Aru Ressha

{{Short description|Japanese luxury excursion train service}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}

File:JRKyushu DMU ARU RESSHA.jpg

The {{Nihongo|Aru Ressha|或る列車}} is a luxury excursion train operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) in Japan since 2015. It comprises a two-car diesel-powered railcar heavily modified to parody the style, especially in its window treatment, of passenger cars supplied to Japan by the J. G. Brill Company of Philadelphia, United States of America in 1908.

Overview

Details of the train, named the "Sweet Train", were first announced in 2014;{{cite web |url= http://mainichi.jp/select/news/20140128k0000e020174000c.html|script-title=ja: JR九州:「スイーツ列車」久大線と大村線に|trans-title=JR Kyushu to run "Sweets Train" on Kyudai and Omura Lines|date= 28 January 2014|work= Mainichi Shimbun|publisher= The Mainichi Newspapers|location= Japan|language= Japanese|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140128030213/http://mainichi.jp/select/news/20140128k0000e020174000c.html|archivedate= 28 January 2014|accessdate= 1 September 2015}}

it entered service on 8 August 2015.{{cite magazine|script-title=ja:「或る列車」としてデビュー! キロシ47形 |trans-title=KiRoShi 47 series debuts as "Aru Ressha"|magazine=Japan Railfan Magazine |volume = 55|issue = 654 |pages=66–68 |publisher = Koyusha Co., Ltd. |location = Japan |language = Japanese |date = October 2015}}

The name derives from the sweets (desserts){{refn|group=note|"Dessert" is the word most commonly used for the final, sweet-tasting course of a meal in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. In the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries, dessert is one of several synonyms that include "pudding", "sweet" and "afters".{{cite web|title=Eating and Drinking|url=http://septicscompanion.com/showcat.php?cat=food|website=The Septic's Companion|access-date=30 December 2024|archive-date=22 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722003530/http://septicscompanion.com/showcat.php?cat=food|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=Pudding vs. dessert: the same but different |url=https://www.thespruceeats.com/difference-between-pudding-and-dessert-435332 |access-date=30 December 2024|website=The Spruce Eats |language=en |archive-date=18 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518104142/https://www.thespruceeats.com/difference-between-pudding-and-dessert-435332 |url-status=live }}}} served on board;{{cite news|title=Luxury train begins second phase of service in Nagasaki|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/01/business/luxury-sweets-train-begins-runs-nagasaki/|newspaper=The Japan Times Online|publisher=Kyodo News Agency|accessdate=15 March 2017|date=1 November 2015}} meals are designed and created in a Japanese–French style by chef Yoshihiro Narisawa, owner of the eponymous restaurant in Tokyo.{{cite web|title=Aru Ressha Sweets|url=http://www.jrkyushu-aruressha.jp/en/sweet/|website=Aru Ressha Overview|publisher=JR Kyushu}}

Design

File:Models of the J. G. Brill Company passenger cars of 1908 that influenced the design of the Aru Ressha cars of 2015 (cropped).jpg

File:JRK kiroshi47-3505 Aru Ressha window 20211128.jpg

The train consists of two modified former KiHa 47 series diesel railcars. It invokes the style and ambience of the luxurious, 12-wheel Brill passenger cars purchased by the Kyushu Railway in 1908. The purchase occurred just before the railway company was nationalized under the Railway Nationalization Act and the cars were never put into service.{{cite web|title=Aru Ressha Concept|url=http://www.jrkyushu-aruressha.jp/en/concept/|website=Aru Ressha Official Website|publisher=JR Kyushu}}

The rebuilding project was overseen by industrial designer Eiji Mitooka, using scale models of the original coaches built by the railway modeller Nobutaro Hara. Car 1 (KiRoShi 47 9176) and Car 2 (KiRoShi 47 3505), formerly numbered KiHa 47 176 and 47 1505, were previously operated by JR Shikoku until withdrawn from service in 2011. Rebuilding work was carried out at JR Kyushu's Kokura General Rolling Stock Centre.

Operations

Between July of one year to March of the following year, the train runs a daily round trip from Sasebo to Nagasaki, mostly on weekends.{{cite web|title=Aru Ressha 運行情報|url=http://www.jrkyushu-aruressha.jp/train-status-info|accessdate=15 March 2017|language=Japanese|trans-title = Aru Ressha Operation Information}} Between April and September, the train runs a daily round trip between {{STN|Ōita|x}} and {{STN|Hita|x}}. It was intended for the development of tourism and the local economy.{{cite web |url= http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/08/national/luxury-dream-train-designed-over-100-years-ago-goes-into-service-in-kyushu|title= Luxury 'dream train' designed over 100 years ago goes into service in Kyushu|date= 8 August 2015|work= The Japan Times|publisher= The Japan Times Ltd.|location= Japan|archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate= 1 September 2015}}

Notes

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See also

References

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