OSAKA - JR West has announced that the trolley service currently provided onboard Nozomi bullet trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen will be terminated in standard carriages on March 15.
The decision is attributed to declining sales and staffing shortages, but the service will continue in Green Cars on both Nozomi and Hikari trains.
The Sanyo Shinkansen currently offers trolley services on Nozomi trains, selling drinks and snacks. However, on January 25th, JR West revealed that this service in standard cars will end on March 15. The company cited increased passenger preference for bringing their own drinks and bento boxes on board due to enhanced store offerings at stations, in addition to the difficulty in securing staff to cover all carriages. From March 16, the service will be maintained in the Green Cars on both Nozomi and Hikari trains. The Hikari service on the Sanyo Shinkansen had suspended trolley sales since February 2021 due to the spread of COVID-19, but it will be resumed in Green Cars.
Regarding trolley services on bullet trains, JR Central discontinued this service on the Tokaido Shinkansen in October last year. In contrast, they introduced a new service for Green Cars on Nozomi and Hikari trains, where passengers can order food and other items via smartphone, and crew members will deliver the orders to their seats.
Source: NHK
