The Chichibu Railway is a railway that cuts across the northern part of Saitama Prefecture from East to West and totals 71.7 kilomaeters in length. In addition to electric railcars, a steam locomotive from bygone years runs on the tracks and passengers can take in the sights of rice paddies, the Arakawa River gorge and the Chichibu mountain range from the train windows.

The Chichibu Railway on a map of Japan

Chichibu Railway Route Map

Taking only approximately 40 minutes on the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Kumagaya Station, the Chichibu Railway is a local route that offers some spectacular natural scenery all within a comfortable day’s journey.

The Paleo Express is the closest running steam locomotive to the Tokyo metropolitan area.
The smell of the smoke, the sound of the whistle and the raw powerofi the train as it rumbles down the tracks make it popular among people of all ages, from children to adults, and is a feel that cannot be experienced on modern-day trains.

Timetable

The Paleo Express makes one return journey each day.
It stops at eight stations so that passengers choose the most convenient station for them to embark and disembark.
The Paleo Express generally only runs on the weekend and on public holidays; however there are times during the summer vacation and in autumn when the train will run on weekdays.

• Weekdays
• Holidays

Price

In addition to the regular ticket for the section you are boarding
"SL reserved seat ticket (reserved seat) 740yen" or "SL unreserved seat ticket (unreserved seat) 520yen" is required.
You can make online reservations from the "Chichibu Railway SL Reservation System".
*Japanese only

Paleo Express Passenger Cars

The passenger cars are designed with 4-people box seats and smoking is prohibited in all areas of the cars.
Merchandise and other souvenirs are available for sale on the train.