Japan has just revealed the most luxurious train in the world and it looks like something straight out of a sci-fi film.
There are plenty of futuristic films out there with swanky looking trains hurtling into the horizon – the one from The Hunger Games springs to mind for me – but now it seems there is an actual real life version and it’s heaven.
The Shiki-Shima is an uber exclusive 10-coach train, running on a chunky 3ft 6in track, carrying just 34 passengers, wishing to travel in utmost style, according to the Independent.
It’s ‘wonder train,’ has caused such a stir among VIP travellers, it has completely sold out until April 2018 and even before its very first trip, the train has been so popular, first riders had to be allocated by lottery.
The East Japan Railway Company are behind the super swish creation, which offers ‘summer tour’ excursions for three nights, setting off from Tokyo.
Five of its carriages offer ‘standard suites,’ consisting of three people to a carriage with full size beds, a toilet and a shower – anyone who travels regularly by train will know this is the epitome of railway magnificence.
The remaining two of its bedroom cabins are reserved for the ‘deluxe suites,’ with each hosting a delicious sounding ‘aromatic cypress wood bath.’
For those who wish to watch as the surroundings flash by, there are two observation carriages at both ends of the train, as well as a lounge and a Michelin starred dining room cabin, complete with uniformed butler service.
Apparently, it’s name means ‘Island of Four Seasons’ and – just like the hotel although I’m not sure they’re linked – you may need to re-mortgage your house to pay for a ticket…
If you’re riding alone, a standard suite will set you back £7,500 – which essentially works out at £2 per minute for the duration of your lavish trip.
To add to the slightly more relaxing pace of the service, the train can only reach 70mph – which is not even a third of the heady speeds reached by Japan’s Bullet Trains, which can get upto an eye-bulging 320mph.
A typical trip on the opulent train will include an extremely posh dinner, followed a little bizarrely by a performance of the traditional Japanese ‘Dance of the Dead.’
The deluxe train then travels onto Honshu, where – and this seems quite strange considering the price you pay- the riders then transfer onto a different extravagant locomotive, called the ‘Tohoku Emotion.’
Once settled into their new carriage, passengers are taken for a sight seeing trip before heading back onto the original train of splendour, with a couple more stops thrown in before disembarking back in Tokyo.
This train sounds like the stuff of dreams, it’s a pretty long wait for a ticket though… Perhaps you could just live on it instead? For the hefty price tag, you might aswell…
