Kintetsu 80000 series Hinotori

Data (as of 31 Mar 2024)

History

The 80000 series Hinotori is the flagship of Kintetsu, with eight six-carriage units and three eight-car units in total. Kintetsu intended not only to replace 12200 series New Snack Car, but also to enhance service quality on Limited Express services between Nagoya and Osaka. Hinotori literally means "fire bird", and it generally refers to a phoenix.

As the ridership of Kintetsu limited express services was gradually declining amid the ageing population, Kintetsu concluded that introducing spacious trains with comfortable seats would attract those on business trip and sightseeing at the same time. The capacity of train is smaller than older trains, but Kintetsu adopted special fare scheme so that the revenue remained the same level.

The 80000 series is formed of six or eight coaches as mentioned above, and front coaches (i.e. two coaches per unit) are "Premium Seat" (first class). The first class coaches have special suspensions to minimise uncomfortable vibrations.

Current Operations & Future Prospects

The 80000 series is used on limited express services between Osaka-Namba and Nagoya as well as those between Osaka-Namba and Nara. All services are named Hinotori so that it is easy to find them on a timetable or on a departure board.