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30 July, 2022

A new guideline: the fate of rural lines in Japan

Overview

Mimasaka-Kawai station, Imbi Line

On 25th July, an expert committee for rural lines, established by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as the Transport Ministry), published a proposal regarding the fate of significantly unprofitable railways in Japan. The proposal includes a guideline of which JR lines could be subject to replacement with road transportation (i.e. permanent closure of the railway). The committee does not demand nor recommend an immediate closure of these lines, but suggests that local governments and railway operators should hold discussions about what to do with rural lines that meet certain criteria. To put it simply, the committee defines that those with "transport density" of fewer than 1,000 might not be sustainable.

There are many lines with less than that figure, but only few of them are likely to be permanently closed in the near future, as Nikkei suggests.


What is Transport density?

Yamanote Line is the most heavily used railway in Japan

In Japan, the "transport density" means how many passengers per one kilometre used the line daily on average. It is defined as a sum of the distance of each passenger divided by the length of the line or section.

For example: there is a 20 km-long line. There are 100 passengers a day on average, and 60 of them use the whole line, while 40 of them use the half. In this case, a sum of the distance of each passengers is 60 (passengers) times 20 (km) plus 40 (passengers) times 10 (km), which equals 1,600. The length of the line is 20 km. Thus, the transport density is 1600/20 = 80 passengers per km a day.

According to the Transport Ministry, the transport density of Tokaido and San-yo Shinkansen high-speed rail was about 658,000 in 2019. According to JR East, the figure of Yamanote Line was 1.12 million in the same year.


Matsuura Railway, former Matsuura Line of JNR

When Act on Special Measures Concerning Promotion of Reconstruction of Japanese National Railways (also known as the JNR Reconstruction Act) was promulgated in 1980, the Transport Ministry issued an ordinance that rural lines with transport density of less than 4,000 should be closed or transferred to entities established privately or by local governments, and 3,157 km (1,962 miles) were axed accordingly (these lines were often called the "83 unprofitable lines").

4,000 passengers per km a day was the key figure for assessing rural lines in the 1980s, but this criterion has been lowered significantly thanks to innovation (not least new trains compatible with driver-only operation and less energy consumption) and downsizing (removal of redundant facilities). According to NHK, it is estimated that lines above 2,000 could be in stable condition today.


What was Decided This Time?

As already noted, the current key figure is 1,000. To be specific (according to Nikkei):

  • Transport density of fewer than 1,000 passengers per km a day; and
  • The number of passengers between each adjacent stations is always below 500

However, there are a few exceptions:

  • Passengers per hour in peak direction exceed 500 (i.e. heavily used by commuters and students at peak times); or
  • Served by limited express services that connect major cities; or
  • Served by freight trains

The committee also recommended that local governments and railway operators decide the future of the line in question within three years. The solution could be:

  • New railway business model that attract more tourists; and/or
  • Continuing business with considerable support from local governments. This includes not only giving significant amount of cash or tax reduction, but also ownership transfer of facilities to local governments (meaning JR will not pay maintenance costs); or
  • Replacing the railway with bus services, either conventional one or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

The proposal has been criticised by many people (such as the Governor of Ehime Prefecture), but it is worth noting that some local residents welcome the permanent closure, as bus services could be more convenient than rail transport. Like the one in Samani Town in southern Hokkaido, where Hidaka Main Line was effectively closed in 2015, buses often provide more flexible services, as bus stops were installed in front of a high school, care homes, hospitals and a shopping centre.


Which Lines could be Affected?

Kazusa-Kameyama station, Kururi Line

According to official documents, lines listed below have fewer than 1,000 passengers per km a day. Note that not all of them are on the verge of closure, as some of them are served by limited express and/or freight trains, or major engineering work was carried out recently. Some lines had more than 1,000 before COVID-19 pandemic, and thus being on the list might be temporary. Shinkansen high-speed rail is not included in the percentage calculation.

Click ▼ to browse in detail.


JR Hokkaido (2020)

Hakodate Main Line

Lines with significantly low ridership amount to 56% of the entire network, the worst percentage among all JR. Even Hakodate Main Line is no exception, as this blog explained before.


JR East (2020)

Kamaishi Line

Approximately 31% of the network falls within the scope, and the total length of nearly 1,900 km (1,200 miles) is by far the worst among all JR group. However, many of them (especially "Main Line") are served by limited express and freight trains. Also note that JR East is the largest railway operator in the country, both in terms of the size of network and sales.

More than 20 out of the 31 lines listed below are in Tohoku region, but there are a few in the Greater Tokyo Area (Agatsuma, Kashima and Kururi Lines). GALA Yuzawa branch line of Joetsu Shinkansen is excluded from the list as it is available only during winter ski season.


JR Central (2016)

A train similar to that on Meisho Line

No official document is available so far, but the Transport Ministry published one instead in 2016. It shows that the entire Meisho Line had 273 passengers per km a day, but others had more than 1,000. Meisho Line amounts to just 3% of the entire JR Central network.


JR West (2020)

Kishin Line

About 30% of the lines operated by JR West have fewer than 1,000 passengers per km a day, most of which are in Chugoku Region.


JR Shikoku (2021)

Mugi Line

JR Shikoku is known for facing severe financial difficulties along with JR Hokkaido, but surprisingly, only four lines fall within the scope. Even so, it is equivalent to 23.5% of the network.


JR Kyushu (2020)

Nichinan Line

22% of the network could be subject to be axed in the future. When Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen opens in September 2022, lines in Nagasaki and Saga Prefectures are likely to be added to the list.


Conclusion

Falling within the scope of 1,000 passengers per km a day does not necessarily mean that the line should be closed anytime soon. Not a few of them will remain as they have limited express and freight trains. Even without them, many lines are highly likely to be kept open with financial supports by the central and local governments. However, a few lines would be permanently closed in the near future if local residents agree with it.

The proposal applies only to JR lines. Even if not as radical as Beeching Axe, railway networks in Japan are likely to be rearranged in the coming years. In the case of permanent closure, there should be bus services convenient and reliable enough to be used as alternative means of transport by local residents.

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23 July, 2022

Retirements and Reinstatement

On Wednesday 13th July, JR Hokkaido published two press releases regarding its rolling stock. On the one hand, KiHa 281 and 183 series will retire in September 2022 and March 2023, respectively. On the other hand, KiHa 283 series, which has been taken out of passenger service since this spring, will be reinstated in March 2023.


KiHa 281 series

The KiHa 281 series was introduced in 1992-93 to Limited Express Super Hokuto (Hakodate - Sapporo). At the time of introduction, it was known for the fastest diesel train in the country, which could run at 130 km/h (81 mph). The series also has a tilting feature that allows running at faster speed than other trains at curves. It dramatically cut journey time between the two cities from 3.5 hours to less than three hours, though not as fast as that in these days.

The series will be taken out of all regular services on 30th September, and farewell rail tours will be held in the following month.


KiHa 183 series

The KiHa 183 series was developed by Japanese National Railways, and has been used for various intercity services in the island of Hokkaido. Existing carriages were introduced in 1988-92, and they are now used for Limited Express Okhotsk (Sapporo – Abashiri) and Taisetsu (Asahikawa – Abashiri). Despite being old and poor condition, JR Hokkaido has been retaining the series due to lack of funding, but finally they decided to replace them with newer trains. The KiHa 183 series will be withdrawn from all regular services in March 2023, but a few might remain for a while as farewell rail tours will likely be held.


KiHa 283 series

There is also good news. The KiHa 283 series will be coming back to mainline. The series had been used for Limited Express Ozora (Sapporo – Kushiro) until March 2022. All existing carriages are no more than 24 years old, but it was uncertain if they will be reinstated due to not-good condition because of overuse. The company decided to use them for Limited Express Okhotsk and Taisetsu from March 2023, effectively replacing the KiHa 183 series.


JR Hokkaido has been suffering from huge deficit so that they have been reluctant to invest in anything, but it seems that they had no choice but to replace the old trains in order to continue their business. The timetable revisions in autumn and spring will hopefully make trains slightly faster and reliable.



*Articles on The Red List of Trains in Japan will be updated in due course.

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16 July, 2022

Class 317 retires

Cambridge - Shelford, 29 Mar 2019

Earlier this week, Greater Anglia announced that Class 317 trains would be withdrawn on Saturday 16th July, with the last regular services would run all day between Hertford East and London Liverpool Street.

The Class 317 was introduced in 1981-87, and it has been used mainly in Cambridgeshire and adjacent areas for decades, such as services between London and Cambridge or Stansted Airport. After the privatisation of British Rail, many operators continued using the Class including West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) and London Overground. Greater Anglia was the last company to use the 317s, but they were replaced at last with brand new Class 720 trains.

As I lived in Cambridge when I was a child in the early-2000s, and in London as a postgraduate student in the late-2010s, I have managed to take a several photos of the Class 317 on Lea Valley Lines and West Anglia Main Line.


The first batch (Class 317/1 and relevant groups)

Two-thirds of the Class 317 were introduced in 1981-82, being the majority.They were initially used on Midland Main Line. Some of them were also used temporarily on LTS Rail (c2c) network from London Fenchurch Street to the east, as well as on Thameslink services between Bedford and Moorgate.


Liverpool Street, 24 Nov 2018

At that time, Greater Anglia's 317s were mostly used for services between Liverpool Street and Hertford East or Cambridge North, with a few on Great Eastern Main Line.


Cambridge - Shelford, 29 March 2019

Blue doors meant that this unit was used on Great Northern route between London King's Cross and Cambridge until 2017.


Seven Sisters, 24 Jul 2019

In 2015, London Overground took over services between Liverpool Street and Cheshunt, Enfield Town and Chingford. The Class 317 was also used on Romford-Upminster line.


Seven Sisters, 29 Jul 2019

In 2000, a few Class 317/1 were refurbished with luggage racks for airport users, and allocated to Stansted Express services. They were later reallocated to London Overground services and withdrawn in 2020. However, some of them were reused by Greater Anglia as stopgaps for a while.


The second batch (Class 317/2 and relevant groups)

Those introduced in 1985-87 looked different from the other groups. They were initially introduced to the Great Northern route, but later used on West Anglia Main Line as well.


Cambridge - Shelford, 29 Mar 2019

This front end was similar to that of other trains introduced in the mid-1980s, such as Class 150/2 and Class 455/7. I preferred this one to the others, and I really liked the design of headlights especially the rectangular ones outermost.


Some old photos

Finally, I would also like to show you two photos I took 20 years ago. Note that they were taken by a primary school boy so that they look horrible.


King's Cross, 3 Aug 2002

The first and second batch of the Class 317. WAGN had been using them mainly for semi-fast and stopping services between King's Cross and Cambridge. My parents and I got on non-stop services in most cases, but we sometimes chose the Class 317 when no fast service was available.


Cambridge, 31 Aug 2003

A Class 317/6 unit at Cambridge after a journey from London (presumably King's Cross). In the late-2010s, most services between London and Cambridge were formed of eight or twelve coaches (as far as I know), but short trains were not uncommon at that time. There were wagons behind the train, but a new island platform was constructed about ten years later.


That's all. I am a little sad to hear that many trains I used to see in Cambridge 20 years ago are mostly gone, as Class 365 retired in 2021 and the Class 317 in 2022. After tonight, only CrossCountry's Class 170 will remain.

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09 July, 2022

The 40th anniversary

Omiya, 27 Apr 2012

On 23 June 1982, Tohoku Shinkansen, the third high-speed rail in Japan, was opened between Omiya and Morioka. Japanese National Railways developed new rolling stock called 200 series. The line was extended to Ueno in 1985 and again to Tokyo in 1991. It was extended further to Shin-Aomori by 2010, and it is now the fastest high-speed rail where trains run at up to 320 km/h (200 MPH).


Omiya, 1 Jul 2022

In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Tohoku Shinkansen, JR East repainted an E2 series trainset white and green imitating the 200 series. It is generally used for Nasuno and Yamabiko services on Tohoku Shinkansen and some rail tours at the weekend. Various different melodies, mostly local folk songs, are played onboard when the train approaches stations it calls at.


Tokyo, 11 Nov 2003

Does that E2 series resembles the genuine 200 series? Not bad, but it is still an imitation so that not 100% identical to the old trains. Since only 10 years have passed since the 200 series retired, not a few people might remember it. But younger people may think it attractive.

15 November this year will mark the 40th anniversary of Joetsu Shinkansen so that the E2 series is highly likely to be used for ceremonies and rail tours. Its schedule can be found on official website after 10 pm everyday.

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02 July, 2022

Railway strikes in Japan – Past and Present (and Future?)



Introduction

(Sample image)

On 6 and 7 June, London Underground was mostly closed due to strike action. On 21, 23 and 25 June, National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (hereinafter referred to as RMT) carried out the largest industrial action in more than three decades, resulting in extremely severe train disruption across England, Scotland and Wales. Many protests have been taken place amid the cost of living crisis, and it is reported that the RMT may conduct further walkouts.

There are mixed views about the latest industrial action, but many Japanese people living in the UK are frustrated by railways, as they are far from punctual and reliable in spite of disproportionately expensive fares, then they faced these events with disappointment. In addition, Japanese people are not familiar with strikes so that they are confused.

Is a strike illegal in Japan today? Of course not, as Article 28 of the Constitution prescribes that "The right of workers to organize and to bargain and act collectively is guaranteed.", and other relevant laws also have provisions about labour rights. Then, isn't there any railway strike in Japan? Not common in these days, but there had been many cases in the past, especially when it comes to Japanese National Railways.


Before the Privatisation of JNR

In 1948, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (hereinafter referred to as the SCAP) issued Decree No. 201 that restricts public servants' labour rights. In the previous year, a massive general strike lead by Japanese Communist Party was about to take place, but it was outlawed by the SCAP. To put it simply, the US Government feared that allowing strikes would make Japan a potential ally of the USSR. Thus, the SCAP ordered any industrial action by public entities' staffs be prohibited, and instead established committees for arbitration and mediation.


(One of the most common steam locomotive at that time)

By the early-1950s, it became clear that the arbitration scheme would not work well as the Japanese Government refused a pay rise due to financial difficulties. Trade unions relied on work-to-rule protests from 1952, and the first strike was taken place in 1961. The Decree had already been expired, but still JNR staffs were not allowed to go on a strike. Trade unions declared a "strike for a right to strike". The government and trade unions had negotiations several times, many of which were unsuccessful.

"Strikes for a right to strike" continued for more than a decade. Since there were far fewer services than today, trains were always packed by commuters, many of whom described the congestion as life-threatening, and the industrial action made the situation even worse. On 13 March 1973, the fury of commuters burst at Ageo station on Takasaki line, about 25 miles north of Tokyo. It is called the Ageo Incident, a riot by more than 10,000 local residents and passengers. They destroyed trains and other facilities including signals, and grabbed senior staffs and forced them to walk for a few miles on track. On 24 April 1973, there were similar but larger riots in Tokyo (Riots on JNR Commuter Rail in the Greater Tokyo Area). There is an article of The New York Times on web describing these two cases.


From 26 November to 3 December 1975, the longest industrial action of JNR was taken place. Almost all JNR services – both passenger and freight trains – were cancelled across the country for eight consecutive days. The government acted swiftly, declared emergency in accordance with the Road Transport Vehicle Act, and ordered mobilisation of lorries. The replacement for freight trains was successful and no major logistical issues reported. Most trade unions for private railways did not join the industrial action. The "strikes for a right to strike" strategy ended in failure: according to an opinion poll conducted in 1975, 55% answered that JNR staff should not claim the right to strike, and 72.2% of them said that industrial action was annoying and irritating.

Strike actions had a huge negative impact on JNR. They hampered modernisation of technologies, made productivity worse and resulted in costly business. Other business sectors concluded that JNR was so unreliable that they shifted to road transportation. As the government constructed many motorways, lorries became cheaper, faster and more punctual than freight trains.

In the early-1980s, the Liberal Democratic Party held discussions about privatisation of JNR. The main reason for the privatisation was huge deficits that JNR produces every year, but weakening trade unions was said to be one of its objectives as well. Trade unions resisted violently: on 29 November 1985, National Railway Chiba Motive Power Union (also known as Doro Chiba) and Revolutionary Communist League, National Committee (also known as Chukaku-ha, lit. Central Core Faction) destroyed 33 communication cables, signals and power facilities, and 22 lines in the Greater Tokyo Area were suspended. Even with these "efforts", JNR was privatised on 1 April 1987, and split to several companies, which are now called JR.


After the Privatisation of JNR

As JNR was privatised, staffs were no longer a part of public servants, and hence they have been enjoying labour rights without limitation. Even so, like other sectors, railway companies in Japan have been free from strikes in most cases. Companies and trade unions now prefer cooperative approach rather than confrontational one. However, some argues that such a change is responsible for low pay rises for decades, Asahi Shimbun reports.


Kururi line was particularly prone to service suspension.

Doro Chiba is one of few exceptions that carried out strikes until recently. There were walkouts for nine consecutive years until 2010, most of which were held in spring. Even today, the union has been organising various protests in Chiba and Tokyo, one of which was an anti-American and US-Japan alliance demonstration held in the capital when President Biden visited Japan in May. On 29 June, the union issued its latest statement condemning not only Vladimir Putin but also the United States, NATO and the Japanese government. They look active, but they have not held any major strike in recent years.


Since major industrial action resulted in failure and public trust in JNR/JR plummeted, JR companies and unions endeavoured to reconstruct their business by making themselves attractive in the 1990s and 2000s. Nevertheless, the out-of-date cultures of JNR unions still exist in some places. JR Hokkaido Union is accused of too many troubles, such as boycotting safety procedures and health checks and destroying train facilities. The memories of JNR trade unions (and some ongoing troubles) have certainly been affecting the discussions about railways even today. For example, many rural lines in Hokkaido have been closed or about to close, but not a few local governments and residents support permanent closure of these lines and stations, because they do not think it is right to help JR Hokkaido by taxpayers' money, as Diamond pointed out.

JR companies have been free from industrial action for years, but they have not always treated their employees fairly with good working conditions and pay rises. In 2018, East Japan Railway Workers' Union, the largest trade union of JR East, attempted to go on a strike for the first time in more than 30 years. However, it failed again, and it caused a devastating damage on the union itself. As most workers hated the idea of such an action, they denounced the union and withdrew from it. According to Nikkei, the number of Union members dramatically declined from 47,000 in 2018 to just around 5,500 by 2021.

JR companies have been keen to downsizing in recent years, especially after the pandemic began. They have been adopting driver-only operation on various lines including busy commuter rail, and even developing driverless operation in Tokyo and other cities. Trade unions could resist them, but there has been no sign of major action so far.


Other Railways

Private railways unions had been on strikes as well until the 1980s, though not as frequently as those of JNR. Since 1992, almost of all private railway networks have been free from industrial action, but there are a few exceptions. Sotetsu Labor Union is active, lively one compared to others. In 2014, services were cancelled from around 5:00 to 6:30 am. The strike was supposed to last for 24 hours but trains were reinstated minutes before the morning rush hour began. Strikes were also carried out in 2004 and 2009. According to local newspaper Kanagawa Shimbun, commuters and local residents at stations condemned staff and yelled out for compensation, and nobody supported the action.


Okayama Electric Tramway

A few other small private railways, such as Shonan Monorail in Kanagawa Prefecture and Okayama Electric Tramway, have held strikes. In the latter case in 2018, all tram services ran as scheduled, but drivers refused ticket and fare collection for the whole day. But they are exceptional, and even during gradual inflation triggered by post-pandemic recovery and Russian invasion to Ukraine, most unions are likely to concentrate only on negotiation, though not certain if it will pay off.


Conclusion

Industrial action had been common in Japan in the past, but it has been very rare since the 1990s. Memories of severe disruptions have had a significant impact on people's minds so that strikes are not welcomed by most citizens, and it also made some local governments reluctant to help railways. Today, a walkout is unpopular even among railway staffs, and JR East Workers' Union failed to conduct one in 2018. Most other private railways are in the same situation, and therefore it is highly unlikely to see a major industrial action like the one held by the RMT anytime soon in Japan.

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