JR Senmo Line’s special sightseeing train “Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko” temporarily suspended service this season due to impact from the novel coronavirus pandemic. But on July 18 it operated its first round trip service 2 and a half months late, running between Kushiro Station (Kushiro City) and Toro Station (Shibecha town). Reserved seat tickets were reduced to about 40% compared to normal years, and coronavirus prevention measures were put in place.
In commemoration of 40 years since the Kushiro Marsh Ramsar Convention Registration, the front car was fitted with a special head mark design featuring the marshland and red-crowned cranes for the first day only. Passengers and fans raised cameras en masse to snap pictures of the sight. Service will continue on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays until September 27.