The is a

diesel-electric 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 als ...

(DEMU) train type built

Nippon Sharyo , formed in 1896, is a major rolling stock manufacturer based in Nagoya, Japan. In 1996, it abbreviated its name to "日本車両" Nippon Sharyō. Its shortest abbreviation is Nissha "日車". It was a listed company on Nikkei 225 until 2 ...

for use on limited express services operated by

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...

(JR Central). Intended to replace the

KiHa 85 series The is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) on '' Hida'' and ''Nanki'' limited express services in Japan. Technical specifications The trains use stainless steel car bodies, consist of ...

, a prototype trainset was completed in late 2019, with a full-production fleet first materializing in 2022. The fleet was first introduced into service on 1 July 2022 on the

Takayama Main Line The is a Japanese railway line between Gifu Station in Gifu and Toyama Station in Toyama, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line directly links the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area ( ...

Design

The first set was manufactured by Nippon Sharyo at its Toyokawa facility. JR Central calls it a "hybrid car", due to the train having electric engines, with power supplied by an onboard diesel generator. While this type of train is widespread in Europe, it is fairly novel in Japan.

Formation

The formation is as follows.

Interior

Seating across all cars consists primarily of 2+2 abreast seating. Also included are power outlets for all seats, free

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...

, and universal-access toilets. The standard-class interior's seats use a seat

moquette Moquette, derived from the French word for carpet, is a type of woven pile fabric in which cut or uncut threads form a short dense cut or loop pile. As well as giving it a distinctive velvet-like feel, the pile construction is particularly durabl ...

of a red–orange gradient, inspired by the autumn leaves alongside the line. Wheelchair spaces are also provided. Green cars, which are only available on some four-car sets, incorporate a theme of calmness and quality. The seats use seat moquette with a blue–green gradient, inspired by the greenery alongside the railway line, as well as the river and the sky at dusk. File:JR C HC85 moha84-103 inside 20220703.jpg, alt=, Standard-class interior File:JR C HC85 moha84-3 Inside wheelchair-space 20220703.jpg, alt=, Standard-class interior with wheelchair spaces File:JR C HC85 kumoro85-3 inside 20220703.jpg, alt=, Green car interior

History

The first set was unveiled in December 2019. The set has since been deployed on test runs. Mass production commenced during fiscal 2022, with test runs for the first two production sets, D2 and D3, commencing on 21 April 2022. A total of 64 vehicles are to be built by fiscal 2023, and the prototype set is due to be upgraded to mass-production standards. The fleet entered service on 1 July 2022, operating on '' Hida'' limited-express services on the

between Nagoya and Takayama. JR Central also plans to introduce HC85 series trainsets on ''

Nanki The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), which runs from Nagoya to Shingū and Kii-Katsuura. The service passes through several notable and important locations, situated on the Kii P ...

'' limited-express services on the

Kisei Main Line The is a railway line that parallels the coastline of the Kii Peninsula in Japan between Mie Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture. The name takes the ''kanji'' characters from the names of the old provinces of and . The line is operated by Ce ...

in the future.

Fleet details

References

External links

JR Central news release

(Nippon Sharyo) {{JR Central EMU Hybrid multiple units of Japan Central Japan Railway Company Train-related introductions in 2022 Nippon Sharyo multiple units