Kintetsu’s New Sightseeing Limited Express “Aoniyoshi” Debuts Next Spring ~How Much Do Trains Cost!? Part 1~

On October 8, Reiwa 3 (2021), Kintetsu (Kinki Nippon Railway) announced the debut of a new sightseeing limited express. Kintetsu is a private railway company with Japan’s longest route connecting Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, and Ise-Shima, and it is well-known for its rapid express service between Osaka and Nagoya. When traveling from Osaka to Nagoya, we always struggle with whether to choose the Shinkansen for speed or Kintetsu for comfort. Last spring (2020), the new model of the “Hinotori” Limited Express, which connects Nagoya and Osaka, debuted. We can feel Kintetsu’s determination even in adopting a system called “Electric Full Active Suspension,” which sounds complicated! (By the way, this ‘Electric Full Active Suspension’ is said to be a groundbreaking system for railways that reduces lateral swaying using electric control rather than mechanical means…) Due to the introduction of these new trains, the 12200 series limited express, which was nearing its 50th anniversary in the summer, retired. Some people might recognize it as the “Snack Car.” If you think of Kintetsu Limited Express, this is probably what comes to mind. The current concept seems to be to modify these retired 12200 series cars into a sightseeing train.

Kintetsu Sightseeing Limited Express “Aoniyoshi” Twin Seat (Image) 12200 Series

It features two types of seating configurations: two-person twin seats and three-to-four-person salon seats. Instead of the typical arrangement of two rows, it has a single row setup totaling 84 seats. They anticipate demand from group tourists and inbound visitors when the pandemic subsides next spring (2022). And the investment amount is a whopping 330 million yen! Is this high or low? Fundamentally, how much do railway cars cost?? Next, we would like to talk about the price of train rolling stock.