Move fast! See Japan’s world-famous ‘Doctor Yellow’ bullet train before it’s too late

Move fast! See Japan’s world-famous ‘Doctor Yellow’ bullet train before it’s too late

If you have always wanted to see Japan’s famous Doctor Yellow bullet train then you better move fast because the train is being retired in January next year.

The track-testing train is run at an undisclosed schedule mean that it is often hard to catch a glimpse of.

Its operator announced on Thursday that the train is to be retired in January, however, there are plans for farewell events that will allow fans to thank the train for keeping the tracks safe.

Doctor Yellow was introduced more than 20 years ago in 2001. It runs between Tokyo and Hakata once every 10 days.

The retirement marks a shift in how the safety of the tracks is managed. Central Japan Railway Co, which runs the train on the Tokaido Shinkansen line said it will not build a successor but will instead inspect the tracks via overhead wires from N700S bullet trains.

JR Central said it plans to hold a number of tourist evens so that members of the public can see such events as the train being washed. It will also give people the chance to ride the train and buy souvenirs.

In March this year, JR Central ran a special tourism event that allowed members of the public to ride the train for the first time since the company was established in 1987.

The event was heavily oversubscribed with 20,000 people applying for 200 tickets.

Bullet trains are a big tourism pull for people visiting Japan. Earlier this year, InsideJapan Tours launched a 14-night itinerary giving tourists the chance to visit lesser-known regions of Japan along the Hokuriku shinkansen bullet train route linking Kanazawa to Tsuruga.

Lead Image: Crowds gather around Doctor Yellow train. Source: Shinkansen Doctor Yellow YouTube

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