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The first Romancecar, 1957 world-record-holding 3000 series SE
TheRomancecar (Japanese:ロマンスカー,Hepburn:Romansukā) isOdakyu Electric Railway's brand name for itslimited express services operating between Tokyo and tourist destinations southwest of the city, including themountain resorts ofHakone andGotemba (nearMount Fuji), as well as coastal destinations includingOdawara andEnoshima. Introduced in 1957 with the3000 series SE trainset, the service set a world speed record of 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) for anarrow gauge railway.[1] This achievement was influential to the design and creation of the country's high speed rail network, theShinkansen.
The name comes fromromance seats, two-person seats without separating armrests when one-person seats were a norm. SomeRomancecars are equipped with standard seats featuring armrests. Other railroad companies also used "romance cars" or "romance seats" (aJapanese portmanteau for "loveseat") for their special accommodation passenger cars, but Odakyu holds the trademark for the term "Romancecar".
Odakyu currently operates the followingRomancecar services. All are classified astokkyū (limited express) services, requiring a separate limited express supplement ticket in addition to the standard fare and seat reservations.Bento meals are available on board.
30000 series EXE (Excellent Express) – Introduced in 1996, the EXE series operates the majority ofRomancecar services. Most sets are equipped with onboard vending machines, and some include cabin attendants. The series features a boxy design and a metallic bronze livery. Ten trainsets were built, capable of being split into six- and four-car trainsets. The splits are used for combinedHakone andEnoshima services, with the train splitting or combining atSagami-Ono: the six-car section is used forHakone and the four-car section forEnoshima. When 10-car trains operate onHakone services without splitting at Sagami-Ono, the train divides atOdawara, with only the six-car set continuing on theHakone Tozan Line to Hakone-Yumoto. Beginning in JFY2016, the fleet underwent a refurbishment program; refurbished trainsets are branded EXEα (Excellent Express Alpha).[2]
60000 series MSE (Multi Super Express) – Introduced in March 2008, the MSE was the firstRomancecar series designed for through services onto theTokyo Metro Chiyoda line. Eight trainsets were built, capable of being split into six- and four-car sets. The series received aBlue Ribbon Award presented by the Japan Railfan Club.
70000 series GSE (Graceful Super Express) – The newestRomancecar model, the GSE features an elevated driver's compartment similar to the HiSE and VSE. Two seven-car trainsets were built, used exclusively onHakone services. The series entered service in March 2018[3] and received a Blue Ribbon Award.
3000 series SE (Super Express): Introduced in 1957, these pioneering high-speed trainsets were used in regular service until 1968, with one set remaining in use until 1991. In September 1957, they set theworld speed record for narrow-gauge railways at 145 km/h (90 mph), an achievement that influenced the development of the world’s firsthigh-speed train, theShinkansen. The eight-car trainsets seated 354 passengers. The series received the inaugural Blue Ribbon Award.
3100 series NSE (New Super Express): A taller, upgraded development of the 3000 series, the 3100 series entered service in 1963 and remained in operation until 1999. The biggest change was the driver's compartment was elevated above the passenger cabin to provide an unobstructed 180-degree forward view for passengers. With 11 cars, it was the longestRomancecar type in regular service, seating 464 passengers. It had a maximum design speed of 170 km/h (106 mph). The series received a Blue Ribbon Award.
7000 series LSE (Luxury Super Express): Introduced in 1980, the LSE featured a 180-degree panoramic front view. It seated 464 passengers in eleven cars, matching the capacity of the 3100 series, and was manufactured byKawasaki Heavy Industries. The final two sets were withdrawn from regular service on July 10, 2018, and subsequently operated on a seasonal basis through the end of the fiscal year. The series received a Blue Ribbon Award.
10000 series HiSE (High-grade Super Express): Introduced in 1988, the HiSE was closely related to the 7000 series LSE and, for a time, represented the highest grade ofRomancecar service, offering larger seats. As with the NSE, LSE and later VSE, the driver's compartment was elevated to provide an unobstructed 180-degree forward view for passengers. The series was primarily used onHakone services, stopping more frequently than the VSE, with a journey time of approximately 90 minutes. Cabin attendants provided food and beverage service except on evening runs. The series received a Blue Ribbon Award. The final two sets were withdrawn on March 16, 2012.
20000 series RSE (Resort Super Express): Introduced in 1992 and withdrawn in 2012, the RSE trainsets were mainly used onAsagiri services toGotemba, alternating with the similar JR Central371 series. They were the only Odakyu trains to feature first-class seating in semi-compartments on the upper decks of two bi-level cars located near the center of each train. The RSE was also the firstRomancecar series to depart from the traditional wine-red livery, instead using a light blue color scheme. The series received a Blue Ribbon Award.
50000 series VSE (Vault Super Express): Introduced in 2005, the white-liveried VSE featured an elevated driver's compartment similar to that of the HiSE. The series was primarily used onSuper Hakone services and offered onboard attendants providing food, beverages, and retail service during the approximately 80-minute journey. Two cars included café spaces, contributing to the VSE’s nickname as a "moving café" (走る喫茶室). The trainsets seated 358 passengers.[4] The series received a Blue Ribbon Award. The two sets were withdrawn from regular service on March 11, 2022,[5] and fully retired on December 10, 2023.[6]
^５０年前の特急ロマンスカーが登場 (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. October 3, 2007. RetrievedNovember 30, 2007.
^「特急ロマンスカー・EXE（３００００形）」をリニューアル ～ＥＸＥは、「EXEα」へ進化します～ [EXE 30000 series Romancecar to be refurbished—becoming “EXEα”](PDF) (in Japanese). Odakyu Electric Railway. October 20, 2016. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on October 20, 2016. RetrievedMarch 16, 2022.
^小田急電鉄、新型ロマンスカー70000形デビューへ 高さ1mの側面窓や展望室 [Odakyu Electric Railway to debut new 70000 series Romancecar with 1 m high side windows and observation saloon] (in Japanese). Tetsudo Shimbun. October 20, 2016. Archived fromthe original on October 20, 2016. RetrievedOctober 20, 2016.
^"2007 小田急ロマンスカーオールガイド" [2007 Odakyu Romancecar Comprehensive Guide].Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 36, no. 277. Kōtsū Shimbun. May 2007. pp. 10–13.
^小田急50000形ロマンスカー「VSE」の定期運用終了 [Regular operation of Odakyu 50000 series “VSE” Romancecars has ended].Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). March 12, 2022. Archived fromthe original on March 12, 2022. RetrievedMarch 16, 2022.
^Miyamoto, Yasuhiro (December 11, 2023).小田急50000形ロマンスカー「VSE」がラストラン [Odakyu 50000 series “VSE” makes its last run].Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Archived fromthe original on December 10, 2023. RetrievedDecember 10, 2023.
Odakyu trainsets
