Doctor Yellow Shinkansen Inspection Train Cleaned by Train Fans as Appreciation for Many Years of Service in Special Event

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:21 JST, February 2, 2025

Fans washed the Shinkansen inspection train known as Doctor Yellow in an event held by Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) at the Oi depot in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, on Saturday, after the operation of the train was terminated late last month.

About 200 people, mainly children and their parents, cleaned the train to express gratitude to its many years of service.

JR Tokai’s Doctor Yellow, which had been in operation since 2001, completed its final run on Wednesday. The other Doctor Yellow, operated by West Japan Railway Co. (JR West), is scheduled to retire in 2027 or later.

During the event, children washed the bodies of the train cars with sponges and brushes.

“I’m very glad as I could see [Doctor Yellow] up close,” said a sixth grade elementary school student from Fujimino, Saitama Prefecture. “I cleaned it with a feeling of gratitude for its efforts to maintain safety. I want to tell it, ‘Thank you for working until now.’”

Since the timetables of Doctor Yellow trains have not been made public, it is said that seeing one brings good luck, which has made them highly popular. The event was open to 200 people, but about 23,068 applied to participate.