To commemorate the resumption of full operation of the Minamiaso Railway in Kumamoto, a “2-day tour of Minamiaso and Takamori by special trolley train” was conducted as a joint project between JAL and JR Kyushu. One of the highlights of this tour was the “Minamiaso Railway Trolley Train Event,” in which crew members from JAL, JR Kyushu, and Minamiaso Railway participated.
Minamiaso Railway has been out of service since April 16, 2016 due to the extensive damage caused by the Kumamoto earthquake. 17.7 km of the line between Tatsuno and Takamori will resume full operation on July 15, 2023, after 7 years of operation. To commemorate this event, departure dates have been set for October 15 and 22, and November 12 and 19. The Minamiaso Railway trolley train event is included in the itinerary for the second day of the tour, departing from Takamori Station at 13:40. The train will arrive at Tatsuno, the last stop, at 14:30.
The 20 tour participants who arrived at Takamori Station by bus around 1:00 p.m. were given a specially branded Masu in an original non-woven eco-bag and a special bottle of Aso sake Reizan at a booth set up on the platform. In addition, JR Kyushu and JAL flight attendants served water from Minamiaso Village’s “Shirakawa Suigen” and JAL consommé soup, respectively.
We were seated in our reserved seats on the trolley train and had only two minutes before the train was to depart! Just as they were about to leave, Kumamon appeared on the platform of Takamori Station. It was a surprise for the tour participants, and there were cheers from inside the trolley train. Kumamon climbed into the train with his big head on the side. The tour participants were delighted by his cuteness. The trolley train departed with Kumamon on board.
Kumamon was also showing his affection and communicating with the tour participants in the train, but unfortunately, he got off the train at the next station, Miharadai Station. He even gave high-fives to the passengers on the next train and waved them off.
After that, conductor announcements by JR Kyushu, JAL, and Minami Aso Railroad gave the tour participants a lively commentary on the Minami Aso Railway line. The conductor announcements of Minamiaso Railway are left to each individual to some extent, and each person seems to have his or her own characteristic, so that even though the same scenery is seen, it seems to unfold completely differently, creating a different atmosphere each time one rides the train. However, Minamiaso Railway’s conductor announcements tend to be very fast and include a lot of information.
On the other hand, JAL flight attendants are always careful to make in-flight announcements slowly, politely, and with clear endings, so their announcement style is the exact opposite of that of JAL flight attendants. Therefore, when the content of announcements was assigned to JAL flight attendants, they had to examine the content and omit anything that could be omitted.
By the way, there are 11 water sources along the Minamiaso Railway line. I was able to see some of them from inside the trolley car, and just watching the clear water gushing out was healing enough for me.
The last stop between Choyo and Tatsuno is the longest interval between one station, taking 12 minutes, and is also the perfect climax to the ride, with the only tunnel on the Minamiaso Railway, a spectacular view from the bridge across the Shirakawa River, and a view of the construction site of the Tatsuno Dam. With the congenial announcements in the train, the atmosphere was very friendly, and the trolley train trip was full of laughter.
The specialty capital (chiffon) cake of Hisanagaya, a café in the Choyo Station station building, was sold at Tatsuno Station, the last stop of the tour, just for this tour, and many of the tour participants bought them.
Departure dates are also set for November on the 12th and 19th, so why don’t you experience the charm of Minami Aso as autumn deepens and make memories of your trip on the trolley train?
© Source travel watch
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.