JR East Cancels Luxury Train Tour After Alcohol Misconduct by Crew Members

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced on August 21 that it has canceled a planned tour of its luxury overnight service, the Train Suite Shiki-shima, following the discovery that several crew members consumed alcohol while working on the train. The company explained that the misconduct hindered their ability to staff the train adequately, so they could not proceed with operations.

The situation involved six crew members from JR East View Tourism and Sales Co., the subsidiary responsible for customer service on the Shiki-shima, who were found to have repeatedly indulged in drinking wine and champagne designated for guest service during their breaks in various areas of the train. JR East has strict regulations that prohibit staff from consuming alcohol onboard, except for the purpose of conducting quality control through sample tastings.

This misconduct has led to disciplinary action against the involved crew members, resulting in their removal from customer-facing roles. Train Suite Shiki-shima, which offers exclusive seasonal tours across eastern Japan and Hokkaido for one to three nights at a time, typically has around ten crew members onboard, meaning the loss of four staff members due to this incident significantly impacted operational capability.

Consequently, the company had to cancel a fully-booked one-night tour scheduled to depart from Ueno Station on August 30, which was set to traverse through Niigata and Nagano prefectures. In light of the situation, JR East will refund affected passengers and will prioritize them for future travel bookings. The company expressed its regret, stating, "We deeply regret the inconvenience and concern that was caused.