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Japan’s upcoming Romancecar train seeks to end intimacy with its super-wide seats

Elliot Hale a few minute ago
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Odakyu’s sleek new train features droplet windows, spacious seating, and a driver sitting above your head.

With the varied lineup of in-service carriages and impeccable punctuality, the Japanese train system could be said to be an art form, but the train companies are not ones to rest on their laurels, constantly seeking improvements to their services. Odakyu Electric Railway recently unveiled plans for its next-generation limited express train, the Type 80000, which is due to debut in March 2029. This new model will adopt one of the company’s most known monikers: the Romancecar.

Despite what the name might imply, the Romancecar service is not targeted at young lovers hoping to get some quick private time as they hurtle along the tracks. Instead, the name derives from ‘romance seats’, the type of paired seating with no middle armrest to separate the two chairs.

▼ True romance seat style.

Other train companies started to use the name, but Odakyu later went on to register the trademark Romancecar for their tourist-heavy limited express trains. Now the Romancecar fleet can be seen shipping thousands of tourists back and forth between Shinjuku and popular sightseeing destinations of Hakone, the hot spring haven with stunning views of Mt. Fuji, and the coastal sights of Enoshima.

One thing that makes these trains popular among railway enthusiasts is its observation seating, where the driver sits in a raised compartment above the passengers, allowing for the front row to have a completely unobstructed view of the countryside rushing by.

▼ View from the front row.

The upcoming Type 80000 will embrace this feature, along with a couple of extra design decisions to make travel more enjoyable for its passengers. The car bodies will sport a blue-green finish and their design will be centered around the theme of ‘water.’

▼ The new model has over 280 standard seats.

Many travelers out for the day or the weekend may often find themselves playing an apologetic game of spatial Tetris with their knees and luggage as they try to avoid inconveniencing other passengers, so Odakyu has decided to tackle this problem with extra-wide ‘spacious seats.’ Measuring roughly 60 centimeters across (23.6 inches), and among the widest on any Japanese train, these seats are designed so you can stretch out, work, or simply exist without getting intimately familiar with your neighbor’s elbow.

For small groups or families, one car will feature four-person booths situated beside large, 1.8-meter (70.9-inch) circular windows shaped like water droplets.

With glass stretching from almost floor to ceiling, and gently curved partitions that separate the booths from the rest of the carriage, the booth seats will allow you and your group to focus on all of nature’s beauty as it rolls past the window.

Just remember: despite the Romancecar name, this new model will not guarantee a deeper level of intimacy with your partner. However, with seats that wide and windows that big, you might just end up falling in love with the train instead.

Related: Odakyu Romancecar Online Reservation
Source: PR Times, Odakyu News Release, Nitere News via Yahoo News
Images: PR Times
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