By HIROYUKI KIKUCHI/ Staff Writer
June 18, 2024 at 08:00 JST
The West Express Ginga (Galaxy) sightseeing train runs on the Kinan route. (Provided by West Japan Railway Co.)
WAKAYAMA--Train buffs eager to explore the Kinan region in the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture are in for a treat once again this summer.
West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) will operate its much-loved West Express Ginga (Galaxy) sightseeing train on the route between Kyoto and Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture, from July to September.
The company said its aim is to bolster interest in 20th anniversary celebrations in July of the registration of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The service will make roughly two round trips weekly between Kyoto and Shingu stations from July 1 through Sept. 25.
It will operate as an overnight train for the outbound service from Kyoto Station to Shingu Station, and run as a daytime train for the inbound service from Shingu Station to Kyoto Station.
The exterior of the six-car train is colored lapis lazuli in tribute to the deep blue of the ocean and sky of western Japan.
First introduced in Wakayama Prefecture in 2021, the train will be entering its fourth year of service.
Local delicacies will be offered at each station where the train stops along with bento lunch boxes prepared with local ingredients. Events are also planned for inside and outside of the train.
“We are making a more concerted effort to ramp up excitement for the Kinan region by working closely with the relevant parties,” said Shingu Mayor Michitoshi Taoka, who serves as head of an association comprising representatives from municipalities along the route, during its general assembly held in late April.
Reservations can be made one month in advance through JR West’s e5489 reservation website, at ticket offices at major JR stations across the country and through travel agencies.
For operation schedules, fares and other details, visit the official website at (https://www.jr-odekake.net/railroad/westexginga/).
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