On January 10th, Seibu Railway and relative railway companies, Tokyo Metro, Tokyu Corporation, and Yokohama Minatomirai Railway, announced that a new reserved-seating train named "S-TRAIN", operated by Seibu 40000 Series, would start to run on March 25, 2017, which would run between Seibu-chichibu Station on Seibu Seibu-chichibu Line and Motomachi-chukagai [Motomachi・Yokohama Chinatown] Station on Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Line on Saturdays and holidays, and does between Toyosu Station on Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line and Tokorozawa Station on Seibu Ikebukuro Line.
Reserved-seating charge and timetable were also announced. "S-TRAIN" stops at Motomachi-chukagai [Motomachi・Yokohama Chinatown], Minatomirai, Yokohama, Jiyugaoka, Shibuya, Shinjuku-sanchome, Ikebukuro (on Fukutoshin Line), Shakuji-koen [Shakujii Park], Tokorozawa, Irumashi, Hanno, and Seibu-chichibu Stations in Saturday and holiday service, and Toyosu, Yurakucho, Iidabashi, Shakuji-koen [Shakujii Park], Hoya, Tokorozawa Stations in weekday service.
It takes 2 hours and 14 minutes (north bound)/2 hours 33 minutes (south bound) between Motomachi-chukagai [Motomachi・Yokohama Chinatown] and Seibu-chichibu, and it does 58 minutes as the fastest between Toyosu and Tokorozawa. Seating charge costs 350 yen to Shibuya, 560 yen to Ikebukuro, 860 yen to Hanno, and 1060 yen to Seibu-chichibu from Motomachi-chukagai [Motomachi・Yokohama Chinatown] or Yokohama, and 510 yen wholly within the weekday services.
Riding only on Fukutoshin Line or Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Line on Saturdays and holidays isn't available.
When the press release that a reserved-seating train by Seibu 40000 Series, which was first Seibu Railway car convertible seating between longitudinal and forward-facing, would debut was announced was June 16, 2016. Many railfans paid attention to it because not only reserved-seating commuter train, but it was first train that passengers required an additional charge on Tokyu Corporation and Yokohama Minatomirai Railway.
From here, I would like to write my opinion.
At first, I would like to treat the stations. Before the stations at which "S-TRAIN" stops were officially announced, I expected which stations "S-TRAIN" stopped. My expectation was as follows.
On Saturdays and holidays, Motomachi-chukagai [Motomachi・Yokohama Chinatown], Yokohama, Musashi-kosugi (not all trains), Shibuya, Shinjuku-sanchome, Ikebukuro (on Fukutoshin Line), Nerima, Tokorozawa, Irumashi, Hanno, Seibu-chichibu, and on weekdays, Shin-kiba, Toyosu, Yurakucho, Nagatacho, Iidabashi, Ikebukuro (on Yurakucho Line), Nerima, Tokorozawa, Irumashi, Hanno.
On Tokyu Toyoko Line and Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Line, the stations could be less than those of limited express (F-Liner), the fastest train stopping at Motomachi-chukagai [Motomachi・Yokohama Chinatown], Minatomirai, Yokohama, Kikuna, Musashi-kosugi, Jiyugaoka, Nakameguro and Shibuya, which almost comes true. My expectation was no middle station or only one middle station, such as Musashi-kosugi, would stop because limited express train passes Den-en-chofu Station and Hiyoshi Station, both of which are regarded as the most important stations in the history and express train stops. Comparing the result to my expectation, stopping only one middle station is the same, but it is Jiyugaoka.
On Fukutoshin Line, it is the completely same as my expectation. Just like Toyoko Line and Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Line, the stations at which "S-TRAIN" stops is less than those of express (F-Liner), which stops at Shibuya, Meiji-jingu-mae [Meiji Jingu Shrine], Shinjuku-sanchome, Ikebukuro, and Kotake-mukaihara; it stops at Shibuya, Shinjuku-sanchome, and Ikebukuro only.
On Seibu Yurakucho Line and Ikebukuro Line I expect "S-TRAIN" would stop at the almost same stations as those of limited express "Red Arrow" from Ikebukuro on Ikebukuro Line, but, as I wrote before, 10-car "S-TRAIN" wouldn't stop at Yokoze Station because of the length of platform, which also comes true. On the other hand, Nerima Station doesn't stop (or stops but no passengers can't get on or off).
It fell short of my expectation that "S-TRAIN" on weekday would operate between Shin-kiba and Hanno actually to operate between Toyosu and Tokorozawa.
I expected that "S-TRAIN" on weekday would operate longer than local train on daytime (between Shin-kiba and Kotesashi) to target passengers going farther than Kotesashi.
My expectation which station "S-TRAIN" would stop on Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line was based on those of "Bay Resort" limited express, which used to operate on Odakyu Odawara Line, Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, and Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line.
Comparing to my expectation, Nagatacho Station and Ikebukuro Station aren't chosen.
I see why "S-TRAIN" doesn't stop at Ikebukuro Station on Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line may be to decrease the crowdedness.
The second is travel time. Though "S-TRAIN" stops at less stations than limited express ("F-Liner"), it could shorten its travel time only one minute than limited express between Motomachi-chukagai [Motomachi・Yokohama Chinatown] or Yokohama and Ikebukuro and takes more one minute between Motomachi-chukagai [Motomachi・Yokohama Chinatown] or Yokohama and Tokorozawa or Hanno. I would like to say that "S-TRAIN" couldn't fully use its merit.
The third is the solution for wrong ride on Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Line.
Though it stops at the same stations as limited express (F-Liner) on Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Line, no passengers can ride on south bound "S-TRAIN" only on Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Line, which can make some people confused and cause wrong ride.
It may be better to create new rule that passengers could ride on south bound "S-TRAIN" without seat reservation from Yokohama Station or Minatomirai Station because passengers travelling from farther than Jiyugaoka Station gradually decrease from Yokohama Station. The more passengers get off, the more unoccupied seatings there are in the train.
At last, I have a question; I wonder how to switch the safety devices or drive mode at Kotake-mukaihara Station, the border of Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line or Fukutoshin Line and Seibu Yurakucho Line, and Nerima Station, the border of Seibu Yurakucho Line and Ikebukuro Line, both of which "S-TRAIN" passes on timetable, which means that "S-TRAIN" stops twice on its way to Shakuji-koen [Shakujii Park] Station both on Saturdays and holidays and weekdays.
At Kotake-mukaihara Station, the trains going through Seibu Yurakucho Line and Ikebukuro Line need to change driver and conductor because of the border between the two railway companies. In addition, in case of Fukutoshin Line trains, the driver changes its driving mode between automatic control to manual control. Though the timetable says that "S-TRAIN" passes Kotake-mukaihara, those both on Saturday and holiday and weekday also has to stop to change them.
Not only that, because Seibu Yurakucho Line and Ikebukuro Line introduce different safety devices, though the two lines are operated by the same company, "S-TRAIN" also has to stop at Nerima Station to switch between the two devices if the car doesn't install automatically-switcher for the safety devices.
"Pass" at Kotake-mukaihara and Nerima can mean that "no passengers can get on and off, in other words, stop only for change of driver and conductor, or switch between different safety devices."
It is needed to resolve the stops, such as making a transition from automatic control to manual control between Ikebukuro and Kotake-mukaihara on Fukutoshin Line and equipment of the automatically-switcher with the car.
"S-TRAIN" looks attractive from the point of view of a train ensuring the seating, but speed-up can be an issue. Especially, to be faster than JR East Shonan-shinjuku Line train between Yokohama and Shibuya or Ikebukuro, more two minute shortening is needed.
The travels reaping a benefit "S-TRAIN" may be weekday operation, on which all trains stop at all stations between Nerima and Toyosu, and between Yokohama Minatomirai Railway and Seibu-chichibu Line only.
I have to reflect on my overexpectation that the stations where "S-TRAIN" stops are less than limited express (F-Liner) leads the shortening the travelling time.
Seibu 40000 Series exists only two sets and "S-TRAIN" operates five times on Saturdays and holidays and seven times on weekdays a day from this coming March 25, but I look forward to being more "S-TRAIN" operates as more Seibu 40000 Series are built.