Kirk here. This kind of train is called “torokko” in Japanese. Apparently, the word has its roots in the English “truck.” “Torokko ressha” is sometimes translated as “trolley” or “scenic train.” I think that the design was originally intended to be for freight and that the trains tend to be of a older style that move slowly. At any rate, this says that the torokko ressha in Minami Aso is up and running again for the first time since the 2016 quakes.