Suisei limited express night train, Kyoto-Miyazaki

[Bob in Iowa]

Several years ago, we took a night train that follows part of this route, but sat in regular passenger seating. If anyone has recent experience travelling on this train, please tell me if passenger seating is still an option, or if it is all sleeper cars.

Also, what are the sleeping accomodations on the train, as in how many berths per room?

Thank you for your help.

--Bob

 

[shiroma]

彗星

Also, what are the sleeping accomodations on the train, as in how many berths per room?

All sleeper cars now. Daily service between Kyoto and Minami-Miyazaki. Major stops at:


Westbound:
Kyoto 8:20pm, Osaka 9:03pm, Okayama 11:14pm, Oita 6:53am, Miyazaki 10:36am
Eastbound:
Miyazaki 5:30pm, Oita 9:22pm, Okayama 5:10am, Osaka 7:18am, Kyoto 7:52am

Car #1: Two-level couchette-style "open" berths.
Car #2: "Solo" class double-decker coffin-rooms.
Car #3: Open berths, non-smoking. [Runs only during peak seasons]
Car #4: Open berths, non-smoking. [Runs only during peak seasons]
Car #5: Open berths, non-smoking.
Car #6: Open berths.

Cab cars (#1&6) has 32 berths, trailers 34. "Solo" car has 28 rooms. Berth width 70centimeters. Photoes here.

Overnight ferry ships like this and this would be better for travels between Kansai and Oita/Miyazaki, less expensive and more space.

 

[Bob in Iowa]

Thank you for your response. The ferry looks interesting, however, on this trip the train will work best for us.

--Bob

 

[shiroma]

Suisei is gone at the end of September 2005.

 

[Mike Cash]

A very careful examination of the schedule of a sleeper train from Tokyo to Aomori once revealed what seemed to me a most odd fact. The train spent a stretch of several hours parked on a siding at a station along the way. If the train ran straight through, it would arrive in the very wee hours of the morning. They have to stop in order to make it an overnight trip.