Japan's Most Mysterious Bullet Train Is Retiring

"In a country famous for punctuality-where the Shinkansen runs on a schedule measured in seconds-there is one bullet train in Japan that appears on no public timetable. It is a phantom on the charts, a flash of industrial yellow streaking through a sea of white-and-blue commuters. They call it Doctor Yellow, and spotting it is said to bring good fortune."

"The superstition may be magical, but Doctor Yellow's mission is pure engineering. Traveling at a blistering 270 km/h (168 mph), the train performs a full diagnostic sweep of the Tokaido Shinkansen line, scanning overhead wires for wear and checking track alignment down to the millimeter. It must run at full speed to avoid disrupting passenger service, covering the route from Tokyo to Hakata in Fukuoka before typically returning the following day."

Doctor Yellow is an unlisted, bright yellow diagnostic Shinkansen that runs the Tokaido line roughly every ten days. The train travels at about 270 km/h to perform full diagnostic sweeps, scanning overhead wires for wear and measuring track alignment to millimeter precision while avoiding disruption to passenger schedules. Its high-visibility livery was chosen for night maintenance and has inspired a superstition that sighting it brings good luck. Train enthusiasts and photographers monitor rumors and tracking sites to predict runs and gather at scenic viewpoints. One account describes spotting the train near Himeji after following a social-media lead and adjusting travel plans to photograph its return.

Read at Travel + Leisure