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Hello Kitty shinkansen makes final run after 8 years of operation
(www.straitstimes.com)
Goodbye Kitty
Imagine riding the Hello Kitty train everyday as you commute to and from a shitty job. Possibly the best or worst part of the day.
Just saw this by chance last week. Glad I got to see it before it retired.
I've not been able to find the reason for the retirement in this or anything else about it. If anybody knows or can find in, I'd be curious to know.
They’re 30 years old and are being replaced.
They're 30 years old after 8 years of operation?
It spent 8 years operating as the Hello Kitty train.
Ahh, that makes more sense, thanks!
🫡
Is eight years a lot for a train or not?
It looks like that model of train was originally produced between 1995 and 1997. They were refurbished between 2008-2010. I’m not sure if that is a long time of service or not, though.
That's somewhat average, I would say. I was actually told that the Japanese only keep their high speed trains on service for about 20 years, this is obviously longer than that. In many other countries, high speed trains built in the 90s are still in service. Mind you, the birth of high speed trains was around 1990, so it's hard to really compare with much. Conventional rail vehicles can last very long, though - rolling stock that is 40 years old or older isn't exactly the exception. Often the problem is less the state of the rolling stock (especially with the older stuff, which was often built more solidly), but passengers' expectations. In fact, passenger expectations changing too quickly for durable, long lasting trains can be a significant issue.
It isn’t. I’m guessing they’re stripping the Hello Kitty livery and reusing the train elsewhere, unless it was already old when it became the Hello Kitty Shinkansen and now has to be either extensively refurbished or scrapped.
Theyre being withdrawn. They were first built in the mid 1990s.
Fans waved and shouted “Thank you” as the train departed.
Aw.
F
this post was submitted on 18 May 2026
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