Japan Railway Journal

Shinano Railway: Managing the Risks of the Next 30 Years (2018x12)

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In 2016, Shinano Railway (a third sector company operating in Nagano Prefecture) welcomed an executive from a major insurance company as their new president. While the company is currently doing well, a decreasing population coupled with increasing labor costs and the need to renew the vehicles in the future all need to be considered. See the steps the new president has taken, such as operating tourist trains, developing the interior of Karuizawa Station, and purchasing new vehicles, to ensure the future of the company for the next 20 to 30 years. In Trains in Focus we will be hopping on the limited express train on Nagano Electric Railway. This is a new kind of tourist train where the conductor guides the visitors through a relaxing journey.