Japan
In Japan, trains for the Emperor, the Empress, or the Empress Dowager are called Omeshi Ressha (お召し列車?), literally meaning "trains that they use", albeit with extremely polite word for "use". Trains for the other members of the Imperial Family are called Gojōyō Ressha (御乗用列車?), meaning "trains to ride" in slightly more common language. However, both Omeshi Ressha and Gojōyō Ressha refer to a non-scheduled service solely operated for the Imperial Family. Dedicated Imperial carriages were owned by Japanese National Railways (JNR), and these came under the control of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) following privatisation. The dedicated locomotive-hauled set was retired in the 2000s and replaced by the specially-built E655 series EMU, which can also be used as a VIP charter trainset.
In the modern period, imperial trains are used less and less, as the current Emperor Akihito generally travels by air, or regular scheduled trains with a reserved carriage. Imperial trains are still operated occasionally, but they mainly function as a cordial reception for state guests, rather than transportation of the Imperial Family.
Read more about this topic: Royal Train
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