This Is the Future of Japanese Train Travel, and It's Awesome
Train company teams up with Ferrari designer.
July 9, 2014— -- A new concept for train travel could take riding the rails from the Dark Ages to the Space Age.
JR East Japan Railway has, in collaboration with Ferrari designer Ken Okuyama, unveiled blueprints for the so-called Cruise Train. The luxury liner would cost more than $50 million and could debut in spring of 2017.
The design could bring not only luxury, but exclusivity, to train travel. Instead of packing passengers in, the train would carry just 34 passengers in 10 carriages. Two of those would be glass-enclosed observation cars so passengers could take in the scenery en route to their destination. The concept was a "train to enjoy the change of time and space," according to Okuyama's website.
One of the ten cars would be a two-story suite car with beds on the lower floor, a private bathroom and a lounge area upstairs.
Another car would be the dining car with high ceilings and large windows. Possible prices for a trip on the Cruise Train have yet to be released.