West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) on Sunday unveiled a new wrap advertisement on its six-car Panda Kuroshio limited express trains. Scheduled to begin operations on Thursday, the trains connect Kyoto, Osaka and the cities of Shirahama and Shingu in Wakayama Prefecture.
The design was in collaboration with Adventure World, a theme park in Shirahama currently raising a family of giant pandas. The new design includes a baby panda on the leading car.
Dubbed the "Sustainable Smile Train," the sides feature a motif centered around the theme of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that includes photos of other animals.
There are four Panda Kuroshio trains on the company's 36 daily Kuroshio express train services, with additional trains operated in irregular rotation. A third set is expected to be added to the current two sets, with their operation schedules to be announced on the company's homepage a day in advance.
Wednesday marks the beginning of the nation's "Go To Travel" tourism support campaign, and more railway users are expected. JR West is implementing infection prevention measures, such as sterilizing the interior of the train cars to combat risks associated with the coronavirus.
"We'd like tourists to leisurely enjoy their ride aboard our Panda Kuroshio trains as they visit Wakayama," said a senior official of the company.
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