Sunrise Seto
The Sunrise Seto is an overnight sleeping car train service in Japan operated jointly by Central Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company since July 1998.
Operations
The Sunrise Seto runs daily between and in Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, taking about 9 hours 30 minutes for the journey. The service operates in conjunction with the Sunrise Izumo service to between Tokyo and. The combined 14-car train departs from Tokyo, and stops at,,,,, , , and arrives at, where the train splits, with the Sunrise Izumo half of the train heading to. Between Okayama and Takamatsu, the 7-car Sunrise Seto train stops at and, before arriving in Takamatsu. The return train departs from Takamatsu, and is coupled with the Sunrise Izumo from Izumoshi at Okayama Station, departing together from there, and arriving at Tokyo Station in the next morning.There are seasonal extended services which Sunrise Seto trains from Tokyo run beyond Takamatsu, to on the Dosan Line. These extended service trains run during particular seasons, and during the holidays.
Station list
- Trains make brief stops for several reasons, here being crew changes at JR region boundaries. Passengers cannot board or get off the train when it makes such stops.
- Regularly, only eastbound services will operate between Atami and Yokohama via the Tōkaidō Freight Line, where trains enter the line at Odawara and exit at Chigasaki back to the Tōkaidō Main Line.
Formation
| Car No. | 1/8 | 2/9 | 3/10 | 4/11 | 5/12 | 6/13 | 7/14 |
| Numbering | KuHaNe 285 | SaHaNe 285 | MoHaNe 285 | SaRoHaNe 285 | MoHaNe 285 | SaHaNe 285 | KuHaNe 285 |
| Accommodation | B single berths | B single berths | B solo berths | Single DX berths | B single berths Nobinobi floor space | B single berths | B single berths |
| Accommodation | B single/ single-twin berths | B single/ single-twin berths | B solo berths | Sunrise twin berths | B single berths Nobinobi floor space | B single/ single-twin berths | B single/ single-twin berths |
| Facilities | Mini saloon area, vending machine, shower | Vending machine |
- Car 2/9 has a wheelchair-accessible compartment
- Each car has toilet facilities at one end.
- Smoking is permitted in car 6/13, and some compartments in car 4/11.
Accommodation, Ticketing and Facilities
To ride the train, several fares are required. All passengers require a basic fare ticket and a limited express ticket based on the distance traveled. On top of these, those wishing to travel in a private room must also pay for a berth ticket, while those traveling in the Nobinobi sleeping area must pay a small seat reservation charge in order to reserve an individual sleeping space.
The berth and seat reservation charges are fixed, regardless of where the journey starts and ends.
| Person | Accommodation | Price |
| 1-person use berth | A Single Deluxe | ¥13980 |
| 1-person use berth | B Single Twin | ¥9600 |
| 1-person use berth | B Single | ¥7700 |
| 1-person use berth | B Solo | ¥6600 |
| 2-people use berths | B Sunrise Twin | ¥15400 for two people |
| 2-people use berths | B Single Twin | ¥15000 for two people |
| 1-person use seating | Nobinobi sleeping area | ¥530 seat reservation charge |
For example, a passenger traveling one-way from Tokyo to Okayama in regular season would have to pay for a basic fare ticket and a limited express ticket between Tokyo and Okayama before adding on either the Nobinobi reservation charge or the berth ticket.
Tickets can be purchased up to one month before departure at a JR Midori no Madoguchi in Japan, or online through the JR West Seat Reservation website. Holders of the Japan Rail Pass can reserve a Nobinobi space for free, or reserve a berth by paying the limited express and berth charges.
A shower is located in cars 3 and 10. Passengers using the A Single Deluxe compartments are provided with a free shower card to use the showers on the train, while other passengers have to pay ¥330 for a shower card if they desire to use the showers. Lounges are also located in cars 3 and 10. Drink vending machines are available in cars 3, 5, 10 and 12.
History
The Sunrise Seto services were introduced together with the Sunrise Izumo on 10 July 1998. Previously, the Seto operated as a separate "Blue train" service connecting Tokyo with Takamatsu. The Sunrise Izumo was intended to attract more passengers to train transportation by introducing newly designed trains and by reducing the journey time.Ridership on overnight trains in Japan continues to decline, and from March 2009, the Sunrise Izumo and Sunrise Seto became the only overnight sleeping car trains to operate west of Tokyo via the Tokaido Line.