New Twilight Express launched

[yakumo381]

Has anyone come across more details of the new weekly Twilight Express running as a luxury cruise train?

 

Apparently launched yesterday according to:

 

http://mainichi.jp/select/news/20150516k0000e040177000c.html

 

 

Particularly the timetable, route and running days as would like to track it down whilst in Japan over next two weeks.

[HantuBlauLOL]

So.. It's death flag has been lifted?

[Sacto1985]

I think they're doing this as kind of a "practice" in preparation for the new luxury cruise train coming to JR West in a few years' time.

[JR 500系]

Yes.. & with a price tag of 300,000 yen for normal suites & 350,000 yen for royal suites... ouch...

[miyakoji]

I think they're doing this as kind of a "practice" in preparation for the new luxury cruise train coming to JR West in a few years' time.

 

Yes it seems like it.  The train departed Osaka, went up to Tsuruga and reversed there, coming back on the other side of Like Biwa (doesn't say which side was first), and continued to Shimonoseki.  Passengers returned from there via shinkansen.

 

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing their new luxury train on middle-of-nowhere western Honshu lines that haven't had express service since the '60s.

[Sacto1985]

Slightly off-topic, but I think JR West's new luxury trainset will likely operate on most JR West lines that already see fairly long trains now, including the Bantan Line, Chizu Line, Hakubi Line, Yamaguchi Line and the San'in Main Line between Tottori and Masuda. I would be very surprised if they can make it run on the San'in Main Line between Kinosaki Onsen and Tottori.

Edited May 17, 2015 by Sacto1985

[miyakoji]

I'd think that the Sanin Line end to end would be fine.  I'm interested to see if there will be appearances on the deep inaka lines like the Imbi, Kishin, Geibi, Kisuki, Sanko, and Mine.  I think a lot of those stations still haven't changed since JNR built them (and the platforms) to berth longer express formations.

 

Miyoshi, for example, a small city where the Sanko Line meets the Geibi Line, looks like its platforms are about 170m long (560ft), which is enough for about 8 cars I think.  In the aerial Google map, you can see a 2-car KIHA47 set at platform 1, and on the far side of the island platform (3?) there's a single KIHA120.  Map: https://goo.gl/maps/WnWgC

 

Here's a 360 degree image on the platform of Kasubuchi on the Sanko Line.  Pretty rural, and although it's difficult to judge distance from this, it looks like it holds at least 4 cars: https://goo.gl/maps/iCPdu

 

So, if there are no issues with axle loading, it seems like there are a lot of options.

[NuclearErick]

Yes it seems like it.  The train departed Osaka, went up to Tsuruga and reversed there, coming back on the other side of Like Biwa (doesn't say which side was first), and continued to Shimonoseki.  Passengers returned from there via shinkansen.

 

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing their new luxury train on middle-of-nowhere western Honshu lines that haven't had express service since the '60s.

 

yes, around 2:50 shows the route

[katoftw]

The inside looks nice.  It is good to use the old consist like this.

 

A clockwise loop around Lake Biwako and then the full length of the Sanyo Main Line.  And a deviation on the on the Kure Line.

[Sacto1985]

Note that the train does NOT go beyond Shimonoseiki. I wonder why, given that EF81 103 is a dual-voltage locomotive; maybe EF81 103 doesn't have the cab signalling system compatible with what JR Kyushu uses nowadays?

[velotrain]

Here's a 360 degree image on the platform of Kasubuchi on the Sanko Line.  Pretty rural, and although it's difficult to judge distance from this, it looks like it holds at least 4 cars: https://goo.gl/maps/iCPdu

 

The rails are rusted heading east from the station, so it looks like this is currently the end of line - to the extent that the photo is current.

[bikkuri bahn]

Note that the train does NOT go beyond Shimonoseiki. I wonder why,

 

It's a JR West service.  Stays in JR West territory.  When you're running a luxury cruise train where people are not going anywhere in the traditional sense, you want to keep all the revenue to yourself, not split with another company (in this case, JR Kyushu).

[miyakoji]

The rails are rusted heading east from the station, so it looks like this is currently the end of line - to the extent that the photo is current.

 

Yeah, I noticed that.  Service was completely suspended August 24, 2013 due to a mudslide.  Miyoshi to Hamahara (one stop south of this one) was reopened September 1, but Hamahara to Gotsu wasn't reopened until July 19, 2014.  This image was taken April 2014.

 

It's a JR West service.  Stays in JR West territory.  When you're running a luxury cruise train where people are not going anywhere in the traditional sense, you want to keep all the revenue to yourself, not split with another company (in this case, JR Kyushu).

 

Maybe they think people won't like the view inside the Kanmon Tunnel :).