AlwaysAisle

According to media cruise train Seven Stars in Kyushu by JR Kyushu is enjoying great success. Not surprisingly other JR companies are trying to capture a piece of the pie. JR East will start their own cruise train Train Suite Shiki-Shima on May 1, 2017. 4 Days/3 nights journey starts at Ueno (Tokyo) and travel far north as Noboribetsu, Hokkaido. This type of leisure train is run by individual JR companies and usually run within their own company region. However, Train Suite Shiki-Shima will travel between JR East and JR Hokkaido.

Hokkaido has many tourist spots and due to size of Hokkaido this type of vacation package train aimed at upper middle and upper class people can be great success for JR Hokkaido. However, newly opened Hokkaido Shinkansen bleeding 4,800,000,000 yen or US$ 42.5 million annually, JR Hokkaido is no position to pay for new trains like this.

JR East has released information about Train Suite Shiki-Shima including fares. 4 Days/3 nights journey which includes Hokkaido by Maisonnette Type Deluxe Suite will cost 950000 yen per person (US$ 8695 or £ 7645).

Any FTers interested? I forgot, FT is about getting service for free, not about paying for service.

basscadet75

Is this not made up of refurbished Cassiopeia cars? The shape and interiors look very familiar...

AlwaysAisle

No, Train Suite Shiki-Shima is currently being built from scratch as a brand new train. The information I got indicates the frame of the train is being built at Hitachi Kasado plant at Yamaguchi prefecture. Then interior, electric, wheels, etc. will be installed at Kawasaki Heavy Industry at Hyougo prefecture. 100% Japanese made! Train Suite Shiki-Shima will consists from 10 cars and JR East is saying that cost of building Train Suite Shiki-Shima will be 5,000,000,000 yen plus (US$ 45,984,820 or €40 300 850).

Little side note, Hitachi Kasado plant is also the place where U.K.’s Southeasten High Speed 1 train between St. Pancras-Ashford was built.

Cars for Cassiopeia which ran between Ueno-Sapporo will be used for charter tour operation by JR East. Information I have is that first charter tour by Cassiopeia will run this June or July. Cassiopeia has started service between Ueno-Sapporo on July 1999. Cassiopeia cars are already 17 years old. When JR East has committed to vacation package train aimed at upper middle and upper class where fare will be up to 950000 yen, JR East did not want to use a refurbished train which may last only for another 10 years or less.

JR Kyushu has done homework before they have committed to Seven Starts in Kyushu using outside consulting company. This concept of a cruise train by JR companies is aiming at upper middle class and upper class people. The cruise train is not aiming as a reward perk for frequent riders of JR trains, it is not like award seats on business class and first class on airlines. The cruise train is not aiming at executives on business travel where first class is paid by corporate expense account. The cruise train concept by JR is aiming at upper middle and upper class people who will pay out of their own pocket for 4 days vacation which will cost US$ 5000 – 9000 per person. JR Kyushu has learned that if they are simply going to refurbish current trains and make it fancy, then it is unlikely that people will pay US$ 5000 – 9000 per person for 4 days vacation. JR East has decided to follow what JR Kyushu has learned.