[Hidden Wonders of Japan] ‘Kamome’ Bullet Trains Stand by for New Shinkansen Line in Kyushu

On September 11, JR Kyushu proudly presented four bullet trains in its rail yard in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture. Fondly nicknamed Kamome (seagull), the trains will run on the new Nishi-Kyushu route of the Kyushu shinkansen line, connecting Nagasaki Prefecture and Saga Prefecture. The service is scheduled to begin on September 23 after further test runs and driver training.

Using a six-car variant of the N700S series bullet train, trains on the new service have a white exterior and a distinctive red line running along the sides.

*Kamome bullet trains proudly lined up at JR Kyushu’s rail yard in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture, on the morning of September 11. (© Kyodo)*

*Children explore inside the Kamome on September 11 in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture. (© Kyodo)*

Locals were invited to view the trains on the 11th, and about 600 people attended. Mr Fumiaki Kawakami, a 35-year-old hospital employee, went with his family.

“This is the first time I saw the Kamome trains from the front. They are brand new and beautiful,” he smiled.