East Japan Railway (JR East) will begin commercial operations of Japan’s first hydrogen-powered hybrid passenger train by the end of fiscal 2027, as one of the world’s largest railway operators seeks to cut emissions and develop an alternative to diesel trains.
The two-car train, known as HYBARI, will operate on the Tsurumi Line and a branch of the Nambu Line between Shitte and Hama-Kawasaki, both in the industrial port city of Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, JR East said in a press release.
The company has conducted test runs on the routes since March 2022. It plans to modify the experimental train for passenger service before its commercial launch between April 2027 and March 2028.
JR East, which operates Tokyo’s extensive commuter network and high-speed Shinkansen services connecting the capital with northern and central Japan, runs about 7,400 kilometres of railway.
The group reported operating revenue of about 3.85 trillion yen (US$26 billion) for the year ended March 2025, placing it among the world’s largest railway companies.
HYBARI was jointly developed by JR East, Hitachi and Toyota Motor Corp, combining railway technology with fuel-cell systems derived from Toyota’s Mirai hydrogen-powered car.
The train produces electricity by combining hydrogen stored onboard with oxygen from the air. Batteries supplement the fuel cells and store electricity recovered through regenerative braking, which is generated when the train slows down.
The system emits no carbon dioxide while the train is running, although its overall climate impact will depend on how the hydrogen is produced.
Hydrogen derived from fossil fuels can carry substantial upstream emissions, while hydrogen produced using renewable electricity can deliver much larger reductions over its life cycle.
Research into fuel-cell trains has identified them as a potential replacement for diesel on routes where installing overhead electrical wires would be costly or impractical. Such trains require less trackside infrastructure than full electrification, but their competitiveness depends on the cost and carbon intensity of hydrogen, refuelling facilities and the distance and frequency of services.
HYBARI carries high-pressure hydrogen tanks on its roof, while its fuel-cell system and batteries are installed beneath the floor. Hydrogen will be supplied at JR East’s Kamakura Vehicle Base in Kawasaki.
The train will use hydrogen stored at a pressure of 35 megapascals (MPa) and is expected to travel about 70 kilometres on each refill, JR East said.
MPa is a unit of pressure, and is expected to travel about 70 kilometres on a single refill. Earlier tests targeted a range of about 140 kilometres using hydrogen stored at 70 MPa.
The shorter range means the first commercial service will remain confined to relatively short urban routes close to the refuelling depot. The Tsurumi Line, which serves residential and industrial districts around Kawasaki and Yokohama, is about 9.7 kilometres long on its main section.
JR East said the project formed part of its target to reduce the group’s net carbon dioxide emissions to zero by fiscal 2050.
Although most of Japan’s busiest railways are electrified, diesel trains continue to operate on less heavily used regional routes where the expense of installing and maintaining electrical infrastructure can be difficult to justify.
Diesel vehicles account for only about 5 per cent of Japan’s railway fleet, or roughly 2,600 carriages, but consume around 500,000 tonnes of diesel annually, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The ministry has said replacing them will require a combination of hydrogen fuel-cell trains, battery vehicles, diesel hybrids and lower-carbon fuels, depending on local conditions.
The ministry established a working group in 2023 to develop safety and technical standards for hydrogen-powered railway vehicles, including rules governing onboard tanks and refuelling infrastructure. Key obstacles include vehicle and fuel costs, limited operating range and the need to establish a stable hydrogen supply.
JR East said it had also begun developing a next-generation hydrogen hybrid train capable of travelling distances comparable with conventional diesel railcars.
The new model will use hydrogen stored at 70 MPa and is intended to handle longer routes and consecutive sections with steep gradients. JR East is targeting commercial operations by the end of fiscal 2030 and plans to build facilities capable of refuelling trains with high-pressure hydrogen more quickly.
Germany introduced the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger trains in 2018, and projects have since been developed in countries including France, Italy, China and India. The technology has primarily been proposed for regional routes that are not connected to overhead electrical systems.
However, the experience in Europe has also highlighted the challenges facing hydrogen rail. Operators must secure reliable supplies of low-carbon hydrogen and construct specialised depots, while battery trains or conventional electrification may be more energy-efficient on some routes.
JR East said it would use knowledge gained from HYBARI to assess wider deployment and the potential replacement of diesel trains on non-electrified sections of its network.
