The end of October, 2019 will see the retirement of the railcars currently running on the monorail service at Ueno Zoo. The big question is, will the Ueno Zoo Monorail run again?

The Ueno Zoo Monorail (properly called Ueno Kensui-sen or Ueno Suspension Line) connects the east and west sides of the Ueno Zoo, and has been running since December 1957. It is of some historical significance as it was the very first monorail to run in Japan. At the time it must have seemed quite futuristic, but today the colorful railcars provide an attractive 90 second alternative to walking the ten minute route between the two halves of the zoological gardens. An added advantage of the monorail’s elevated route is the pleasant view it presents over the western garden’s Shinobazu Pond. [Read more…]

Earlier this year JR East unveiled the Class E956 experimental train which has been given the futuristic name: “Alfa-X”. This prototype ten-car bullet train is currently being used to test the latest cutting-edge rail technology with the aim of developing a next-generation bullet train that is much faster than current models while ensuring passenger safety and comfort. The name Alfa-X stands for “Advanced Labs for Frontline Activity in rail eXperimentation”.

Safety features on the Alfa-X include new dampers to ensure stability in the event of an earthquake, with air brakes on the roof and magnetic breaking devices on the undercarriage to enable a swift and safe deceleration. New vibration control devices are fitted to all carriages to ensure a smooth ride and the design of the undercarriage also reduces the accumulation of snow and ice in winter. Two types of pantograph (the rooftop devices that collect power from overhead wires) are also being tested for noise reduction.

However, the most distinctive feature of the new train is its nose. Currently the longest nose on a shinkansen is the 15 meter nose of E5 series trains. Alfa-X actually has two noses: a 16 meter long nose on car number 1 and a 22 meter long nose on car number 10. Both noses are being tested for their effects on pressure and noise levels when passing through tunnels. The longer noses should significantly reduce wind resistance and so also improve energy efficiency.

JR East plans to introduce a new shinkansen train for passengers by spring of 2031. The Hokkaido Shinkansen Line will be extended as far as Sapporo by 2030, so the new train will enable a swift and comfortable direct service between Tokyo and Sapporo. The current maximum speed of shinkansen trains is 320km/h. The aim is to have a new train that runs at a regular speed of 360kms per hour with a top speed of 400km/h.

Testing of the Alfa-X began in May this year between the Sendai and Shin-Aomori stations in northern Tohoku and will continue every week until March 2022.

Article by Michael Lambe. Photos by Contrail/pixta (1,4). All rights reserved.

The Fuji Excursion (called Fuji Kaiyu in Japanese) is a new limited express service that runs directly between JR Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and Kawaguchiko Station in Yamanashi Prefecture. Rail travelers using this service can travel directly from Tokyo to Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes resort area in under two hours. Previously passengers traveling between these two destinations had to change trains on the way at Otsuki Station. The Fuji Excursion is jointly operated by JR East and the Fuji Kyuko railway company.

The Fuji Excursion is a three-car E353 series train which runs on the JR Chuo Line between Shinjuku Station and Otsuki Station and then runs on the private Fujikyuko Line. Between Shinjuku and Otsuki the Fuji Excursion is coupled with a Kaiji limited express train. At Otsuki Station the two trains separate and the Fuji Excursion continues its journey to Kawaguchiko.

There are eight stations on this route:

Shinjuku > Tachikawa > Hachioji > Otsuki > Tsuru-bunkadaigaku-mae > Mt. Fuji > Fujikyu Highland > Kawaguchiko

Travel time for the full journey is just 1 hour and 52 minutes. The full fare between Shinjuku and Kawaguchiko is 4,060 yen and between Shinjuku and Mt. Fuji it is 3,940 yen. Although the Japan Rail Pass covers the section between Shinjuku and Otsuki stations, the Fujikyuko Line is a private railway line so Japan Rail Pass holders will have to pay a separate fee for that section of the journey.

There are two round-trip services each day and tickets are available at JR East ticket offices one month prior to the date of travel. Here is the current schedule:

Westbound Services	Shinjuku	Mt. Fuji	Kawaguchiko
Fuji Excursion 1	8.30	10.14	10.22
Fuji Excursion 3	9.30	11.14	11.22
Eastbound Services	Kawaguchiko	Mt. Fuji	Shinjuku
Fuji Excursion 16	15.05	15.13	16.58
Fuji Excursion 20	17.38	17.46	19.27

Kawaguchiko Station serves the Lake Kawaguchi area. Located at the base of Mount Fuji this is a very popular resort location with stunning views of Japan’s highest mountain. Facilities around the lake include parks, hotels, museums, and hot spring spas. Pleasure boat cruises, windsurfing, hiking, and camping are among the area’s popular activities.

Travelers interested in climbing Mount Fuji can access the mountain’s Yoshida climbing trail by taking a bus from either Kawaguchiko Station or Mt. Fuji Station (also called Fujisan Station). The bus will take you as far as the Fuji-Subaru Line 5th Station where you can begin your climb. The climbing season for this trail is from July 1st to September 10th. For more information on climbing Mount Fuji please visit the official Mt. Fuji Climbing website.

Article by Michael Lambe. Photos courtesy of Fuji Kyuko Co.Ltd. All rights reserved.

From Spring of this year, passengers using JR West lines have been able to make online reservations for their tickets. Online reservations are now possible for basic fare tickets, Limited Express tickets, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, many sightseeing trains, and several JR West Rail Passes. Bookings for reserved seat tickets can also be made up to one month before your trip.

[Read more…]

JR West opened the northern segment of the Osaka Higashi Line on March 16th, adding six more stations to the line and expanding its reach as far north as Shin-Osaka Station. As a result, Shin-Osaka Station, with its intercity shinkansen services, is now directly connected to Kyuhoji Station, and accessibility between the eastern and northern parts of Osaka is much improved.

Together with this line expansion, a new Direct Rapid service between Shin-Osaka and Nara has been introduced that runs along the Osaka Higashi Line until Kyuhoji Station and then continues on the Yamatoji Line to Nara. There are now four daily Direct Rapid return services which run the complete distance between Shin-Osaka Station and JR Nara Station in around 55 minutes. Previously, passengers traveling between Shin-Osaka and Nara had to transfer at Osaka Station and the journey took around 65 minutes. [Read more…]

Rail fans can now travel directly by train to Kyoto Railway Museum thanks to a new station which opened on March 16th. The new station is called Umekoji-Kyotonishi Station, and it is just a 2 minute trip away from Kyoto Station for a fare of 140 yen. Umekoji-Kyotonishi Station is located on the JR Sagano Line (JR San-in Line) between Kyoto Station and Tambaguchi Station and is served by 4 ordinary trains per hour. Saga-Arashiyama Station is on the same line and is just 14 minutes from the new station.

[Read more…]

This week we are giving away five awesome Kansai One Pass ICOCA Cards. These cards are valued at 3,000 yen each (including usable credit of 2,500 yen and 500 yen deposit).

Kansai One Pass is a special version of ICOCA IC card that can be used on most Japan Railways lines, subways, buses, private railways, and for payments at vending machines and convenience stores.

For more information about IC cards read our guide: Japan’s prepaid transportation cards

For more information about Kansai One Pass visit: Kansai One Pass

Readers can increase their chances of winning by completing additional or all tasks on the giveaway form. Deadline for entries is Saturday March 30th @ 11:59 PM Tokyo Time. [Read more…]

Hankyu Railway are to introduce a companion train to their weekend “Kyo-Train” service which runs between Osaka and central Kyoto. The new sightseeing train is named “Kyo-Train Garaku”, and like the original Kyo-Train, it is designed to give passengers a taste of Kyoto’s special ambience from the moment they step on board. The new train will increase the number of tourist train services on the Hankyu Kyoto Line with each train running alternate hours.

[Read more…]

The city of Kobe will roll out a new train on the Seishin Yamate Subway Line on February 16th. The #6000 series train is the first new train in 26 years for the line that connects central Kobe to the city suburbs.

[Read more…]

Seibu Railway have announced that their new luxury limited express train, “Laview” will be launched on March 19th of this year. The new 8 car train will replace the “New Red Arrow” Limited Express that has been running since 1993, and will become the flagship train for Seibu Railways.

[Read more…]