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| Above, bullet trains connected at Tokyo Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
American train buffs travel throughout the continental United States to
ride the rails of different railroads such as the Durango & Silverton
Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado, the Skunk Railroad in California, the
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in New Mexico, the 1880 Black Hills steam train in South
Dakota, the Sierra Railroad in the Gold Rush area of California and others.
There are train buffs who plan train vacations in Europe and other
areas. One such mecca for railroading is Japan.
Japan Railways (JR) is the country's biggest owner and operator of train
lines in Japan. They own and operate
about 70% of Japan's railway network.
The remainder belong many other private companies.
The JR Group is comprised of several regional companies including JR East,
JR West, JR Kyushu, JR Central, JR Hokkaido and JR Shikoku. Trains range from long-distance bullet trains
to local commuter trains. There are some metropolitian train lines
(Tokyo's Yamanote Line is one example) operated by JR.
There are several JR Rail Passes that foreign visitors can obtain at
relatively low cost. These rail passes
can only be bought in their home countries as a voucher. Then, when the tourist arrives in Japan,
these vouchers can be exchanged at any JR office for the Rail Pass. The advantage of the Rail Pass is that
travelers get unlimited use during specific periods that the pass is valid,
thereby saving a lot of money. The Rail
Pass is not valid on certain trains, but it is valid on a majority of rail lines
in the JR Network.
Authorized dealers in the U.S. for Rail Pass purchases can be found in most
cities or through the Japan Travel Bureau at (800) 777-0112 or visit www.japan-rail-pass.com. They also can be bought at KIE/Kintetsu at
(800) 422-3481 or www.kinetsu.com.
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