Tokyu Q Seat, the empty express

"Q Seat" is a service that has been provided by Tokyu since 2018. It is a seat reservation scheme during evening rush hour for commuters fed up with extremely packed trains. It was first introduced to Oimachi and Den-en-toshi lines, and there are nine Express services leaving Oimachi station between 5:00 pm and 9:40 pm on weekdays. Each service is formed of seven coaches, and one of them is designated as Q Seat that requires a 500-yen additional fare. Since Den-en-toshi line has been infamous for congestion, many passengers choose the all-reserved coach on the way home for up to 40 minutes.

* The seats will be turned to transverse ones when used in the evening

In August 2023, Tokyu introduced the scheme to Toyoko line with the same price. Two out of ten coaches of express services leaving Shibuya between 7:35 pm and 9:35 pm (precisely every 30 minutes) are Q Seat. As Q Seat is designed for commuters living near Tokyu stations, the trains have to stop at more stations than the fastest limited express services.

However, Toyoko line Q Seat has obviously been unsuccessful. The company must have imagined that the ridership would be as good as those on Oimachi and Den-en-toshi line, but there are only a handful passengers per Q Seat coach.

Tokyu has been desperate to promote the Q Seat on Toyoko line. It has offered a 50% off deal from 13 November to 29 December and again from 9 to 31 January. Furthermore, a bottle of green tea or yoghurt-based beverage (which roughly cost 160 yen) will be given without charge from 5 to 29 February. Despite these efforts, Toyoko line users seem to believe that it is not reasonable or useful enough.

Why Toyoko line Q Seat suffers from low ridership?

The start of the services

All Q Seat trains start from Shibuya station, but not a few Toyoko line passengers commute to even farther such as Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. They use direct services towards Shinjuku and Ikebukuro in the morning, but they have to alight a train at Shibuya if they wish to use Q Seat in the evening. This is simply inconvenient, and it must be the main reason for low usage.

Rivals

Unlike Den-en-toshi line, Toyoko line has a major competitor: Shonan-Shinjuku line. Both lines run between Shibuya and Yokohama and call at Musashi-Kosugi. JR East's Green Car is more expensive than Q Seat, but given the extensive network, JR can be more convenient than Q Seat trains.

Speed and duration

Unlike similar services that other train operators provide, Toyoko's Q Seat is not the fastest service of the line as mentioned above. Express trains on Toyoko line is notorious for stopping too many stations, calling at 14 out of 26 stations (excluding Shibuya). This is simply too slow, but Tokyu might have been in a dilemma: if Q Seat had been available on limited express services, even fewer people would use it as it only calls at major interchange stations and thus lose in battle against JR.

What is worse, exhausted commuters do not necessarily have to rely on Q Seat to secure a seat. There are "local" services calling at all stations start from Shibuya roughly every 10 minutes. A table below shows how different their duration from Shibuya is.

	Express	Local
Den-en-chofu	13 mins	17 mins
Tamagawa	15 mins	19 mins
Musashi-kosugi	17 mins	22 mins
Hiyoshi	21 mins	27 mins
Tsunashima	23 mins	29 mins
Kikuna	27 mins	34 mins
Yokohama	33 mins	48 mins

Local trains take more than express trains, but the differences are not significant. When everyone has a chance to have a seat on the local train, how many people think of paying 500 yen more?

To make the service more attractive, Tokyu has to do something other than providing a bottle. First, Q Seat should start from Fukutoshin line stations such as Ikebukuro and Shinjuku-sanchome. However, it must be a hard work for Tokyu as it has to negotiate with Tokyo Metro. Tokyo Metro has already had similar services (namely Odakyu Romancecar on Chiyoda line and TH Liner on Hibiya line), and it will certainly apply a similar fare. Thus, the Q Seat ticket is likely to be around 710 yen, which would be too expensive.

Second, Tokyu should consider providing the service during morning rush hour as well. Generally speaking, train congestion is worse in the morning than in the evening so that there might be a demand for seat reservation.

Third, Tokyu should also consider providing the service at the weekend. Parents with infants or babies and elderly people have struggled with packed trains on Saturday and Sunday. It might be a good promotion of Q Seat, and some of the parents may use it on weekdays as well.

The aforementioned options must have been on table, and the company will hopefully sort the problem out. Otherwise, the brand new Q Seat coaches would just be a waste of money.

The Red List of Trains in Japan (Dec-2023 update)

The Red List of Trains in Japan has been updated with four new articles, namely:

• JR West KiHa 126 series
• JR Kyushu KiHa 200 series
• 800 series bullet train
• Jomo Electric Railway 100 series

This update contains more significant feature: lager fonts for smartphone version. I have been struggling with small letters on my smartphone screen but it took months to redress the issue. Now the website is easier for smartphone users to read (hopefully) with no major trouble

Farewell, Airport Express

On Saturday 25 November, annual timetable revision will be taken place on the entire Keikyu network. On this day, all Airport Express services will be renamed simply as Express. This article focuses on Airport Express on the southern part of Keikyu Main Line (i.e. to and from Zushi).

Keikyu introduced Airport Express when it dramatically revised its timetables on 16 May 2010. To meet demand for services between Haneda Airport and Yokohama, the company decided to provide a new service on the southern part of Keikyu Main Line. There had been Express services in the area until 1999, but they were completely different from Airport Express.

At first, Airport Express ran every 20 minutes, most of which were formed of eight coaches and connecting Haneda Airport and Shin-Zushi (now Zushi Hayama) stations. Railway enthusiasts welcomed the timetable revision as 2000 series returned to daytime services for the first time since 2002. Some people using small stations were dissatisfied with Airport Express as the number of stopping services was halved.

As Haneda Airport International Terminal station (now Terminal 3 station) opened in 2012 and ridership increased, Airport Express was doubled to every 10 minutes. There have been some six-car trains since then. The Airport Express was heavily used not only by businesspeople and tourists but also local residents such as those going to school or for shopping.

Literally all types of rolling stock have been used for Airport Express except one. 800 series could not enter Keikyu Airport Line as it was not compatible with platform edge doors at Haneda Airport International Terminal station. Hence, 800 series was used only between Kanagawa-Shimmachi and Shin-Zushi in case of severe service disruption and when there was absolutely no other option.

Airport Express suddenly suffered from low ridership in the 2020s. Just like all other businesses across the country and the world, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic was immense. As international travels to and from Japan had been restricted for two years, the ridership drastically dropped.

Furthermore, staff shortages triggered by poor working conditions amid inflation struck Airport Express: significant reduction of services was carried out last year and Airport Express became every 20 minutes again. Since many services have been consisted of six coaches, the capacity is smaller than back in 2010.

Then, the 13-year history of Airport Express ends on 24 November, a day before the timetable revision. After that day, Express services calling at the same stations will run, a few of which do not start from or terminate at Haneda Airport (that is why the company decided to remove the word Airport). The frequency remains unchanged (every 20 minutes) but it will surely be changed along with other services soon as Keikyu lacks will or capability to deal with pay rises and reduce overworking of station staff and train crews.

The Red List of Trains in Japan (Oct-2023 update)

The Red List of Trains in Japan has been updated with six new articles, namely:

• JNR 50 series
• JR West 207 series
• JR West 321 series
• JR East GV-E400 series
• JGR Class 8620
• Tobu N100 series SPACIA X

Moreover, some new articles have been up to date, such as 211 series in Nagoya and Tokyu 9000 series in Tokyo.

Second-hand Trains

Introduction

On 26 September, Seibu revealed its detailed plan to purchase and introduce second-hand trains to its branch lines. It is uncommon if not unprecedented for a major railway company to reintroduce used trains of other railway operators. What we know so far?

Background

Seibu has been known for having many environmentally unfriendly trains. A quarter of its fleets are outdated while other major private railways in the Greater Tokyo Area has mostly completed replacing old-fashioned ones. Seibu has been introducing 40000 series since 2016, but the company estimated that the replacement would not finish until 2036 at the current pace.

Therefore, Seibu concluded that reintroducing second-hand but energy-saving trains would contribute to achieve its sustainability goals by 2030, six years earlier than the initial plan. The first official announcement regarding the reintroduction was made in December 2022, and there had been various speculation about possible rolling stock since then.

Which trains to be replaced with?

101 series, 2000 series and 4000 series trains. Remaining units were built in the 1980s or early-90s, though not a few components of the 4000 series were reused from trains developed in the late-60s. The 101 series is used for Sayama and Tamagawa Lines, and the 4000 series runs Chichibu Line. The 2000 series is still widely used across the network including Ikebukuro and Shinjuku Lines. There are approximately 300 carriages in total.

There is one more train type with eco-unfriendly features called 10000 series New Red Arrow, but Seibu has not referred to its fate at all.

What trains replace them?

Odakyu 8000 series and Tokyu 9000 series trains (including Tokyu 9020 series). They are commuter trains built in the 1980s and early-90s, just as old as the Seibu trains in question. NHK reported that Seibu plans to introduce 40 and 60 carriages respectively. The Odakyu 8000 series will be for Kokubunji Line and the Tokyu 9000 series will be for Chichibu, Sayama, Tamagawa and Tamako Lines. Each unit of the 9000 series is formed of five coaches at the moment but it will be shortened to four.

According to the official document, the 8000 series will enter service in 2024 while the 9000 series will be in "2025 or after that". Many of them are likely to be compatible with driver-only operation.

Is it really a sensible idea?

Seibu had been looking for eco-friendly trains with stainless-steel bodies. Odakyu 8000 series has been its traction and motors refurbished with new ones in 2003-13, but its body is made of ordinary carbon-steel. In other words, it does not meet one of two requirements. Hence, it is not certain whether the body is durable enough for the next 10-20 years.

Tokyu 9000 series meets with both criteria though Tokyu has not classified it as environmentally friendly in the last ten years. It will run Chichibu Line which has many steep slopes and tight curves so that there should be enhanced braking systems to deal with them.

Even so, Seibu estimates that 5,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be reduced a year, as the second-hand trains require 50% less energy than the old trains. Needless to say, it financially help the company as well.

Wasn't there other choices?

Speculation by railway enthusiasts included JR 209 series and Tokyo Waterfront Railway 70-000 series since not a few carriages are due to be withdrawn by 2030 and they meet the two elements on Seibu's wishlist. However, the 209 series has been notorious for not being sturdy enough as JR East designed it to have half the lifespan of other trains. The 70-000 series is based on the 209 series. Probably that is why Seibu decided not to purchase them.

Are there any examples of second-hand trains?

Small private railways often use second-hand trains, but it is rare to see major railway companies purchase used trains. One of the most well-known case in Japan is Meitetsu 3880 series, which was originally Tokyu 3700 series. Introduced to Toyoko Line in 1948, the 3700 series was used by Tokyu until 1980. Meitetsu purchased all them in 1975 and 1980 to deal with skyrocketing demand. The 3880 series was mainly used on Inuyama and Kakamigahara Lines until 1985.

Since the 21st century began, there were two such cases. In 2004, JR East purchased six carriages of TWR 70-000 series, which were operational until 2022. At that time, TWR had been rearranging the series from six to ten coaches, and JR East took redundant carriages over.

The other case was Semboku Rapid Railway 3000 series, 14 carriages of which were purchased by Nanai in 2013. Nankai had to replace 7000 series trains as soon as possible but it was impractical to replace them with brand new trains. Hence, Nankai decided to reuse the 3000 series. Today, all 14 carriages are used on Nankai Main Line their car numbers unchanged.

The level crossing scandal in western Japan

Kotoden (Takamatsu Kotohira Railroad) is a small private railway in Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan. There are three lines: Kotohira line (the longest and busiest), Nagao line and Shido line. The network is precisely 60 km (37.3 miles) long with 53 stations in total. There are 80 train carriages for passenger use, all of which are second-hand trains of Keikyu, Keio or Nagoya City Subway. This company has been accused of poor maintenance of facilities especially level crossings.

According to the local media, Shikoku Transport Bureau, a part of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism ordered investigation on 30th June of a broken down level crossing on Nagao line. On 11th April at around 4 pm, the level crossing did not activate when a train entered it, which could have caused a serious accident. Kotoden later conceded that a deteriorated fuse prevented the level crossing from working. The fuse, which was supposed to be replaced with a new one every 10-15 years, had been in use for nearly 40 years. The company replaced 454 old fuses in accordance with the order.

On 13 July at 11:30 am, less than two weeks after the order was issued, a Kotohira line level crossing did not respond when a train was approaching. The train stopped just in front of the level crossing, but TBS reported that another train passed the crossing a few minutes earlier despite barriers and bells were not working. It meant that the driver failed to check if the track was securely cleared. The company later acknowledged that the level crossing controller was somehow shut down at that time.

Furthermore, a similar incident took place at another Kotohira line level crossing on 19 August. In this case, two trains passed the crossing at a speed of 50-60 km/h and drivers failed to respond a signal warning them of abnormality. In spite of instructions by managers, the drivers did not take them seriously.

It was the seventeenth critical incident since 2015, and resulted in resignation of the president. Even after that, multiple videos of level crossings with bells and barriers not working in spite of an approaching train have been viral, indicating that the company has failed to deal with repeated troubles.

Why have there been so many serious incidents? In the August case, the barrier was 20 years old despite its manufacturer recommended replacing it in 10 years, though the president insisted in a press conference that it must not have been an issue. His statement clearly shows the lack of will to observe safety rules, and it is also evident that train crews and maintenance workers do not recognise how serious the cases are.

Some people argue that Kotoden's financial difficulties have led to those troubles. It is true that Kotoden once went bankrupt in 2001 after unsuccessful investment in a redevelopment project with a department store. However, Kotoden has been doing quite well in recent years (with significant amount of subsidies), as its railway sector recorded a profit of 13 million yen even with the aftermath of COVID. The company estimated in June that there would be much more profit in the next term. These facts show that Kotoden is not a company on the verge of bankruptcy, and it could have been able to do far better than what we see today.

It would take weeks or months for the things to be fixed even if Kotoden decides to deal with the poorly maintained facilities. In the meantime, it is essential for everyone in the area, both car drivers and pedestrians, to exercise increased caution. It is reminded that Article 33 paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act provides as follows:

"Before going over a railroad crossing, the driver of a vehicle or streetcar must stop immediately in front of the railroad crossing (or immediately in front of any stop line established by road signs or markings; the same applies hereinafter in this paragraph) and must not proceed until after checking that it is safe to do so..."

There is a good reason why driving schools in Japan instruct that the driver should open a window to hear if a train is approaching in addition to look both sides of the track. Not everyone observe them in these days, but it is important to exercise them especially when level crossings are not reliable.

Shichirigahama, Kamakura

Enoden is a small private railway in the ancient capital of Kamakura, and the railway itself is recognised as a tourist spot. There are many places to visit, such as Hase-dera (temple), The Great Buddha and Enoshima. In these days, many Slam Dunk (a basketball manga) fans from other countries such as China and South Korea visit a level crossing near Kamakurakokomae station.

Trains run along a beach. Sadly, the Sagami Bay (also known as the sea of Shonan) has been infamous for being dirty mostly because of pollution. Even so, there are a few places where magnificent scenery is available. Shichirigahama Beach is one of them.

When it is sunny, you can see the sunset and the island of Enoshima. When it is clear and dry, you can even see Mt. Fuji as well.

As time passes, the colour of the sky changes dramatically. These photos were taken in less than an hour, but look very different. Which one is your favourite?

Shichirigahama station is approximately 16 minutes from Kamakura, seven minutes from Enoshima and 20 minutes from Fujisawa by an Enoden train. Trains run every 14 minutes except in the early morning and late at night. The beach is just 200 yds from the station.

Keikyu, the chaotic train numbering

In the end of May, a trainspotter divulged a photo capturing Keikyu's new train which is currently being built at Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing factory in Kobe. The photo revealed that the number of new trainset would be "1501-1". Many railway enthusiasts have been confused by or accusing of this new number, as Keikyu already has 1500 series trains. The enthusiasts assert that the duplication of "1500" will surely be a problem. However, such duplication is not new in Keikyu's history.

General rules

Keikyu 1500 series

Before looking into history, it should be noted that there is a restriction regarding train carriage numbers. Keikyu, Toei Asakusa, Keisei and Hokuso lines provide through-services, meaning that trains of these four companies run other companies' networks as well. Hence, certain numbers are allocated to each company as follows:
1000s and 2000s for Keikyu,
3000s for Keisei,
5000s for Toei (Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation),
6000s are effectively used by Keikyu 600 series,
7000s for Hokuso,
8000s are used by Shin-Keisei (which has through-services only towards Keisei), and
9000s for Chiba New Town Railway (now effectively part of Hokuso).
No train operators use 4000s as 4 is often considered as representing death or to die in East Asian culture.

To sum up, all parties are restricted only to use numbers allowed. Thus, Keikyu can only use 1000s or 2000s for its train carriage numbers. In addition, Keikyu's internal rule provides that 1000s shall be used for trains compatible with through-services, while 2000s for those incompatible with underground tunnels.

Keikyu 1000s to 1900s

N1000 series

The table below shows how carriage numbers of Keikyu trains (1000s to 1900s) have been allocated to.

1000s	8-car N1000 series (1001-1192)
1100s
1200s	8-car N1000 series (1201-1232)
1300s	6-car N1000 series (1301-1372)
1400s	4-car N1000 series (1401-1492)
1500s	1500 series motor cars (1501-1552, 1561-1596)
1600s	6-car N1000 series (1601-1672)
1700s	1500 series motor cars (1701-1736)
1800s	4-car N1000 series (1801-1812)
1890s	N1000 series Le Ciel (1891-1895)
1900s	1500 series trailer cars (1901-1942)

Due to the rule aforementioned, Keikyu does not have many option to deal with a "number shortage". This is why the company has to "reuse" the number 1500s.

Coexistence 1: 1500s

Unit 1501 of 1500 series

Keikyu has been using trains called 1500 series since 1985. They are declining since 2021, but still 138 carriages are operational. Even so, nos. 1501 to 1520 are not in use as they have already been deregistered.

Meanwhile, a brand new N1000 series has been built by a manufacturer as mentioned earlier, and its numbers will be "1501-1, 1501-2…"

The unit 1501 of the 1500 series was deregistered on 14 March 2023. It is not clear when the unit 1501 of N1000 series will be delivered to mainline, but it is certain that the unit number "1501" will be reused just a few months after withdrawal of the predecessor.

Moreover, the 1500 series trains will be in service for a few more years, so two "1500 series" will coexist, though the newer one is classified as a subseries of the N1000 series.

Coexistence 2: 1000s

N1000 and 1000 series

Such duplication is not new. In 2002-2011, there were two "1000 series". On the one hand, N1000 series entered into passenger service. On the other hand, old 1000 series was still operational. As 1000 series trains were replaced with N1000 series trains, carriage numbers were instantly reused. For example, nos. 1305 and 1306 of the 1000 series were deregistered on 30 June 2010, but two N1000 series carriages with the same numbers were registered on 15 April 2011.

In both cases (1500 and 1000), the actual carriage numbers per se did not coexist, otherwise it would have caused extreme confusion.

Reuse 1: 1600s

1600 subseries of 1500 series / 1600 subseries of N1000 series

Numbers 1601 to 1654 had been allocated to the 1500 series, but they were renumbered to 1561 to 1596 by 15 August 2016. On 7 November 2016, unit no. 1601 of the N1000 series was delivered. Two 1600s did not coexist, but reborn in less than three months. Why such renumbering and reuse took place?

The 1600 subseries was introduced in 1989-91 and all units were initially formed of six or eight coaches while the original 1500 series trains were formed of four, but all 1600s were rearranged to six by 2010. Most 1500 series units were rearranged of six coaches by 2010 as well. Hence, there was no need to distinguish these two groups so that Keikyu decided to merge 1600 subseries into 1500s. The renumbering was carried out in 2013-16.

Reuse 2: 600s

600 series (III) / 600 series (II)

There were three "600 series" in Keikyu's history. The current 600 series, which is the third and the newest one, has been in service since 1994. Despite the first unit is nearly 30 years old, it is still operational and widely used across the network including through-services to Toei Asakusa, Keisei and Hokuso lines as far as Narita Airport.

The second 600 series was introduced in 1956-58. It had transverse seating with two sets of doors per carriage, and it was designed for limited express services transporting tourists to beaches. All units were withdrawn by 31 March 1986, but the current 600 series was registered on 1 March 1994, so the numbers were reused in about eight years.

The first 600 series, which looked very similar to the second one but had three sets of doors per carriage, was introduced in 1953-54 and 1957-58. The first 600 series was designed as a commuter train amid surge in demand after the Second World War. All carriages were renumbered to 400 series on 19 October 1965. The 400 series remained operational until 1986.

Does not it mean that two 600 series (the first and second ones) coexisted in the 1950s and 60s? The history of Keikyu is not that simple, as explained below.

Reuse 3: 700s

700 series (II)

The second 600 series was called 700 and 730 series at the time of introduction. These two series were built by two different companies, but they looked almost the same. All 700 and 730 series trains were renumbered to 600 series (II) on 19 April 1966, half a year after the 600 series (I) was renumbered to 400 series.

On 27 June 1967, another 700 series was delivered. The second 700 series had longitudinal seating with four sets of doors per carriage, as it was designed for commuter trains rather than long-distance fast services. The 700 series (II) retired in 2005.

Reuse 4: 800s

800 series (II)

Finally, it is not well known that there were two 800 series in the past. Most people remember 800 series (II), which had four sets of doors per carriage and was in service from 1978 to 2019.

In addition, there was another 800 series. The first 800 series was introduced in 1958, and there were two two-carriage units. Today, they are regarded as prototype units of 1000 series, and both of them were renumbered to 1000 series on 19 October 1965. All four carriages were deregistered on 31 January 1988, but surprisingly, all of them are still operational as DeTo wagons.

Conclusion

Click for a larger image

As described above, duplication and reuse of train numbers are not uncommon in Keikyu's history. All of those cases could have led to troubles, but staffs and enthusiasts have managed them. Hence, the new 1500 subseries is not a matter of concern.

The history implies that the 1500 subseries will not be the last case. As old 1500 series trains are gradually withdrawn, the vacant numbers are highly likely to be reused further, such as 1700s.

Fare Rises and Fare Reductions

On Wednesday 10 May, Keikyu published a detailed document about fare rises that take effect on 1 October. The company announced last month that fares would be raised by 10.8% on average, though long-distance tickets (over 41 km) would be cheaper than today and season ticket prices for students remained unchanged. Keikyu raises fares for the first time in 28 years (except tax hikes), but the company strives to strike a fair balance between tackling inflation and providing reasonable deals for children.

In addition, the company decided to dramatically cut the child rate fares to 75 yen regardless of distance. This price is the minimum child fare, and it will be applied to the entire Keikyu lines except tickets to and from Haneda Airport, which cost 25 more yen (i.e. 100 yen in total). Note that a registered Suica or PASMO card is required.

Single Fares for Children

	Current Price	New Price
Shinagawa - Yokohama	¥151	¥75
Yokohama - Yokosuka-chuo	¥183	¥75
Yokohama - Jimmuji	¥157	¥75
Sengakuji - Misakiguchi	¥471	¥75

A similar scheme has already been adopted by Odakyu since March 2022, whose child rate fares have been fixed to 50 yen. According to NHK, the company estimated that the fare reduction would lead to income loss of 200 million yen a year, equivalent to 1.65% of Odakyu Group's total profit in the financial year 2022. The company reported that 50% more children used trains than before the reduction, though it must be borne in mind that COVID-19 discouraged children from going out in the previous year.

An employee of Odakyu's planning and development department told NHK that the company envisaged that the fare reduction would encourage families to use trains more even amid the gradual population decline. Parents with small children tend to use a car at weekend, but the new fare scheme seems to have been successful. Not only the company but local governments and business owners have implemented measures to increase the number of visitors.

It is clear that both Keikyu and Odakyu hope that young families settle in the area where the railways serve, so that not only parents but also children will be their long-term customers even after they grow up. Major private railways in Japan do not just have trains but also bus networks, estate agents, department stores and supermarkets. In short, they deal in everything that is necessary for daily life, constituting the whole community. The fare reduction may contribute to those businesses for years or even decades to come.

There are more indirect positive effects. As parents use trains instead of cars, traffic jams and air pollutions will be slightly improved and it will cut carbon emissions. Children of low-income households may be able to go out more frequently than they do today. The railway companies might not have intended to contribute to local and global issues in such ways, but nevertheless the new fare schemes have a potential for new developments even with the ageing society.

As two of eight major private railways in the Greater Tokyo Area reduced the fares for children, other train operators are likely to adopt similar policies within years to compete with Keikyu and Odakyu.

How about railway companies outside Tokyo? Semboku Rapid Railway, a small railway in southern Osaka Prefecture, will fix child fares to 50 yen in October. Since Semboku's reduced fares will not be applied to through-services towards Namba via Nankai lines, children cannot go to the heart of Osaka by 50 yen, but its impact should not be underestimated.

On Kintetsu Aoniyoshi

On Monday 3 April, my parents and I enjoyed a 34-minute journey on Kintetsu Aoniyoshi, a sightseeing train in ancient capitals in Japan. Unlike other articles on this blog, I wrote my thoughts about this sightseeing train which is popular among tourists below.

Aoniyoshi was rebuilt in 2022 from an old intercity train called 12200 series New Snack Car, which dated back to the late-1960s. Aoniyoshi was renumbered to 19200 series, and there is only one unit. It was originally built in 1975, and it is known for being used by not only Emperor Hirohito but also Queen Elizabeth II.

Aoniyoshi is painted purple, the colour that aristocrats in Heian Period (794-1185) regarded as the noblest, with Raden patterns (the decorative technique using pearl shells). Seats were specifically designed by a furniture manufacturer. Windows became larger and the train became fully-accessible. The train capacity is 84 passengers, while it was originally 260.

There are two types of accommodation: "twin-seat" and "salon". Both classes charge the same special fares, but they are affordable enough for tourists. For example, the journey I took from Kyoto to Nara took 1,300 yen per person, of which 570 yen for a basic fare ticket and 730 yen for the special Aoniyoshi ticket.

This is the "twin-seat" for an individual or a group of two. Seats on coaches 1, 3 and 4 are all like this. It might be difficult to figure out from the photo above, but lights and walls have their own patterns. There is a designated seat for wheelchair users on coach 3.

Coach 2 has Salon seats, which are effectively compartments though there is no door between the seats and the corridor. It is for a group of 3-4 people, and there are only three rooms. Salon is very popular and thus difficult to make a reservation, so I had to purchase tickets online seconds after they were available (i.e. 10 am on the day a month before).

There is a little shop selling refreshments on coach 2, but there was a long queue. Since the journey only takes half an hour, it might not be wise to spend too much time here.

It is worth noting that a partition has several patterns, and I presume that both of them are related to something traditional. Such features can be seen everywhere on the train including carpets.

There is a card available only on this train, and it can be collected at the shop on coach 2. It proves that you have actually been on Aoniyoshi. It is free of charge, so you should never miss it.

There was only one thing that was regrettable. The noise and vibrations clearly showed that the train was, despite its appearance, nearly 50 years old. I am afraid that Aoniyoshi was far less comfortable than newer trains. Had the journey lasted more than an hour, it would have been a little exhausting.

Even so, the train journey was fun and the time has passed quickly. Since the fares were not ridiculously expensive, I felt it was absolutely good value for money. I was glad to see that both my parents enjoyed the trip.

Aoniyoshi runs between Osaka-Namba or Kyoto and Kintetsu-Nara daily except Thursdays, but schedules might be revised. Those who wish to take the train are advised to check official websites in advance and book tickets online wherever possible.