The is a hybrid

diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

(DMU) train type operated by

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters ar ...

(JR East) on "resort train" services on scenic lines in Japan since October 2010.

Design

The HB-E300 series is based on the

KiHa E200 The is a single-car hybrid diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Koumi Line in Japan. Three cars were delivered in April 2007, entering revenue service from 31 July 2007. The body design ...

hybrid DMU type introduced on the Koumi Line in 2007. One two-car train is used on the

Ōito Line The is a railway line in Japan which connects Matsumoto Station in Nagano Prefecture with Itoigawa Station in Niigata Prefecture. There are two operators on the line: East Japan Railway Company (JR East) operates the section north of Mina ...

; two two-car trains are used on the Tsugaru and

Ōminato Line The is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Noheji Station and Ōminato Station on the Shimokita Peninsula in eastern Aomori Prefecture. Station list :●: All rapid service trains stop, ○: Some ra ...

s; and two four-car trains are used on Gonō Line ''

Resort Shirakami The is a limited-stop "Rapid" service operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) as a sightseeing train along the scenic coastal Gonō Line in the north of Japan since March 1997. Operations The train service operates between and ...

'' services, replacing earlier KiHa 48 DMU trainsets. The use of hybrid technology is designed to reduce fuel consumption by 10% compared with the existing ''Resort Shirakami'' trains, reduce NOx emissions by 60%, and reduce noise levels by 20 dB while idling at stations and by 30 dB when accelerating from standstill.

Interior

Seating in open saloon cars features reclining/rotating seating in 2+2 configuration with a seat pitch of . The four-car ''Resort Shirakami'' sets include compartment accommodation.

2-car ''Resort View Furusato''

The two-car train for the Ōito Line is branded . It was built by

Tokyu Car Corporation Tokyu may refer to: * Tokyu Group, a group of companies centered on Tokyu Corporation ** Tokyu Corporation The is a Japanese multinational '' keiretsu'' (conglomerate) holding company headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Its main operation is , ...

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

, and delivered to Nagano in June 2010. The train entered revenue service on 2 October 2010.

Formation

The two-car ''Resort View Furusato'' set is formed as follows.

2-car ''Resort Asunaro''

The two two-car trains for the Tsugaru and Ōminato Lines are branded , named after Aomori's prefectural tree, known as '' Asunaro'' in Japanese. They were built by

Niigata Transys is a Japanese railway vehicle and equipment manufacturer based in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is a subsidiary of IHI Corporation and has a factory in Niigata, and representative offices in Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai, and Niigata. Products Low- ...

and were delivered to JR East's Aomori Depot in September 2010, entering service from 4 December 2010, coinciding with the opening of the

Tōhoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture in a route length of , making it Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main ...

extension to .

Formation

The two-car ''Resort Asunaro'' sets are formed as follows.

Interior

File:JRE HB-E302-3-inside.jpg, View of main saloon area of HB-E302-3 in June 2011 File:JRE HB-E301-3-inside.jpg, Interior view of HB-E301-3, showing ceiling-mounted monitor screens in June 2011

4-car ''Resort Shirakami - Aoike''

The four-car '' Resort Shirakami - Aoike'' train for use on the Gono Line was delivered from

Tokyu Car is a manufacturer of heavy rail cars in Japan, formerly known as . The company is based in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, and a member of East Japan Railway Company (JR East) group. J-TREC manufactures rail vehicles not only for JR East and Tokyu Cor ...

's Yokohama factory to JR East's Akita Depot in September 2010. It entered service from 4 December 2010.

Formation

The four-car ''Resort Shirakami - Aoike'' set is formed as follows.

4-car ''Resort Shirakami - Buna''

The four-car '' Resort Shirakami - Buna'' train for use on the Gono Line was built jointly by

J-TREC is a manufacturer of heavy rail cars in Japan, formerly known as . The company is based in Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, and a member of East Japan Railway Company (JR East) group. J-TREC manufactures rail vehicles not only for JR East and Tokyu Co ...

(cars 1, 2, and 4) at its Yokohama factory and JR East's Akita Works (car 3) in 2016, scheduled to enter service from 16 July 2016, replacing the earlier KiHa 48 four-car DMU trainset previously used. The exterior livery and interior design of this set was overseen by

Ken Okuyama Design Ken Okuyama (born 1959) is a Japanese industrial designer. He is the owner of the Ken Okuyama Design company. Okuyama formerly worked for Pininfarina, designing and supervising projects such as the Enzo Ferrari and Ferrari P4/5. His given name i ...

Formation

The four-car ''Resort Shirakami - Buna'' set is formed as follows with car 1 at the Akita/Aomori end. File:HB-E302-5.jpg, HB-E302-5 (car 1) File:HB-E300-105.jpg, HB-E300-105 (car 2) File:HB-E300-5.jpg, HB-E300-5.jpg (car 3) File:HB-E301-5.jpg, HB-E301-5.jpg (car 4)

References

External links

JR East press release announcing ''Resort View Furusato''

(Japan Railfan Magazine) {{JR East EMU East Japan Railway Company Train-related introductions in 2010 Niigata Transys rolling stock Hybrid multiple units of Japan Tokyu Car multiple units