Randen: Takkyubin Densha

[bikkuri bahn]

Streetcars carrying packages of delivery service company Kuroneko Yamato have began operating on Keifuku Rlwy's Arashiyama Line (Randen), starting this Wednesday.  One passenger unit is used to carry a load of electric bicycle hauled trailers, which is loaded from trucks at Saiin Carbarn, and then coupled to a regular unit at Saiin Station to form a two car train.  The train will procede on to Arashiyama, where, after being hitched to electric bicycles, will proceed to deliver packages to customers in the historic Arashiyama district.  At this time, one early morning run/day is in operation.

 

pics:

http://response.jp/article/img/2011/05/18/156544/332186.html

 

http://response.jp/article/img/2011/05/18/156544/332187.html

 

http://response.jp/article/img/2011/05/18/156544/332189.html

 

article: http://response.jp/article/2011/05/18/156544.html

[bikkuri bahn]

Yamato is already a big user of the rails.  They contract with JRF to haul their containers.  Train 1051 on a Tokyo-Fukuoka routing has a lot of Yamato containers, as well as those of other package delivery/freight forwarder firms:

 

Fuji Station:

 

Emerging out of the Kanmon Tunnel at Moji: