Overview
- The train, which JR Hokkaido showed to reporters on Saturday, November 14, is a single four-car set called 'Red Star' that completed a public unveiling after roughly a one-year delay.
- JR Hokkaido plans to begin service in February 2027 with about 12 round trips on the Sapporo–Abashiri route that run roughly seven hours each and to move the train to the Senmō Line between Kushiro and Shiretoko-Shari from April through July.
- A second companion train, 'Blue Star', is scheduled to start service on the Asahikawa–Furano route in July 2027 according to the company’s announced rollout.
- Designer Eiji Mitooka created the deep-red exterior with star emblems and richly wooden interiors that include a bar lounge, salon, semi‑private compartments, tatami rooms and a tea room, and JR Hokkaido says onboard meals will use local ingredients.
- JR Hokkaido has not yet released ticket pricing or detailed reservation information, and the operator frames the trains as a strategy to draw higher-spending tourists and support the revival of local rail lines and regional economies.