Subscribe to download
Kintetsu 80000 Series / 近鉄80000系

The 80000 Series (80000系) is a limited express type train operated by Kintetsu Railway.

Entering service on Osaka-Nagoya direct premium services in 2020, the 80000 series ‘Hinotori’ is the newest flagship vehicle of Kintetsu Railway. Due to fierce competition with Shinkansen trains, the number of passengers on Meihan limited express trains had been decreasing. With no prospects of matching the Shinkansen’s speed, Kintetsu would pivot towards passenger comfort and convenience, aiming to attract both business travelers and tourists with greater amenities offered at a more affordable price. The 80000 series is constructed from ordinary steel, painted in lustrous metallic red with a gold stripe and logo. Its leading cars are high deck, taking advantage of the clearance space used by pantographs, it has a streamlined design to give a sense of speed. The nickname ‘Hinotori’, meaning firebird or phoenix, is derived from its fiery red exterior and reinforces its image of a fast and modern limited express train. On the interior, the high deck leading vehicles are premium seat cabins, made from genuine leather. With a seat pitch of 1.3 meters, it is comparable to the Shinkansen Gran Class in terms of comfort and feel. The regular seats are in a 2+2 configuration with adjustable footrests and generous pitch, providing equal or greater comfort to Green Cars on the Tokaido Shinkansen. A preliminary survey found that around half of all passengers were reluctant to recline their seats to avoid taking up the space of the person behind them, to combat this, all seats on the 80000 series recline within their own shell, allowing passengers to travel in greater comfort without the worry of inconveniencing others. The train also provides various service facilities such as a Café, vending machines, multipurpose “bench spaces”, and free Wi-Fi. There was also a smoking room present before they were abolished throughout the Kintetsu fleet in 2024. The 80000 series were manufactured as fixed sets of 6 and 8 car formations, totaling 72 cars. They primarily operate the highest tier of Osaka-Nagoya limited express trains, replacing the 21000 series ‘Urban Liner plus’. Kintetsu limited express services do not have names of their own and are instead distinguished by the nickname of the type operated. The Hinotori had been well received, being awarded both the Good Design Award and the Blue Ribbon Award, two notable achievements for trains in Japan. With the premium seats priced lower than an ordinary class seat on the Shinkansen, it has a strong appeal to all passengers who can spare the extra hour of travel time.

Basic Information

Max Speed: 130km/h
Acceleration: 0.69m/s/s
Motor Output: 240kW x 4 per car
In Service: 2020-

The following formations are included:

80000 Series (6 Car)

Configuration: 3M3T
Max Pax: 239

80000 Series (8 Car)

Configuration: 4M4T
Max Pax: 327

80000 Series (10 Car) Hypothetical Formation

Configuration: 5M5T
Max Pax: 415

80000 Series (12 Car) Hypothetical Formation

Configuration: 6M6T
Max Pax: 508