Affordable Luxury Trains: Kintetsu Railway - Japan Railway Journal

Welcome to Japan Railway Journal. Today's program is about Kintetsu Railway. Kintetsu Railway boasts the longest railway network among non-JR companies, spanning approximately 500 kilometers. Its 23 lines extend across five prefectures, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. Kintetsu Railway has always been among the frontrunners within the private railway sector in terms of sales. One major contributor to that, in my opinion, is the limited express network that the company has developed over the years. Especially in the recent decade or so, the company has launched a series of sightseeing limited express, all of which has been really successful and popular. First, let's take a look at the Kintetsu Railway's first sightseeing limited express. Kintetsu Railway leads the Kansai region's railway industry, building transportation systems for both intercity transportation between major cities and commuter trains. Along the line, there are many famous shrines, temples, national parks, and world heritage sites to which the company has also been making efforts to transport tourists. The Iseshima region in Mie Prefecture is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. Isejingu Shrine, in particular, attracts approximately 6 million visitors a year from all over Japan. Kintetsu Railway first opened a line from Osaka to Ise in 1931, making day trips from Osaka to Isejingu Shrine possible by train. Since 1958, Kintetsu Railway has run limited express trains on this line connecting Osaka to the Iseshima region, which has added to its passenger numbers. However, in the 1990s, other railway companies began developing tourist trains with elaborate car bodies and interiors. These trains often have events at stops along the way and full-course meals on board so ticket prices can be expensive. In 2013, JR Kyushu introduced seven stars in Kyushu, a luxury sleeper train. Tickets cost more than 500,000 yen per person for a two-day, one-night excursion. Other JR companies followed suit, introducing their own luxury sleeper trains. In 2016, JR East introduced Tron Suite Shikushima, which runs in the Tohoku region and Hokkaido. In 2017, JR West introduced Twilight Express Mizukaze, which runs in western Japan. Kintetsu Railway, however, decided to take a different route with affordable luxury trains they are calling Sightseeing Limited Express. This is Kintetsu Railway's first Sightseeing Limited Express, Shimakaze, which made its debut in 2013. There are now three Shimakaze trains, which run from Osaka Namba, Kyoto and Kintetsu Nagoya stations to the Iseshima region. Shimakaze was developed after conducting a detailed survey of around 14,000 tourists and travel agents. The facilities inside Shimakaze reflect the results of the survey to a large extent. The two-plus-one seat configuration provides ample space for each passenger. The seat pitch is 125 centimeters, which is roomier than the premium car on the Shinkansen. Each seat is upholstered in genuine leather and features powered leg rests, reading lights and power outlets. Cars one and six are high-floor observation cars. From the seats behind the driver's cab, passengers can enjoy looking out the front window. There are also group seating cars with private Japanese-style rooms, private Western-style rooms and semi-private salon seats. There's also a cafe car. Here, passengers can enjoy dishes such as Matsusaka beef curry, seafood pilaf and others all made using ingredients from along the line as well as sweets and alcoholic beverages. The train is staffed by four attendants who welcome the passengers, provide onboard services such as refreshments and sell souvenirs. Free lockers for large luggage items are also available on board. There's even a powder room and space for changing clothes. It's beautiful and I want to get on board. It's great to be able to eat with my family on the train. Top, top, top! Superb! The spaces are large and comfortable. It's really nice. Shimakaze's fares are low, with a special car fare of just 1,160 yen for the longest section, which is added to the regular limited express fare. The three trains cost approximately 5.2 billion yen, so even if ridership is 100%, it will take more than four years to recoup the investment. In reality, it will take a lot longer as the operational costs of each train need to be taken into account. However, Kintetsu Railway decided to run the sightseeing limited express Shimakaze trains to boost traffic to attractions and businesses owned by the Kintetsu Group, increasing profits overall. Wow! It is also one of the most important tourist destinations for the group. Since then, Kintetsu Railway has continued to develop and operate the new Sightseeing Limited Express trains. Please take a look. Following Shimakaze, Kintetsu Railway debuted a Sightseeing Limited Express train in 2016 called Blue Symphony. Blue Symphony runs from Osaka-Abenobashi Station to Yoshino, a sightseeing spot in the heart of Nara Prefecture. Yoshino Station is the gateway to sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Key Mountain Range, which was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2004. The World Heritage Listing was granted in recognition of the unique cultural landscape and sacred sites that nurture diverse religious beliefs across Nara, Mie, and Wakayama prefectures. Yoshino Mountain is a very attractive tourist destination. It is also one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in Japan. The Blue Symphony was created in collaboration with the local residents of Yoshino. For the Blue Symphony between Osaka-Abenobashi and Yoshino, the fare is just 1,170 yen plus 520 yen for the Limited Express. The additional special car fare is only 210 yen, bringing the total to 1,900 yen, which is very reasonable. Unlike the Iseshima region, the Kintetsu Group doesn't operate any tourist facilities around Yoshino Station, so there is no possibility for non-railway-related revenue like there is with Shimakaze. To keep costs down, Blue Symphony was built by refurbishing an old commuter train. The total cost of the refurbishment was approximately 200 million yen. The base color of the three-car train body is a calm dark blue that harmonizes with the rich natural scenery in Yoshino. The gold accent lines add a touch of class. The rich wood grain interior of the car has a warm and relaxing atmosphere. The spacious deluxe seats are arranged in a 2 plus 1 configuration. There is also a salon-type seating area equipped with tables, which can be used by four passengers traveling in a group. Car 2 in the middle is a lounge car with soft interior lighting that make it easy to relax. Blue Symphony runs two round trips per day, carrying tourists between Osaka, Abenobashi, and Yoshino. The sightseeing limited express Aoniyoshi made its debut in 2022. Running eight times a day, Aoniyoshi connects Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. Inbound tourists will be able to enjoy a variety of sightseeing activities. The JR line runs almost parallel to the Kintetsu line between Kyoto and Nara. Most visitors from overseas use JR's Japan Rail Pass, which offers unlimited rides on all JR-affiliated trains and buses, so it's possible to take the Shinkansen to Kyoto, then transfer directly to a conventional train to get to Nara. Aoniyoshi's design was inspired by Nara, the ancient capital of Japan, elements of which can be seen throughout the train. The exterior is purple, a color that has long been considered a noble color in Japan. The sides of the train feature a bold floral pattern that dates back to the 8th century Nara period. The car is arranged with face-to-face and diagonal, window-facing twin seats. Car 2 has group compartments for four people, each separated by a partition so they are like private rooms. There is also a library corner with history books and photo collections of Nara. Once in Nara city, Aoniyoshi runs through the Nara Palace site. Nara Palace was the imperial residence and the nation's political center in the 8th century and is registered as a World Heritage Site. From the train, passengers can see the gate and building, which were restored in 1998. Since its debut two years ago, the percentage of passengers from overseas has been gradually increasing. Very comfortable, yes. The seats are quite nice and you always get a view of the outside, no matter where you're sitting. I think it was amazing. I've never experienced that before, so it was really amazing. Kintetsu Railway is putting even more focus on catering to the increasing number of visitors from overseas. A major terminal stations, including here at Osaka Namba Station, concierges fluent in English, Chinese and other languages provide information on how to change trains and help passengers buy tickets. In addition, a multilingual touch panel is installed next to the ticket machines, providing information on how to buy tickets and transfer information. To board a limited express train, a limited express ticket is required. Kintetsu Railway is now looking forward to the Osaka Kansai Japan Expo 2025, which will be held from April of that year, because it will further increase the number of inbound visitors to the city. We've come all the way to Japan, so we're thinking about where to go on a plus-one trip. We're also thinking about how to help inbound passengers get on board our train. It was interesting to see various aims of development of Kintetsu Railway's three sightseeing limited express trains, including the group's management strategies, regional revitalization and inbound measures. Well, many people believe that tourist trains are actually a very easy means to get extra income, but things are not that simple. What Kintetsu Railway has done before actually building the vehicles for the sightseeing limited express was the compilation of a very thorough business plan. That business plan should include the very precise forecast of the income and expenditure, but it should also be based on a very thorough market research and should be fit for the situation of the destination to be served. And this, I think, is a really diligent sort of management textbook kind of one, I think. And this is something that other railway companies can follow if they want to build and operate a very attractive sort of tourist train in the future. I see. Railway Topics On July 21, a new wrapped train appeared on Echizen Railway in Fukui Prefecture. The Dinosaur Museum in Fukui Prefecture is a popular attraction that inspired Echizen Railway's long-running Dino Liner, made popular by its onboard dinosaur figures and decorations. Recently, Echizen Railway introduced a new train in time for the summer holidays, this wrapped train. Dinosaur-like characters from a popular animation are depicted throughout the train, including the seats and by the ceiling, for families to take pictures of and enjoy. It looks good. It's awesome. I see this train every day, so I hope people will take this train and enjoy it. On August 18, Watarase Keikoku Railway, which runs between Gunma and Tochigi Prefectures, operated a zombie train. The zombie, or haunted house train, featured local high school students dressed as zombies. This train, which was devised to attract new passengers, began in 2023. What did you enjoy about being a zombie? The scenery was beautiful, and I enjoyed being in between, so I would like to take this train again. On August 19, many amateur photographers and families gathered along the Tokaido Shinkansen line in Ogaki City in Gifu Prefecture. In this field stands 140,000 sunflowers in full bloom. The sunflowers, which stand at a height of about 1.3 meters, were at their best in August this year. The people gathered here are waiting for the Yellow Shinkansen to run past the field of sunflowers. Known as Dr. Yellow, this special Shinkansen inspects the tracks and overhead wires. Since it only runs once every 10 days, it is a rare occurrence. The gathered crowd take pictures and videos as Dr. Yellow passes by. I got it! Dr. Yellow was fun!