Metro Train Gets New Life as Vending Machine
An unusual new vending machine is now selling coffee at the Tokyo Metro subway station. Made from old train parts, "the Vending Train" was built by Tokyo Metro Co. and Boss Coffee, and is designed to look like the front of the train which it was made from.
The parts came from a Ginza Line 01 Series train which was removed in 2017 after 33 years on one of Asia's oldest subway lines. The vending machine has the same silver and orange colors as the train, and even has headlights and a real ID plate.
The Vending Train also plays five different announcements on a loop. Each one was recorded by a real Tokyo Metro employee, and they are all based on real announcements that are heard on subway trains.
For example, instead of saying "please be careful to take your belongings with you," the Vending Train says "please be careful to take your change with you." And instead of "please watch your step. The exit will be on the right hand side of the train," it says, "Please watch your step. The exit will be towards the bottom."
Japan is famous for its vending machines. In fact, there are over 5 million vending machines in the country, which is about 1 for every 23 people. Japan is also well known for its trains; 45 of the world's 50 busiest train stations are in Japan.
