Seibu Railway restaurant train named Fine Dining Train “vies”

Seibu Railway restaurant train plans include a manufacturing contract for Fine Dining Train “vies”. Also, the train is being developed with SEIBU RAILWAY Co.,Ltd. It is scheduled to begin operation in March 2028, as Hitachi Rail announced.

Seibu Railway restaurant train concept and base design

Meanwhile, the new train will build on the concept established by ‘Fifty Two Seats of Happiness’. It is Seibu Railway’s full-course restaurant train, in operation since 2016. In addition, the new train is intended to provide a more refined dining experience. At the same time, its design and manufacturing will be based on ‘Laview’. It is Seibu Railway’s flagship limited express train. Hitachi manufactured that train, which debuted in 2019.

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Hitachi Rail manufacturing contract and design details

Separately, Hitachi has previously worked closely with Seibu Railway on its restaurant train initiative. This included the refurbishment of the operator’s 4000 series rolling stock. For example, the exterior and interior form part of a Kengo Kuma train design. They draw inspiration from Chichibu, one of the region’s most prominent tourist destinations. Also, the exterior incorporates motifs of the Arakawa River flowing through the natural landscape. In addition, the Chichibu tourism-inspired train interior uses traditional Chichibu Meisen textiles. It also uses locally sourced Nishikawa timber.

Existing service and timing

Meanwhile, the existing restaurant train operates mainly on weekends and holidays. It runs between Ikebukuro / Seibu-Shinjuku and Seibu-Chichibu stations. Still, it is also scheduled to mark its 10th anniversary in April 2026.

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