Disused Shinkansen Food Trolleys Up for Sale; Application for Chance to Purchase Ends on Feb. 5

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:44 JST, January 30, 2024

Applications are being accepted for the purchase of 50 food trolleys formerly used on the Tokaido Shinkansen line.

Onboard food sales using trolleys started shortly after the Tokaido line began operations in 1964. Ice cream was among the popular items.

However, many food stores eventually opened in and around train stations, selling a wide variety of food and drink. The onboard service finally ended in October last year, after almost 60 years.

It was decided to sell some of the trolleys after people saddened by the end of the service asked whether they could buy carts.

According to JR Central Retailing Plus Co., about 350 trolleys were in use on Nozomi and Hikari trains at the time the trolley service ended. The company decided to sell 50 of them to applicants chosen by lottery.

Each trolley is 110 centimeters tall, 33 centimeters wide and 94 centimeters deep and can carry approximately 50 kilograms of goods.

The price of a trolley is ¥100,000, including shipping. Those who wish to enter the draw should submit an application by Feb. 5 on the Livepocket ticket sales site.

“I hope [the purchasers] make use of them at home or elsewhere,” a company official said.