spreadyourwingsandflyy

Known officially as the Sagano Romantic Train (嵯峨野トロッコ列車 Sagano Torokko Ressha) or Sagano Scenic Railway, some also call it the Sagano Torokko, Sagano Romantic Railway or Sagano Scenic Train ~ Searching for Sagano Sightseeing Train on Google should lead you back to this as well!

10/10 would always do this if I get to travel to Kyoto again! I rode this in the middle of summer (all that lush greenery!) but based on photos online, it seems like the view would be even more breathtaking in the other seasons! 🙂

There are 4 stations in total along this railway, with their names starting with/having “Torokko” in them:

1. Torokko Saga (a.k.a. Saga Torokko)
2. Torokko Arashiyama (a.k.a. Arashiyama Torokko)
3. Torokko Hozukyo (a.k.a. Hozukyo Torokko)
4. Torokko Kameoka (a.k.a. Kameoka Torokko)

According to Wikipedia:

“Torokko is a Japanese word derived from the English “truck” once used for mining cars hauling ore, but presently means rail carriages basic accommodation and open sides.“

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagano_Scenic_Railway

(I usually refer to Torokko Saga Station as the “first station” since it’s right next to JR Saga Arashiyama Station and is “closer” to central Kyoto.)

On Google Maps, this is the entire route:

So remember, Torokko Saga Station = JR Saga Arashiyama Station (or at least, it’s righttt next to it so it’s more or less at the same place)

So close to each other, that you can see the building and Romantic Train & rail from the platform of the JR Saga Arashiyama Station!

Getting there from JR Saga Arashiyama

To get to Torokko Saga Station from JR Saga Arashiyama station, head to the South Exit of the station. Once you reach the ground level, the building is on your right!

You can also check out the notices stuck in the JR Saga Arashiyama station – they have detailed directions on going to places such as the Bamboo Forest / Groove! Alternatively, you can also check out my other post here: How to go to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove + about my Kimono Experience! | Kyoto Day Trip

• 

• 

• 

Schedule

I took the Sagano 81 – the final train of the day from Torokko Saga to Torokko Kameoka (“Downwards”, as they officially call it). My ride was from 5.09pm to 5.35pm and subsequently there would be the final train back from Torokko Kameoka to Torokko Saga (Sagano 82);

Extra note: Sagano 81 + 82 are additional trains that runs only on specific dates/seasons.

Do take note of any non-operational days and days with normal/extended schedules! (The train is closed from 30 Dec till February).
You can find them here: https://www.sagano-kanko.co.jp/en/unkou.php

Tickets

All seats are reserved seats!

Where to buy

Tickets can be bought at the ticket counter in Torokko Stations, online (apparently o_O), Midori-no-Madoguchi counters (JR West train stations), Midori-no-Kenbaiki ticket machine (JR West train stations), etc.

Do take note that if you’re purchasing/reserving them online you’ll need to collect the printed ticket from a Midori-no-Madoguchi counters (JR West train stations) or Midori-no-Kenbaiki ticket machine (JR West train stations)! Also based on the website, choosing the Car and Seat numbers is not possible when purchasing/reserving online.

I got mine from Kyoto Station’s Midori-no-Madoguchi counter… probably when I was also gonna reserve my next day’s seats to Atami hehehe.

Ticket Price

Tickets aren’t covered by the JR Pass, and costs 620 yen per adult (310 yen per child). The price is a flat fare, so this applies regardless of whether you’re travelling for just 1 stop, or all the way through~

Around Torokko Saga Station + Platform

Situated in a brown brick building next to JR Saga-Arashiyama Station, there’s a little ice cream shop outside the premises of Torokko Saga. If you’ve seen my post about getting to the Bamboo Forest/Bamboo Groove, this is actually the same direction and ice cream shop I was talking about!

In the outdoors area of Torokko Saga Station (on the left as you enter the premises), there’s a locomotive display with lots of pretty flowers around~

On the inside (in the main area), there are places to sit, take photos or browse through brochures. There’s also an eatery and the ticket counter. Behind the ticket counter would be the platform, which will be open about 10 minutes+ (I think?) before the train arrives back at the Station.

There’s also a shop in the main area which sells souvenirs, postcards, Japanese snacks, etc!

Platform

You can see the JR Line/trains from here! And the platform area is good for photos when the Romantic Train is arriving back into the station!

The ride!

On the train

Views (Summer <– I went in mid-June!)

When reaching the last stop:

A bit about Torokko Kameoka Station

So I didn’t really get to explore around the station since it was closing, but here’s a few photos to give you an idea on what there is!

Bonus: Found and took a photo of this area map 😀

Website

For more and the latest information, I would strongly advise you to check out their official website which is filled with lots of information that changes from season to season (they even have the annual calendars and schedules updated!)

Link to the official website: https://www.sagano-kanko.co.jp/en/index.php

* All info are accurate as of June 2018 *