JR Tokai’s new Hida train wins prestigious Blue Ribbon Prize

NAGOYA--The Japan Railfan Club has awarded Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai)’s new HC85 series train, which has been in operation on Hida limited express runs since last summer, its Blue Ribbon Prize. 

The award is given to outstanding new trains that started operations the previous year in Japan.

"This is a highly valued award with a tradition in the railway industry. We are truly honored," JR Tokai President Shunsuke Niwa said during a news conference on June 8.

The new model is JR Tokai’s first limited express train introduced on a conventional line in about 30 years.

Operating as a diesel-battery hybrid express train, the HC85 series train can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 30 percent compared with the previous model.

The Japan Railfan Club praised the new train, saying it drastically reduced vibration and noise to improve the cabin environment.

In addition to the Hida limited express service heading to the Hida region in Gifu Prefecture, which is a popular destination among tourists from abroad, JR Tokai also plans to use the new train for the Nanki limited express service scheduled to start in the Kii Peninsula in July.

The award marks the first time that JR Tokai has won it on its own. 

The company previously won the prize in 2008 for the N700 series Shinkansen train, which was jointly developed with West Japan Railway Co. (JR West).