Odakyu 30000 series Excellent Express

Data (as of 12 Oct 2024)

History

The 30000 series Excellent Express, which is usually abbreviated as EXE, is the least popular Romancecar type train. Unlike its predecessors, the EXE was designed for commuters and businessmen so that the EXE has no observation carriage and café. Its exterior design was far from attractive so that it could not get the Blue Ribbon Award, though Good Design/Long Life Design Award was given to it by the then Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Seven six and four-car units were introduced, and they can form ten coaches. Many trains served by the EXE are divided at Sagami-Ono. Odakyu found that the exterior design and the omission of observation carriage discouraged those people from using Romancecar services so that the company decided to stop using the EXE in posters and advertisements, and used photos of 10000 series HiSE instead.

Since 2017, the company has been refurbishing EXE units, replacing traction, seating and infamous squat toilets. The refurbished units are repainted silver and rebranded as EXE α.

Current Operations & Future Prospects

The EXE units are used on various limited express services, like Sagami (Shinjuku - Odawara), Hakone (Shinjuku - Hakone-Yumoto) and Enoshima (Shinjuku - Katase-Enoshima). Some services are formed of six-coach Sagami or Hakone and four-coach Enoshima, which are divided or attached at Sagami-Ono.

Unrefurbished units are due to be replaced with brand new trains in 2029.

Photos

The refurbished EXE α unit.

The other front end (unrefurbished unit). There is a gangway in the middle of it.