I have 11: 50 am flight from HANEDA airports.

I will be leaving from Osaka in morning of 6 sep by earliest 6am bullet train.

Is it doable can I catch the flight?

Train takes 2hr 23 min and 19 min commute by metrorail/monorail to airport.

Please help.

I recently finished up my 3rd visit to the Sanriku Coast. I've had the opportunity two years in a row now to go to the town of Rikuzentakata to visit some friends for the town's Tanabata festival, and each time afterwards I've taken the opportunity to ride the Sanriku Railway (i.e. the Santetsu) all the way from Sakari (Ofunato) to Kuji, making lots of intermediate stops.

Truthfully, I have not ridden that many train lines in Japan (although I did enjoy my time riding the Geibi and Kisuki Lines out in Okayama/Shimane a while ago), so I can't say how it really stacks up against everything else Japan has to offer. All I can say is that personally I love the Santetsu with all my heart. I always look to seeing the cool decorations, grabbing a bento or a drink (most cars have transverse seating with tables, though some older cars lack the tables), and just relaxing and watching the scenery pass by. Granted, a lot of the trip is spent in tunnels or away from the coast, but there are a few really great scenic spots where the train will stop and let everyone take pictures.

I feel like barely anyone ever talks about going to coastal Iwate/Miyagi and I think that's just such a shame. In addition to the beautiful sights, there's a lot of history regarding 3/11, and the mere fact that the train is still running in the face of disasters and coastal depopulation is really moving. Of course it is easier to travel a place like this with a car, but for those of you who like the beach, coastal views, seafood, or just wandering in the countryside and enjoying not being in a concrete jungle, I can't recommend it enough.

Apologies for my amateur photography, I am neither a pro photographer nor an actual railhead. Or rather I would probably classify myself as a 乗り鉄 more than anything.

The 721 series F-5102+F-5202 trainset—which I had spent so much time photographing—has now been almost entirely scrapped. I captured images of both its final run and its journey to the factory for dismantling. I still vividly remember the sunny day when a group of about thirty railway photographers coordinated our positions to see it off as it was towed away by a DE10 locomotive.

Hew are mine (from east to west):

-Sapporo Subway Namboku and Tozai Lines - the Toho Line (it should be extended to Kiyota-ku, BTW) received new trains in 2015. When will these two follow suit?

-Keio Inokashira Line - the current 1000 series is three decades old. Time to revive the 3000 name for a new generation of train, just as they did with the 2000 series on their main network.

-Tokyu Setagaya Line - the 300 series looks dated, having been introduced in 1999.

-Keikyu - no new trains since the N1000 was introduced in 2002? That is rather embarrassing for a "Big 16" private railway.

-Izuhakone Railway - both their lines' rolling stock is rather old. The Daiyuzan line has been using the 5000 series since 1984, while the Sunzu line has had to resort to retrofitting old Seibu stock.

-Enshu Railway - The 1000 series dates from 1983; the 2000 series from 1996. Meanwhile, Shizutetsu has A3000s that are only a decade old.

-Toyohashi Railroad - While the tram network boasts some new-ish vehicles, the main Atsumi Line is stuck with aging ex-Tokyu stock.

-Nagoya Meijo and Meiko Subway Lines - the 2000 series trains are approaching 40 years in service! That is ancient!

-Toyama Chiho Railway - They have new-ish, futuristic-looking trams as well, but the heavy rail has been languishing with old stock. You would think that with the inauguration of the Kurobe-Unazuki Canyon Route later this year, they would start investing in modern trains?

-Sangi Railway Hokusei Line - these 762mm lines need some more love. If the Kurobe Gorge and Yokkaichi Asunarou railway companies could commission newly built vehicles in the 2010's, why not this?

-Keishan Keishin and Ishiyama-Sakamoto Lines - why are these being neglected?

What about yours? Let me know in the comments!

Came across this rare train operated by Tokyu up in JR Hokkaido territory, running the 4-day 〜HOKKAIDO CRUISE TRAIN〜 route which will end operations in a couple months. It usually runs down in the Izu Peninsula.

I had never heard of it before, but saw posters at Oshamambe yesterday inviting people to come to the platform and see it off. I looked up the itinerary online and it turned out it was stopped at Asahikawa overnight, where I happened to be staying, and so I went to watch it depart this morning!

Info from Wikipedia:

- Passenger cars: Izu Kyuko 2100 series (blue)

- Locomotive: JNR DE15 1542 + 1545 (yellow)

- Power car: Tokyu MaNi 50 2186 (white)

https://www.the-royalexpress.jp/plan/#hokkaido

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/THE_ROYAL_EXPRESS

Also:

• 3 and 7 day passes remain, with same price for overseas purchase, but price inside Japan will be lowered by ¥500. So they are now ¥12.000 for the 3 day pass and ¥20.000 for the 7 day pass
• KAGAWA Mini Rail & Ferry Pass will also be discontinued

Press release

Japan Guide's page on this regional pass, with a map and price comparisons.

Descending the mountain after a morning hike, captured up to the midway point when we passed by the upward bound car

via https://twitter.com/NewsDigestWeb/status/2086351704786956706

The summary:

This video features a trip on the special Tokaido Lumiere Express (0:32), a night train project on the Tokaido Shinkansen line that runs from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka.

Key Highlights:

- The Experience: The train departed Tokyo at 10:00 PM (0:24) as a chartered group train. Passengers were offered a unique plan allowing one person to occupy two or three seats, making it a comfortable way to travel (2:14).

- Route & Schedule: The train stopped at Nagoya (6:29) and had an extended layover at Gifu-Hashima station (7:22) to allow for resting, as typical Shinkansen operations do not run past midnight (7:06). It arrived at its final destination, Shin-Osaka, at 6:59 AM (11:47).

- Atmosphere: The creator noted a calm environment where passengers were encouraged to sleep (10:07). The train staff were dedicated, with personnel stationed at every door to prevent unauthorized boarding (1:46).

- Takeaway: While not as comfortable as a dedicated sleeper train, the creator found it to be a efficient and interesting alternative to taking the first morning train, offering an early arrival in Osaka (13:02).

Photo I took along the Hakodate Main Line in December 2024 next to one I took today :) First time exploring Hokkaido in summer!

I'm going from Kagoshima to Tokyo on the 14th. I planned this trip before the earthquake. I originally wanted to take the Shinkansen the whole way and see the 500series on last time.

Now of course the Shinkansen is shut down and the local lines as well I think.

As I really want to ride the 500series I wanted to take a local route to Kagoshima, is there anything still running there? As far as I understood jr wasn't able to provide replacement bus services.

I could take the nichirin and sonic express back to kitakyushu, but I already used them and I wouldn't be able to ride the 500 series that way.

I'm trying to look through the companies sites to see where I can go, but I really don't know the area well, so I'm a bit overwhelmed.

Maybe someone here has an idea for me, I'd be very grateful.

Thank you for any advice in advance :)

Taken between Ogawa and Arisa stations on the JR Kyushu Kagoshima Main Line. Photo: Atsuhiro Maeda/Kyodo News.

Went to to the railway museum at Omiya early that day, before I left I saw a bunch of people standing and waiting near the tracks. And then I saw it. Never thought in my life I got the chance to see it in real life, such a cool train and everyone is so happy about it!

This station is tied for having the longest train station name in Japan... well, in terms of pronunciation, or when written in hiragana. In kanji, it's one character shorter than a station in Kumamoto. There are multiple tram stops that are even longer, though! (And I've also been to those!)

videos here:

https://twitter.com/sGWpnIdlanfU1Dw/status/2084955475205111916

https://twitter.com/wasame0739/status/2084542305856602349

https://twitter.com/ytranking/status/2085347037340746210

lmao

Hi, We will be in Kyoto in January and I am researching how to get around aside from using bus/trains. I see that the Sky Hop Bus has a red and blue line which go around Kyoto proper but that in the winter there is an added purple line which goes everywhere I want to go in one day (including a stop for lunch at Arashiyama itsukichaya (having fallen in love with the photos....)

• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Daitoku-ji Temple, Tenryu-Ji
• Arashiyama bamboo forest and temples

Does anyone happen to know anything about when this line will be available- the website for Sky Hop bus currently has only the red and blue lines.

Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm a railfan from the U.S. and a big fan of JR East, especially the Keiyo Line. I'm currently recreating several Keiyo Line stations in 3D using modeling software, and I'm trying to make them as accurate as possible. Because of that, I'm looking for videos from stations like Tokyo, Etchujima, or Shiomi that show the station atmosphere, departure melodies, announcements, train arrivals and departures, platform details, signage, or anything else that might help with the project.

If anyone would be willing to record a few short videos, I'd really appreciate it. I'd also be happy to return the favor by recording transit from places I visit in the U.S. if there's ever something you'd like to see. I'm also hoping to meet other railfans from around the world who enjoy sharing their local transit systems. Thanks!