The whir of electric vehicles substitutes for the clickety-clack of trains on a tranquil ride along a course where construction of a planned railway line was canceled in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
The sightseeing service started in 2002 to make use of bridges and tunnels that had already been built but were left unused.
Dubbed the Tokotoko Train, electric vehicles operated by Nishikigawa Tetudou Co. travel about six kilometers at 10 kph from Nishikicho Station, the terminus on the Nishikigawa Seiryu Line, to Sozukyo Onsen hot spring.
Passengers can enjoy the sound of streams and the sight of blooming flowers along the ride. However, the highlight is when an EV travels through the 1.8 kilometer-long Kirara Yume Tunnel that was decorated with fluorescent stones by local students and is illuminated by black lights.
The vehicle stops midway through the tunnel, and riders can disembark and walk in the dreamy atmosphere.
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