Night trains serving long-distance routes had been losing passengers to the much faster Shinkansen bullet trains and airplanes, but they have recently been making a comeback among Japanese families and retired couples who enjoy their hotel-like comfort and among business travelers who appreciate their well-planned schedules.

The latest night-train service, the Cassiopeia, links Ueno Station in Tokyo with Sapporo Station in Hokkaido, some 1,200 kilometers (760miles) away. The service began on July 16, and so far demand has outpaced the number of available seats. There has been a race to secure tickets for the summer holiday season.

The Cassiopeia's popularity might be due to its luxurious facilities and services, which some say compare with those of the famous Orient Express that once ran from Paris to Istanbul.

The two-story sleeping carriages have 88 compartments, each of which is furnished with a toilet and sink. Passengers are served complementary "welcome drinks," and there is also a newspaper delivery service, just like in a hotel.

The dining car serves both French cuisine and traditional Japanese dishes. There is even a suite compartment equipped with a shower and a set of sofas.

The fare for the suite is 42,710 yen (371 U.S.dollars at 115 yen to the dollar) one way, not including meals, which is 20,000 yen (174 dollars) higher than regular air fare between Tokyo and Sapporo. Officials of the East Japan Railway Company, which operates the Cassiopeia service, say, "Many people seem to be using the train one way and flying back on their return trip.The suite is most popular among elderly couples."

Meanwhile, another new type of night train service named Sunrise Express, linking Tokyo Station and either Takamatsu Station in Kagawa Prefecture (approximately 940 kilometers, or 590 miles, away) or Izumo-shi Station in Shimane Prefecture (some 830 kilometers, or 515 miles, away) continues to attract many passengers a year after it began.

This is because the schedule was determined to make the service as convenient as possible for business travelers: It leaves Tokyo at 10 p.m., which is three hours later than the last flight to Takamatsu, and arrives at Takamatsu at 7:26 the next morning with a number of stops along the way, an hour and a half earlier than the earliest flight from Tokyo. By riding the Sunrise Express, passengers can save both time and money for a hotel room.

A 31-year-old business worker in Ehime Prefecture says he uses the service every month to visit Tokyo. "Even if I work overtime, I can still catch the train and get into Tokyo in time for an 8 o'clock meeting the next morning. The fare is almost the same as that for a flight, but I don't need to stay overnight in a hotel."

Seats on the Sunrise Express are 83 percent full on the average, and they are usually fully booked on Fridays.

Photos: (Top) The comfortable suite room on the Cassiopeia; (above) the Sunrise Express is a hit among business travelers. (JR East, JR West)