Kyotram brings new luxury look to public transport in Kyoto

Glamorous streetcar on historic tram line is ready to give you the best ride around town.

There are a number of ways to get around Kyoto but the newest and brightest way to do it is with a ride on the Kyotram. This streetcar began operating on 28 February on the Arashiden, or Randen as it’s more commonly known, which is a historic tram line system in Kyoto operated by the Keifuku Electric Railroad.

While the streetcars that commonly run on this line are known for their cute appearance and elegant “Kyo-Purple” colour, the Kyotram takes things to the next level with a sleek new modern design. By combining the purple with a contrasting white, black and grey colour scheme, complete with a silver “waistband”, the tram is designed to blend in with the surrounding scenery while adding a fun pop of colour to brighten the landscape.

The “people-friendly streetcar” boasts added safety features such as side-mounted surveillance cameras and photoelectric sensors to improve safety when boarding and disembarking, and the multilingual LED destination display on the front of the tram offers greater visibility and ease of use for a wide variety of passengers.

▼ There’s currently only one Kyotram running along the route, with six more planned for release by 2028.

Inside, two rows of comfortable seating come with eight priority seats at each end of the vehicle, while curved vertical handrails help to widen the aisle for standing passengers. The entry doors to the car are 10 centimetres (4 inches) wider than other Randen trams, providing greater comfort for passengers using wheelchairs or strollers, and the windows are wider as well, offering better views of the scenery along the route.

▼ Warm LEDs illuminate the curved ceiling, creating a calm and relaxing environment.

Streetcars have been running along this line for over a century, offering convenient access to local residential areas as well as famous sites such as Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavilion) and the bamboo grove at Arashiyama. The new Kyotram looks set to make Kyoto’s last remaining tram route an even more popular way to get around town, and if you’d like to try it for yourself, the company recommends checking its official Twitter account for daily operational status updates.

Sources: @Press (1, 2) Keifuku Electric Railway
Featured image: @Press
Insert images: @Press (1, 2)
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