Twilight Express (Sleeper Train) in Japan

The Twilight Express is one of Japanese sleeper train and runs the longest distance in Japan.

Until expansion of Hokkaido-Shinkansen (Bullet train) to Hakodate, the express will stop running regularly.

Therefore, now is the chance for making a journey with Twilight Express, especially if you have JR-Pass.

EF81 (EL)

At Sapporo Station

Second class couchette (Japanese B-Shindai)

Restaurant Car

In the case of bound for Osaka, the restaurant offers French cuisine full course (12,000 JPY) during dinner time, which you should make a reservation in advance. After dinner time, it is possible to eat snacks and drink various liqueurs as pub time. If you want eat something in compartment or couchette, there is a kind of Bento for dinner as the room service. Breakfast is served at the restaurant car(1,575JPY). Both the Bento and breakfast are available to get if you order when the waiters/waitresses comes in each compartment or couchette.    

Type 24 fleets

If you have a chance to go to Japan, I highly recommend to get the train ticket and make a trip with the Twilight Express.

Announce in the train (Youtube)


(2/Feb/2014)

City Night Line from Augsburg to Paris (Part 2)

 CITY NIGHT LINE Cassiopeia (CL40418) run into Mannheim station

Mannheim station(3:00AM)

In Mannheim station many  multiple-section trains came and went...

Pictogram  shows carriage for bikes,

Compartment for bikes,

The carriage for bikes is quite useful for the traveller. You can really enjoy journey with green ways.

End side

Conductors room

Conductors room (Inside)

Conductors prepared breakfast for passengers of sleeping cars.

Conductors room (Inside)

Recycle bins were very Germanic style...

Dust bins inside car

Lovely poster

Toilet of Couchette cars

coupling of trainsets now!

Pictogram

(2013/08/17)

City Night Line from Augsburg to Paris (Part 1)

　　Europa-Special Ticket of Deutsche Bundesbahn is attractive for Travellers from Germany to Paris.

It is same price either from Munich or from Frankfurt am Main to Paris Est....

I arranged the journey for Paris by CITY NIGHT LINE Cassiopeia (CL40418)...

Economy Single cost just 168Euro (Europe Special Ticket)

Augsburg station

In Augsburg Hbf station, there was McDonald in front of platform, which CNLs arrived. Therefore, it was useful to wait for the train rather than other stations.

Only sleeping cars seemed new, however, other car were old..

Signboard indicated each car No.

Maximum is 6 persons (can be divided into two 3-persons compartments)

In case of one person, it will cost Economy-single / person.

Two persons will cost two Economy-double / 2 persons...

Inside room, there is door to next compartment.

Compartment key

There were bottled water, hungers, and magazine... 

In case of two persons, another bed will be set above the present bed.

Washbasin was inside cabinet

Opened cabinet, towels and waters for washing tooth

There was electricity tap

From small mouth, cable can be connected.

Unfortunately, there was NO WIFI. However, 3G network could be used around big stations.

Table board was fixed on the wall

The table was set like this

Corridor was slightly dark

Shared toilet

Shared shower with toilet

Its area was a 3/4 of normal shower.

Shower was control by button

There was body soup-shampoo (2 in 1).

Economy class seems to be reasonable way to move during vacation seasons.

(2013/08/08)

The trans Siberian Railway Part 1



  It was over one-week trip from Beijing to Moscow via Manzhouli (Train K19 called "Vostok") .There are some ways of journeys for the Trans Siberian railway.

  At Harbin station (China Railways HXN3?)

The route seems to be mainly used for Chinese merchants rather than sightseeing. Russian-owning fleets are used and all guards(conductors) serve 24-hours from Beijing to Moscow. There are two  guards in each car.  

At that time, there was no shower facility in the fleet. Unfortunately, the argent of tickets could not get any information about shower in advance; therefore it is a kind of lottary.

 So if you really want to take shower, it might be better to stop over somewhere among the railway.... 



Inside compartment sleeping car

Laggage space below the seat/bed

Basin inside compartment

 Shared toilet (in Each car) 

Samovar (in Each car) 

Euro-plug 220v (Two plugs in each corridor)

If you use laptop inside compartment, you also should bring an extension lead.

However, sometimes it is not allowed to use and you might have to pay some money to the conductor.

Electronic signage at the corridor by Russian language

Restaurant car run by Chinese Railway Company from Beijing to Manzhouli.

(I used Chinese RMB currency, but Ruble could be used)

Beer, rice, and fried chiken

If you like Japanese pops, this song is good (Saraba Siberian railway)

(2013/04/05)