TOKYO, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Passengers on Japan's super-fast bullet trains have long enjoyed ordering coffee, ice cream or boxed lunches from staff pushing a snack cart, savouring the treats as they whipped past landmarks such as Mount Fuji.
But faced with a looming labour shortage and a trend for more people to buy food before boarding the train, on-board snack cart services between the cities of Tokyo and Osaka will reach the end of the line on Oct. 31.
The online response was despondent, with "Super-Cold Shinkansen Ice Cream" trending 5th on the X platform formerly known as Twitter and "In-Train Service" 6th within hours of the announcement.
"I remember that I enjoyed the ice cream every time I got on the train, and when I jumped on the last train without eating, I was saved by the sandwiches sold there," one user said.
"While cost reductions are important for a company, on-board snack cart services are also important for the enjoyment of the traveller's experience," another user wrote.
Persons:
Satoshi Sugiyama, Elaine Lies, Christina Fincher
Organizations:
Mount, Central Japan Railway, Tokyo, Twitter, Passengers, Thomson
Locations:
TOKYO, Tokyo, Osaka, Japan