Plarail New Releases 2025 onwards (non-Thomas)

March 2025 releases, all March 15th. Note that there are interesting things happening in the Plarail Thomas-verse as well, but that'll be in a different thread.

Real Class 201 srs Commuter Train (JR West, Sky Blue)



S-47 Hankyu Railway 2300 srs PRiVACE  (replacing S-47 Hankyu Railway 1000 srs).
The 2300 series was developed for use on limited express services on the Kyoto Main Line. The fourth car from the Osaka end is branded PRiVACE – a portmanteau of private and place – and is used to offer reserved-seat services.



S-58 Piggyback Transport Train (EF66-100 srs)   (replacing S-58 Plarail Railway Crossliner)
In railway terminology, 'piggybacking' is the practice of carrying trailers or semi-trailers on flatcars.




S-30 E233 srs Chuo Line (double-deck Green Car)  (replacing S-30 E233 srs Chuo Line)
On Japanese railways a Green Car has better seats with more leg-room, and of course the tickets cost more.

definitely buying the S-58 along with the 80th anniversary Thomas

[Super]

Thank you Dr Chris

Love the 2300! I've wanted a new Hankyu train for a while now so this is very exciting! The EF66-100 is cool too. Of course technically it's been released once before in the Freight Yard Set from 2001, but that was just a repainted regular EF66. I wonder-will the piggyback flatcar work with Tomica?

Pre-ordered the others but the Thomas and the new Chuo is not yet available on Amazon Japan yet.  Also, pre-ordered the Tomica Premium of the kei truck - Subaru Sambar.

definitely buying the S-58 along with the 80th anniversary Thomas

Ditto, but with 2 of the RWS 80th anniversary Thomas.

They haven't missed once with the bogey rolling stock, all of them have been pretty great. I hope they do a low loader/well wagon soon

I wonder-will the piggyback flatcar work with Tomica?

Well Tomy have published this picture as part of the release, 



But neither this nor the version as sold with the two grey dummy trucks is piggybacking in the true sense, i.e. with the freight cars carrying road trailers or semi-trailers.

   

Since Tomica make plenty of semi-trailer models they seem to have missed a trick there.

The style of box for standard Plarail 3-car trains has been changed as of the February 2025 releases.

Here we see the December 2024 S-19 E257 Hitachi (Revival Colour Yellow) in the typical 'Type 10' box with the acetate window showing the front two cars.

Below that are the two February 2025  releases,  Meitetsu 130th Anniversary Reverse Paint Blue μ-Sky and Thank you! Rapid Acty 211 Series in boxes with no window and a picture of the Plarail version instead. I wonder if this will become known as a 'Type 11' box?

Inside the box nothing has changed, we still have the plastic sleeve and the expanded polystyrene inserts.

   

oh no Plarail!! WHY!?! the boxes with the plastic cover so you can the the Locomotive were awesome!!.. I mean, for certain engines *Cough* 80th Thomas *Cough* it worked fine! I mean I guess Plarail is cutting costs a little too much

oh no Plarail! WHY!?! the boxes with the plastic cover so you can the the Locomotive were awesome!

But on the plus side you can see what all three cars look like, and you can now see the front of the power car.  I might come round to thinking this is a good idea.