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Intriguing development: http://www.financialexpress.com/article/economy/railways-floats-r2500-crore-tender-for-high-speed-train-sets/93836/ I wonder if the Japanese rolling stock builders will leverage their experience of building emu sleeper trains (285 series and antecedent designs) to gain a marketing advantage.

Well my winter holiday begins this evening. I am taking the sleeper express Hamanasu most likely for the last time, as it's being axed this coming March (along with the Cassie) to make way for the shiney new Hokkaido Shinkansen. I have booked a lower berth (B shindai), and this too may be my last experience using this form of accomodation. In Aomori I will be taking a Hayabusa service on to Tokyo, with an arrival around 11am. I splurged a bit and got a seat in the green car.

In connection with the 100th anniversary of the opening of Tokyo Station, JR East is running a one-day only revival run of the Blue Train Fuji, which was at one time the longest distance overnight service in the nation, and which was discontinued in 2009. The train will run on Dec. 19, from Tokyo Station to Ito Station in Shizuoka Pref., one-way only. The train will be a 6 car consist. Tickets will not be available through the usual ticket windows midori no madoguchi, but rather through travel agencies. http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20140903-OYT1T50166.html Fuji in happier, JNR days:

Interesting news, looks like that thing that JR Kyushu will be running: http://osaka.yomiuri.co.jp/e-news/20130504-OYO1T00215.htm . Found it in this Ompuchaneru thread: http://rail-uploader.khz-net.com/index.php?id=1092943 Some interesting bits: between the prefectures of Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo, Hiroshima, and Shimane, there are 9 World Heritage sites. Along the route, passengers will sleep on the train and in hotels. On-board meals will be gourmet, using ingredients local to regions along the route. I'll be interested to see what rolling stock is used, specifically refurbed existing passenger stock or new cars, likewise for the motive power (well, a new type of diesel loco seems pretty unlikely). There'll be a lot of unelectrified sections, I wonder if they'll switch locos or if they'll just run it the whole way with a diesel. JR Kyushu is reworking a DF200 as I recall, I wonder if they don't have many DD51s or if they're not up to the task.