This year JR West will introduce a new long-distance train linking key areas of western Japan. The new train is called the West Express Ginga and offers a variety of seating and sleeping options to suit the varying needs of different travelers. The name “Ginga” means “galaxy” or “milky way” in Japanese, but for railway fans the new train’s name is evocative of the original Ginga train, an overnight express sleeper train that ran between Tokyo and Osaka between 1949 and 2008. The new West Express Ginga is flexible in that it can operate either as a daytime or overnight service. Initially it will run as a sleeper service between the Kansai and Sanin regions, but from October it is scheduled to run as a daytime service between Kansai and the Sanyo Region.

The new train has been created by remodeling a 6-car JNR #117 series train that previously ran as a commuter train on the Sanyo and Tokaido main lines. The #117 series was first introduced in 1979, so the train’s basic form has a vintage appearance which is enhanced by its new exterior coloring: a deep lapis lazuli blue which represents the beautiful sea and sky of western Japan. There are also white lines on the sides of the train that represent the long distances it will travel and the hope that this train will have a long future!

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JR Shikoku are to launch a new “Monogatari” excursion train this April which will run on the Dosan Line between Kochi Station and Kubokawa Station in the southern prefecture of Kochi. Starting in April this train will operate one round trip per day on weekends and holidays, but from July of this year it will also operate on Fridays. The train will slow down at scenic spots on route, such as the Niyodogawa Bridge, and it will also make a stop at Awa Station in Susaki, so that passengers can enjoy the view from there of the Pacific Ocean.

This is the third of JR Shikoku’s Monogatari tourist trains. “Monogatari” is a rather romantic word that means “story” or “tale” in Japanese and each of these three colorful trains is designed to celebrate the special romance of a particular region in Shikoku. [Read more…]

JR East will launch a new limited express sightseeing service, called the “Saphir Odoriko”, on March 14th this year. The new train will run between destinations in Tokyo and Izukyu-Shimoda Station on the Izu Peninsula passing through Yokohama and Atami on the way. This train will replace the current Super View Odoriko service. All of the Odoriko trains are named after a famous short story by Yasunari Kawabata called “Izu no Odoriko” or “The Dancing Girl of Izu”. However, the new train’s name and exterior coloring is inspired by the sapphire blue of the ocean and sky in Izu’s popular seaside spa resorts.

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This spring Kintetsu Railway will introduce a new limited express service called the “Hinotori” which will offer unprecedented levels of comfort for passengers traveling between the cities of Osaka and Nagoya. Hinotori means “phoenix” in Japanese, a name which reflects the new train’s combination of speed and elegant refinement.

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JR Hokkaido have introduced two new sightseeing trains called the “Sanshi-Suimei” series on local lines. The trains are renovated Kiha 40 series trains, which have been thoroughly refurbished both inside and out.

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As the year draws to a close let’s take a look at some of Japan’s outstanding train designs in 2019. Japan Institute of Design Promotion have selected two beautiful railway vehicles for this year’s Good Design Awards: the Sotetsu 12000 series and Hiroshima Electric Railway’s “Green Mover Apex”, along with Seibu’s Laview express train for a Gold Award.

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Tokyo Metro have announced that the new station building and platform for the Ginza Line at Shibuya Station will open for business on January 3rd 2020. First opened in 1938, the Ginza Line Shibuya Station is a busy transportation hub with around 220,000 passengers per day in 2018. Work to relocate the station building has been ongoing since 2009 and is just one part of the ongoing redevelopment projects in and around the Shibuya Station complex. In this case, the Ginza Line stop’s new location should make transfers easier with the other multiple rail lines that make use of the Shibuya Station complex.

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Imagine taking a trip through some of Kyushu’s most beautiful scenery in an old fashioned steam train. A plume of smoke flows from the engine as the train runs through the forested countryside and the haunting pipe of the steam whistle echoes through the Kuma River valley.

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JR East recently introduced a new sightseeing train, called “Kairi”, that runs along the coastline of Niigata and Yamagata prefectures. The Kairi runs between Niigata Station and Sakata Station on the Hakushin and Uetsu Main lines taking in views along the way of the Echigo and Shonai plains, the Sea of Japan, and the sacred Three Mountains of Dewa. The scenic beauty and culinary bounty of this region is expressed in the name Kairi (海里) whose two characters mean “sea” and “country village”.

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To celebrate the opening of a new museum in Arashiyama, Kyoto, the Keifuku Randen Line is currently running a special “Museum Train” which is decorated both inside and out with images from some of Japan’s most famous paintings.

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