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FUKUOKA — Reserved seat tickets for Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu)’s popular steam locomotive sightseeing train “SL Hitoyoshi,” which is retiring on March 24, are being resold on the internet at more than 100 times their initial price.
Resellers, who make money by trading rare and valuable items, have joined the fray, making it impossible for those who are associated with the train and residents along the line to purchase tickets.
On the night of Feb. 24, a reserved seat ticket for the last day of operation on March 23 sold for 200,000 yen (about $1,300) on an auction website. The normal reserved seat ticket price is a flat rate of 1,680 yen ($11) for adults, excluding the base fare ticket, regardless of the section on which they travel. The price was about 120 times higher than the normal amount.
SL Hitoyoshi began operations in 2009 but will retire due to the aging of the steam locomotive that pulls it.
A JR Kyushu official said, “It is not our intention for tickets to be unavailable to customers who have a strong desire to ride the train. The situation is regrettable.”
(Japanese original by Hayato Jojima, Kyushu News Department)
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