The tour package featuring Hokkaido’s sightseeing train, Nagamare Kaikyo, won the grand prize in a contest wherein great railroad tours are honored, last Wednesday, January 25.  Winners are determined by the executive committee of the Tetsutabi Of The Year.

The said contest was launched to promote the attractions of railway trips, and let the people appreciate the beauty of sightseeing inside trains. The contest was on its sixth year this 2017. It covers almost 106 railroad trips conducted between the month of November 2015 up until October 2016. The rail tours were rated according to the content and uniqueness of the tours, as well as of the trains.

In addition, the Nagamare Kaikyo train was operated by South Hokkaido Railway Co., that was also the operator of the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train line, which opened last year in March.

The word nagamare in Nagamare Kaikyo train came from the local dialect, meaning “relaxed,” while kaikyo is a Japanese word for channel or strait.

This is a great opportunity to inspire other train operators to give the best train trip experience to their passengers.