Japan: The passenger operator JR East has been testing high-speed cargo deliveries since 2023.
The first revenue service took place on the 675-km Tokyo–Aomori line, where an E5 series train carried 140 seafood crates and 60 confectionery boxes, placed between seats, in two of its ten cars.
JR East will now provide cargo services on Fridays, with potential route and frequency expansions based on demand. The operator is eyeing annual revenue of JPY 10 bln ($70.1 mln) from passenger-train freight operations.
Loading cargo on the Е5 series high-speed train. Source: ToonippoPress
Concurrently, JR East is overhauling a retired E3-series train to transport 1,000 boxes and oversized items in all seven cars. Commercial service on the 575.7-km Tohoku Line is scheduled for this autumn.
