'Cycle train' services taking off across Japan

Japan Times
March 28, 2023 (Osaka, Japan)

So-called cycle trains, or trains on which passengers can carry their bicycles without having to fold or disassemble them, are spreading across Japan.

Faced with a decline in passengers due to the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to a rapidly aging population, railway operators in the country hope to attract more users by utilizing the popularity of cycling and taking advantage of tourism resources along their train lines.

East Japan Railway, or JR East, has been operating a cycle train connecting Tokyo’s Ryogoku Station with stations along the Pacific coast in Chiba Prefecture since January 2018. Reflecting its good reputation among cyclists, the 99-seater train used for the service is sometimes fully booked.

West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, started a cycle train service on a section of the Kisei Line in December 2021. It also added a train car for bicycles to its Kuroshio express train last October. The company does not charge an extra fee for taking bicycles onboard.

The Kisei Line section, which links Shingu and Shirahama stations in Wakayama Prefecture, is one of the lines that JR West has revealed to be unprofitable.

“We hope that many customers will use the service, leading to the revitalization of areas along the line,” a JR West public relations official said.

Kintetsu Railway introduced a cycle train service on its lines, including the Shima Line in Mie Prefecture, last September, with no extra charge for bringing bicycles onboard. With the service making it easier for passengers to visit sightseeing spots that are far from stations, Kintetsu gets more than 60 users per day on busy days.

Keio launched a trial cycle train service in January to attract tourists to areas around Mount Takao in Hachioji, western Tokyo. It is currently conducting a second trial.

Shikoku Railway, or JR Shikoku, launched a cycle train service on an irregular basis on a section of its Yosan Line in 2009. The service was a pioneer for train services targeting cyclists, taking advantage of a bicycle path that crosses the Seto Inland Sea near the line. Passengers are currently allowed to bring their bicycles onto certain regular trains on JR Shikoku’s Yosan and Yodo lines during weekends and on holidays.

The railway operators’ respective cycle train services have been well-received, with requests to expand them to more routes.

Whether companies can make investments on equipment such as specialized train cars and get cyclists to travel on trains together smoothly with ordinary passengers is likely to be key to the success of cycle trains.

Yuko Yamamoto, chief of the nonprofit CycloTourisme Shimanami, which was involved in the Yosan Line cycle train, said that growing awareness of health and environmentally friendly values has been behind the expansion of cycle train services across the country.

“(The services) can serve as the core of regional branding, and promote tourism trips to visit multiple sites,” she said.

Source
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/03/28/general/cycle-trains-popularity/