OSAKA - Nankai Electric Railway will begin operating a new sightseeing train connecting Namba and Koyasan on April 24th, with the full details unveiled to the media on April 9th.
The new train, named "GRAN Tenku," was revealed at the newly established Platform 0 at Namba Station, featuring a deep crimson exterior and offering a roughly 90-minute journey to Gokurakubashi, the gateway to Koyasan, as Buddhist monks from Koyasan performed a prayer ceremony for its safe operation.
Nankai Electric Railway President Tomoshi Kajitani said, "We aim to transform the journey to Koyasan from a mere means of transportation into an experience where the travel itself becomes the purpose, with heartfelt hospitality at its core."
The four-car train will operate with all reserved seating, with Car 1 featuring spacious relaxation seats, Car 2 offering wide-view seats facing the windows, and Car 3 serving as a lobby lounge selling beverages, while Car 4 provides a more exclusive experience.
Reporter Sasuke Yamaguchi said, "The sofa seats, limited to just 16 passengers, are exceptionally comfortable, and remarkably, passengers can also enjoy meals."
Passengers seated in the sofa section will be served breakfast, afternoon tea, and other offerings depending on the time of day, featuring locally sourced ingredients from southern Osaka to Wakayama, marking the first time in nearly a century that Nankai Electric Railway has provided meals onboard.
Dining cars were once popular during the Meiji and Taisho eras more than 120 years ago, but were discontinued in 1929 as the need to increase transport capacity grew, with onboard dining seen as limiting both speed and passenger numbers.
The revival of the dining car after nearly 100 years reflects a broader effort to position train travel itself as a destination rather than simply a mode of transport.
Kajitani said, "We hope passengers will enjoy both the scenery along the route to Koyasan and the meals, allowing them to fully experience the appeal of railway travel."
The 90-minute journey linking Osaka and Wakayama is being reimagined as a premium travel experience, as private railway operators across the Kansai region intensify competition to develop new services.
Source: YOMIURI
