End of the line for ‘Doctor Yellow’ bullet trainーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS #shorts

The iconic “Doctor Yellow” inspection bullet train of Central Japan Railway Company, or JR Tokai, has completed its final run after 60 years of keeping tracks safe. It’s being retired due to aging and other factors.

JR Tokai and West Japan Railway Company, or JR West have one Doctor Yellow train each. The JR West one is expected to be decommissioned around 2027.

Doctor Yellow showed up to Nagoya station on Wednesday around 4 o’clock and stayed for about a minute before departing. It’s a sad day for the train’s fans, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. JR Tokai plans to exhibit its Doctor Yellow at a railway museum in Nagoya starting this summer.

Doctor Yellow began operating in 1964–the year the Tokaido Shinkansen debuted. It is known for its distinctive body color, which was chosen to make it stand out, even at night.

The “train physician” conducts inspections on tracks to maintain their safety. It is fitted with cameras, enabling it to check the condition of overhead wires.

Doctor Yellow is currently in its fourth generation. It runs about once every 10 days between Tokyo and Hakata. It is not available for public use and its schedule is kept under wraps. Due to its rarity, the special train has become a symbol of good fortune for those lucky enough to spot it, as well as a national icon.

More stories on Japan: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/2/

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