Newsfrom Japan

Osaka, Feb. 18 (Jiji Press)--An iconic train dedicated to transporting fish caught off the Ise-Shima region in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, to Osaka is set to end its role next month, some 56 years after it started the service.

Kintetsu Railway Co., the operator of the train, said Tuesday that its final service is set for March 13, the day before the company's new train timetable starts.

The decision to cease the service reflects a sharp decrease in the number of fish dealers using the train, as trucks have now become the main means of transportation. After the end of the service, a railcar will be connected to a regular Kintetsu express train to allow some fish to continue to be sent to Osaka by rail.

The train is operated every morning, excluding Sundays and public holidays, between Ujiyamada Station in the city of Ise in Mie and Osaka-Uehommachi Station in the city of Osaka, the capital of the western prefecture of Osaka.

According to Kintetsu, the dedicated train, which has two to four cars, was launched in September 1963, when an expressway network was not yet established in the region. The daily number of users topped 100 at its peak, but has now fallen dramatically, to about 10.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]