Special Hikari Rail Star runs till September

[984smurf]

Seems like there will be a special Hikari Rail Star 576 and 577 running between Hakata and Himeji till 29th September. Not sure if anyone posted it yet. 

 

http://tetsudo-shimbun.com/article/topic/entry-1442.html

[katoftw]

Weird running pattern. Assuming just a holiday/summer extra timetable run.

[984smurf]

10 minutes ago, katoftw said:

Weird running pattern. Assuming just a holiday/summer extra timetable run.

 

Well, unlike the other Hikari Rail Stars (which is almost as good as a Kodama), this one skips almost as much stops as a Mizuho or Nozomi Service.

[JR 500系]

Checking around, I do see one or two services of the Rail Star running as Hikari service, but never as Hikari Rail Star service... interesting.... 

[bikkuri bahn]

Yes, it's an afternoon weekend/shoulder season-only schedule, aimed at a submarket, (younger) customers in Kyushu looking to check out Himeji Castle, and customers in the Himeji area to go to Kyushu, as well as points between.  This group may otherwise take a competing highway bus.  Note there is for this pair of trains an internet-only discount ticket w/reserved seating for only 8000 yen one way between Himeji and Kokura/Hakata.  Likely this fills an otherwise slack period in the mid-afternoon Sanyo Shinkansen  timetable, JR West marketing came up with this to get a bit more revenue without biting into the peak revenue AM and evening periods.

https://www.jr-odekake.net/railroad/hikarirailstar/

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