Some passengers are grateful for the warmer carriages, while others say they’re the last thing Japan needs during an excruciatingly hot summer.

One of the unique quirks of train travel in Japan is the ability to hop on a moderately air-conditioned carriage. These carriages, which have the air conditioning set at a higher temperature than the rest of the train, are commonly found on a number of commuter railways across Japan, offering a more comfortable environment for passengers who are sensitive to cold air.

While the practice has generally been limited to everyday commuter trains, where it first appeared in the ‘80s, the Shinkansen is now trialling its own moderately air-conditioned cars, but not everyone is happy about it.

The trial began on 1 July and is set to run until 31 August on some 16-car Hikari services operating on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines, which together connect Tokyo with Hakata in Fukuoka, passing through major cities including Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.

▼ The Tokaido Shinkansen, run by JR Central, links Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, while the Sanyo Shinkansen, run by JR West, continues from Shin-Osaka to Hakata.

The trial is currently limited to one carriage, Car No. 3, which is an unreserved carriage. In this car, the air-conditioning is set around 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the rest of the train.

▼ The trial was announced earlier this year.

Now that the trial is underway, railway operators JR Central and JR West are monitoring passenger demand and collecting feedback through onboard surveys. According to comments on social media though, not everyone is happy about the service, with some people saying the warmer carriage felt far too hot for this time of year, while others argued that bullet trains should introduce carriages with stronger air conditioning instead, to provide more relief from the intense heat.

Many, however, wondered why the railways had chosen the hottest time of year to trial weaker air conditioning.

According to JR Central, the trial was prompted by passenger feedback, with surveys revealing there was genuine demand from travellers who find standard Shinkansen air conditioning to be uncomfortably cold. JR Central also said a smaller trial conducted last summer produced encouraging results, prompting the companies to expand both the number of trains involved and the length of the trial this year.

The companies chose to conduct the trial in an unreserved carriage so passengers can choose whether or not to use it and easily move to another carriage if they find it too warm or too cold.

Among the many complaints, however, there were some passengers who welcomed the warmer conditions, saying standard Shinkansen air conditioning can become uncomfortably cold during longer journeys. Others were pleased to finally have a carriage where they could travel without feeling the chill.

JR Central says train crews already adjust temperatures according to conditions inside each train, but acknowledges that comfort is subjective and no single temperature will satisfy everyone on board. Passengers who do find themselves feeling uncomfortable are encouraged to flag their concerns with onboard staff, who can offer suggestions and make adjustments where possible, depending on onboard conditions.

Source: JR Central, Yahoo! Japan News via Hachima Kikou
Featured image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Central Japan Railway Company, Pakutaso (1, 2)
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