboribetsu (overnight at hotel accommodation) 

Day 3 Higashi-Muroran → Tōya → Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto → Aomori → Hirosaki(overnight onboard train) 

Day 4 Tsuruoka → Atsumi Onsen → Niitsu → Higashi-Sanjo → Ueno 

 

3-day itinerary (winter)

Day 1 Ueno → Shiroishi → Matsushima (overnight onboard train) 

Day 2 Aomori → Hirosaki (overnight onboard train)

Day 3 Naruko-Onsen → Ueno

Edited January 16, 2016 by katoftw

[katoftw]