"Train Station Certificate"

A train station certificate, which is called 乗車駅証明書 (josha eki shoumei sho) in Japanese, has been increasingly common on JR network not just in rural areas but also in the Greater Tokyo Area. What and why is it?

Generally speaking, all passengers have to purchase a fare ticket in advance, but the train station certificate is one of a few alternative options. As the name suggests, the certificate proves which station a passenger started his or her journey, and it is issued free of charge. The passenger has to pay the fare at a station by the end of the journey, mostly by cash. It is also possible to pay the fare onboard when ticket inspection is carried out by a conductor, but it is rare in these days.

This orange box, which is often next to a ticket machine, issues the certificate. This system is similar to a "permit to travel" in Britain that allows passengers to travel when they have not purchased a ticket, but at least five pence are required to have one. On the other hand, the orange machine above does not charge passengers even a single yen.

The train station certificate system was initially introduced to unstaffed stations with few passengers. JR East has also been using the machine at stations in Tokyo and other major cities since the late-2010s to manage their work with fewer staff, including Sakuragicho, a station next to Yokohama and has more than 130,000 tap-in and out every day. Such stations are served by ordinary ticket machines, ticket barriers and staff for most of the day, but unstaffed in the early morning and late at night. In that case, the orange machine is activated.

Perhaps the most radical case is Tsurumi line. All stations (except Tsurumi) have been all unstaffed since 1971 and all ticket machines thereof were removed in 2022. Hence, those who do not have a Suica or PASMO card or those who do but with credit of less than 150 yen (the minimum fare) have to use the certificate.

Japanese railway companies use another system similar to the train station certificate: a numbered ticket, which is called 整理券 (seiri ken) in Japanese. There is always a machine on a train next to a door, and passengers have to take the numbered ticket when boarding. It is effectively not different to the certificate.

JR East has been encouraging passengers to use Suica/PASMO, but the IC cards have been restricted since last June due to the global chip shortage. Hence, some people have no choice but to rely on the train station certificate though many of those in Tokyo are not familiar with the system. Most foreign travellers would not use it as they have either Japan Rail Pass or Welcome Suica, but it might still be worth checking the machine just in case.

Yokosuka line, the disused branch line and its ruins

Yokosuka line is a suburban railway in Kanagawa Prefecture, which is 24 km (15 miles) long. It technically connects Ofuna and Kurihama stations, but most trains are extended to Tokyo (including Shonan-Shinjuku line services). The line was once one of the most important railway in Japan as there was Yokosuka Naval District. Today, Yokosuka is known for having the headquarter of the U.S. Seventh Fleet.

As Yokosuka line had been important for military purposes for more than 100 years, there were a few military installations until recently. Once of them remains near Taura station. Taura is approximately 64 km (40 miles) south of Tokyo and it is now a small station with just around 2,000 daily users. There are only three trains per hour on each direction at the daytime, with only one to and from Yokohama or Tokyo.

An industrial railway branched off until 2006. The railway was owned by Sagami Transportation & Warehouse Co., Ltd. and it was extensively constructed at Nagaura port. There are three tunnels on the western edge of the platform: the disused railway on the left, down main line (towards Yokosuka and Kurihama) in the middle and up main line (towards Zushi, Yokohama and Tokyo) on the right.

The industrial railway was constructed by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1889, five years earlier than Taura station itself. The railway was strictly controlled by the Navy so that there is little information about its history, but it is said that not only military supplies but also goods including Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation (now JT) products were also transported from here to Tokyo.

The railway was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy after the Second World War. Nagaura port was used by Americans as a major port hub in the region. One of the most important facility here is Azuma Storage Area, which is still controlled by the United States even today. Freight trains carrying jet fuel had been despatched frequently to Naval Air Facility Atsugi. The freight trains were managed by Japanese National Railways until 1984 and by JR Freight from 1987 to 1998. The industrial railway was officially closed in 2006.

There were disused bridges, level crossings and even English signboards until around 2010, but most of them have been removed by JR East and the local authorities, but tracks still remain on the pavement today. There are two disused diamond crossings, which are extremely rare in Japan.

The disused tracks disappear near the petrol storage of the Self Defence Forces. The tracks went further and it looked like a tram track in the tunnel (in other words, cars and trains ran together) in the past, but there was no trace of them today.

This is a rough sketch of the disused railway. A blue line shows Yokosuka line tracks that are operational today. Yellow lines show how extensive the industrial railway was, and the red line shows the tracks accessible without permission (i.e. on the public road).

Unlike in Europe, disused railways in Japan are often removed shortly after they were permanently closed. However, the one here in Taura still remains though nearly 20 years have passed since its closure. The ruins of the railway are likely to remain for a while as this area is mostly abandoned, but those who are interested in them should consider visiting the area before it is too late, as the ruins may suddenly disappear one day.

Trains and Buses - Coexistence or Replacement?

JR East and Northen Iwate Transportation have launched an experimental one-year scheme with regard to trains and buses between Morioka and Miyako in the northeast region of Japan. JR passengers who have a valid train ticket that covers JR Yamada line can also get on a coach (except for a few stations). However, those who have a coach ticket cannot choose trains as this scheme is unilateral. It may be beneficial for not only local residents but also long-distance travellers, but it could potentially lead to a permanent closure of Yamada line.

Morioka is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture with more than 280,000 people, and it is about 530 km (330 miles) north of Tokyo. It has not generally been regarded as a popular tourist destination by Japanese people, but The New York Times placed it in the second in its "52 Places to Go in 2023" list after London.

Miyako is a city roughly 68 km (42 miles) east of Morioka with a population of around 46,000 people. Miyako has been well known for fishing industry for centuries (such as salmons, cods and sea urchins) as well as manufacturing industry especially pumps, centrifuges and fertiliser.

There has been a high demand for transportation between these two cities. There are mountains in between so that both rail and road transportation have suffered from steep gradients. JR Yamada line opened in 1934, but most local residents have preferred coach service since 1978 when National Route 106 (a road parallel to Yamada line) opened. The coach route is called "106 Express Bus", and Northen Iwate Transportation provides the service more frequently than JR East though costs slightly more. A single fare between Morioka and Miyako by coach is 2,200 yen while by train costs 1,980 yen.

Morioka → Miyako

JR Yamada line	Bus 106
	5:45 → 8:00
6:32 → 9:01	7:40 → 9:55
	9:40 → 11:20
	10:40 → 12:20
11:09 → 13:30	11:40 → 13:20
	12:45 → 15:00
13:12 → 15:31	13:45 → 15:25
	14:45 → 16:25
	15:45 → 17:25
	16:45 → 19:00
17:46 → 20:21	17:45 → 19:25
	19:00 → 21:15

Yamada line has not been useful in spite of efforts by JR East. The company has been using KiHa 100 series since 2007, which is far more comfortable and energy-saving than obsolete KiHa 52 and KiHa 58 trains, and journey time has been shortened since then. The company also rearranged the schedules to make train connection with Tohoku Shinkansen to and from Tokyo better. Rails were replaced with newer ones that allow faster speed and signalling systems have been upgraded. More trains than before were provided in the 2010s to attract more local residents but it was unsuccessful. Today, only a few passengers to and from other cities like Tokyo and Sendai use the train.

Therefore, JR has decided to look for cooperation with the bus company rather than trying to win a race against it. As bus operators across the country have struggled with staff shortages, it may be beneficial for the bus company as well. This experiment is one of a few positive trials that public transport companies in Japan have recently started.

The only concern is that there are too small number of rail services. The experimental scheme is likely to result in far more long-distance passengers shifting to coach. As ridership of Yamada line declines further, JR East may consider closing the line in the future. If the scheme becomes permanent, it would be hard to justify keeping the railway open.

The scheme is available from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, but could be extended for a while if both companies wish to do so.

Tsurumi Line: shabbiness and modernness

Tsurumi line is a commuter rail in Yokohama and Kawasaki cities, roughly 20 km (13 miles) south of Tokyo. The line is just 9.7 km (6 miles) long including two short branch lines, and the lines lie in an industrial district with factories and plants. Not only passenger trains but also freight trains run.

Despite being in large cities with a population of 3.7 million and 1.5 million people respectively, Tsurumi line looks like a railway in a rural town. It is fully electrified (except a few sidings for freight trains), but passenger trains are formed of just three coaches. Trains run every five minutes in the morning but every 20 minutes during off-peak times between Tsurumi and Hama-Kasawaki. There are significantly fewer services on branch lines: every 80 minutes on Umi-Shibaura branch line and just three trains a day on Okawa branch line (weekend). All stations but Tsurumi have been unstaffed since 1971, and some stations are so shabby that look abandoned.

The line had been served by secondhand trains reallocated from other lines for decades, but a brand new E131 series was introduced in December 2023. It is the first "genuine" new train since the line was nationalised in 1943.

Since 16th March 2024, all Tsurumi line services have been driver-only. Thus, there will be no conductor onboard. The new train will make the service even more efficient, environmentally friendly and less costly than before.

Bullet train crisis as JR East's negligence worsens

This morning, a bullet train overshot a platform by 500 metres. Tohoku, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen were closed for more than three hours, causing severe disruptions on the rest of the network. No injuries have been reported so far, but this incident could have resulted in a fatal crash killing tens or even hundreds of people.

It is suggested that it was not a driver's fault but the company's negligence, but an official investigation is still at an early stage. This article summarises the case and past accusations published by a trade union, which might be beneficial to understanding that the Japanese railway is not always perfect and might no longer be as safe as before.

According to NHK, Yamagata Shinkansen service Tsubasa 121 from Tokyo to Shinjo failed to slow down when approaching Koriyama station at around 7:30 am and overshot the platform by approximately 500 metres. The driver found that the train was out of control just before entering the station and made an emergency announcement that the train could not stop. Passengers felt significant shocks amid fears. Fortunately, nobody was injured. They could alight from the train 80 minutes after the overshooting. JR East insists that chunks of snow between wheels and rail or inside the braking system significantly reduced friction and thus air brakes did not work.

It could have been a major disaster. The train passed points faster than speed limits, which could potentially lead to a derailment. Moreover, it could have been hit by another train, either a subsequent service or an opposite one. In fact, a train on the other track was due to arrive at Koriyama a minute later (Yamabiko 206 for Tokyo).

Tohoku region has been well known for a heavy snowfall. Hence, all bullet trains have been equipped with enhanced braking systems and heaters. JR East argues that even with these equipment and devices cannot prevent all abnormalities.

However, this incident could have been avoided easily if JR East had learned from the past. It was revealed last year that E3 series, the rolling stock for Tsubasa with each unit consisted of seven carriages, did not have enough braking power in winter. On 18 December 2022, a similar incident occured precisely at the same location due to snow. At around 10:05 pm, Tsubasa 159 overshot the platform by 160 metres. JR East Transport Service Workers Union urged the company to review its safety procedures in the following month, and the company conceded that all Yamagata Shinkansen trains would face the same problem in winter and promised to do something. Therefore, the company decided to add an empty 10-car E2 series (with more powerful brakes) train to Tsubasa even though only seven out of 17 carriages in total were for passenger use. JR East and the trade union considered that it would have enough power to slow down and stop the train.

Nevertheless, JR East apparently did not take such a measure this winter despite knowing that Tsubasa without a 10-car train would cause the same incident, and it actually happened. Hence, Nature does not justify anything in this case.

As reported in January, JR East has slipped into self-complacency and failed to address safety issues. That is why, it has caused major incidents repeatedly, many of which could have been a fatal accident. Employers and employees of JR East must have been thinking that the series of incidents does not matter as nobody died yet, but they were just lucky. It is reminded that "Disasters don't just happen. They're a chain of critical events".

A major incident on the high-speed rail in Japan

新幹線は、上野～大宮駅間の電力設備故障により、東北新幹線東京～仙台駅間、上越新幹線東京～高崎駅間、北陸新幹線東京～高崎駅間の上下線で本日全ての列車の運転を取りやめます。なお、その他の区間では大幅に本数を減らして運転しています。

— JR東日本【新幹線】運行情報 (公式) (@JRE_Super_Exp) January 23, 2024

At around 10 am on Tuesday 23 January, a damage to overhead wires have been detected between Omiya and Ueno stations (near Kita-Yono station on Saikyo line). According to Nikkei, loose electric wires damaged a train to Tokyo. JR East announced that there would be no service on Tohoku Shinkansen (between Tokyo and Sendai), Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen (between Tokyo and Takasaki) today with severe delays on the rest of the network.

What is worse, it is reported that two staff have been sent to hospital as they got a shock and were in flames. One of them is seriously injured while the other suffers from minor injuries. It indicates that power had not been cut during the work, which could be a material breach of safety procedures.

Japanese railway has been hailed everywhere as the safest and the most reliable in the world, but JR East has been accused of ill-management with lack of will to observe safety requirements. As Toyo Keizai reported, there have been many cases which could have been deadly accidents since the 2010s, including a major fire at a substation that halted Takasaki line for three days, a pole collapsing on Yamanote line and a Keihin-Tohoku line train colliding with a maintenance vehicle at Kawasaki station. In all cases, the Transportation Bureau (a part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) concluded that those incidents would not have happened if JR East had exercised normal precautions. Nevertheless, the company has not taken appropriate measures so that it has failed to prevent similar cases. Last year, the Transportation Bureau issued a warning concerning an accident near Ofuna station in which passengers and crew were injured after a train collided with poles. The document starts with "In spite of repeated warnings concerning safety and reliability, the Bureau profoundly regrets that…", which clearly indicates that the authorities have been frustrated with a negligent attitude of the train operator.

Nevertheless, it was revealed that the company is incapable of reviewing safety as managers and executive members seem to be more interested in other businesses than railway. Bunshun reported earlier this year that Yoichi Kise, the vice president of JR East, forced his subordinates to have excessive amount of Shaoxing wine (traditional Chinese wine), ending up in alcohol poisoning which required ambulance service to intervene. It seems that they cannot secure safety even in their "private" life.

Trains in Japan are generally safe, probably one of the safest in the world. There have been no fatal high-speed train accidents involving operation of the trains since its history began in 1964. However, JR East now lacks the capability to keep its staff safe, and this incident is a stark warning to the future of the company. Unless every member of the company recognises the seriousness of the case and take any necessary measures, passengers will surely be in grave danger.

2024 Timetable Changes on JR Network

JR companies published details about timetable revision on Saturday 16th March 2024. Unlike the past three years, several lines will provide more services than before, indicating the end of train reduction caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The revision usually takes place once a year, and what happens next time?

Reservation Scheme

Before looking into each company, it is important to note about limited express trains. After the timetable change, limited express services listed below will have reserved seats only.

Hokkaido:	Hokuto, Ozora, Suzuran, Tokachi
East:	Sazanami, Shiosai, Wakashio
Central:	Shirasagi
West:	Thunderbird, Super Hakuto
	Super Inaba, Yakumo

According to the companies, introducing the all-reserved scheme will be fair for all passengers as they no longer have to wait for hours at platform to have a seat. Moreover, reserved-seat tickets are a little more expensive than non-reserved tickets so that the companies can expect more revenue. Furthermore, conductors will no longer have to carry out ticket inspection for all passengers onboard, but just have to check a tablet and only ask those sitting on a unreserved seat for ticket.

JR Hokkaido

JR Hokkaido has been declining for years because of financial difficulties, but there is good news. As ridership increased (thanks to foreign travellers), more Rapid Airport services will be provided. There are going to be six trains per hour instead of five between New Chitose Airport and Sapporo at daytime, one of which will be "Special Rapid" calling fewer stations than before (Sapporo, Shin-Sapporo, Mimani-Chitose and the Airport).

On the other hand, five stations on rural lines such as Soya Main Line will be closed. Furthermore, Nemuro Main Line between Furano and Shintoku, most of which has been closed since 2016 due to a devastating typhoon, will be permanently closed on 31st March. The company has been downsizing its network in scarcely populated areas including stations with less than a single user per week. This trend is, as everyone anticipated, continues.

JR East

A brand new E8 series bullet train enters into Yamagata Shinkansen service, replacing E3 series. The new E8 series can run at up to 300 km/h (187 mph), but its maximum speed will be restricted to 275 km/h (171 mph) until all E3 series retire in 2025 or 2026.

Furthermore, ten Yamabiko services on Tohoku Shinkansen at the daytime, which have been reduced since the pandemic began, will be reinstated.

Some E259 series will be reallocated to Limited Express Shiosai (Tokyo – Choshi), replacing all 255 series trains. The Narita Express trains have been repainted since earlier this year, suggesting that they will also be used for other trains.

205 series on Tsurumi Line retires. The commuter train introduced by Japanese National Railways is due to be superseded by brand new E131 series from Christmas Eve, and all old trains will be withdrawn by 16 March.

JR Central

All smoking rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen trains will be closed. Drinking water bottles will be stored in the room and will be provided in case of emergency.

In other news, all services on Chuo Main Line between Nagoya and Nakatsugawa (except Limited Expres Shinano) will be provided by brand new 315 series trains, with maximum speed being raised from 110 to 130 km/h (81 mph).

JR West

Hokuriku Shinkansen, one of the high-speed rails in Japan, will be extended from Kanazawa to Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture. The fastest service between Tokyo and Tsuruga will take 3 hours and 8 minutes, 50 minutes shorter than the current timetables. 14 services run between Tokyo and Tsuruga every day and more during peak seasons.

Limited express services on Hokuriku Main Line will be rearranged as Shinkansen is extended. To put it simply, those trains between Kanazawa and Tsuruga will be replaced with the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Hence, Thunderbird will run between Osaka and Tsuruga, and Shirasagi will run between Nagoya and Tsuruga. Those who travel from Osaka or Nagoya to Kanazawa and vice versa will also benefit from the new high-speed rail in terms of journey time, but not in terms of fares.

681 series is expected to sharply decline as redundant 683 series will be reallocated to Shirasagi.

There will be new Limited Express Raku Raku Yamato between Nara and Shin-Osaka via Kansai Main Line and Osaka Loop Line. It is specifically designed for commuters who want to have a seat. There will be one return journey a day (weekdays only): one for Shin-Osaka in the morning and the other for Nara in the evening. The entire journey takes 66 minutes. The company also extends Limited Express Raku Raku Harima as such services have been successful. Furthermore, seat reservation scheme on Osaka Higashi Line and Yamatoji Line services during rush hours will be expanded.

To ease congestion amid growing number of foreign tourists, there will be more San-in Main Line (Sagano Line) services between Kyoto and Saga-Arashiyama. This line has been infamous for being overcrowded and yet JR West had been reluctant to do something. It seems that the company finally decided to provide more trains.

273 series, the brand new train for Limited Express Yakumo, will enter into service on 6th April (NOT 16 March). 381 series, the 40-year-old iconic train, will retire by June 2024.

JR Shikoku and JR Kyushu

There is no major changes on their timetables, but JR Shikoku will even out schedules of rural lines. For example, regional services on Kotoku Line at the daytime will leave Takamatsu station 42 minutes past the hour. Tokushima Line trains will leave Tokushima station 22 and 52 minutes past the hour. JR companies have long been accused of providing regional trains in rural areas uneven and thus hard to remember, but such improvement will surely be welcomed by local residents.

There is a rumour that 713 series trains in Miyazaki will retire on the day, but JR Kyushu has not mentioned about its fate so far.

---

There have been sad news about railways in Japan in the last three years, but it is good to hear that there are several positive aspects. Note that abovementioned information is merely a summary of documents published by six JR companies. For detail, check official press release as listed below.

• JR Hokkaido
• JR East
• JR Central
• JR West
• JR Shikoku
• JR Kyushu

The Red List of Trains in Japan (Oct-2023 update)

The Red List of Trains in Japan has been updated with six new articles, namely:

• JNR 50 series
• JR West 207 series
• JR West 321 series
• JR East GV-E400 series
• JGR Class 8620
• Tobu N100 series SPACIA X

Moreover, some new articles have been up to date, such as 211 series in Nagoya and Tokyu 9000 series in Tokyo.

The Red List of Trains in Japan (Mar-2023 update)

The Red List of Trains in Japan has been updated with 8 new articles. More importantly, many existing articles have the latest information reflecting the annual timetable revision that took place on Saturday 18th March. For instance:

In Hokkaido, KiHa 283 series has been reinstated as Limited Express Okhotsk and Taisetsu, replacing KiHa 183 series of Japanese National Railways;

JR East 651 series, once known as Super Hitachi and until recently used for Limited Express Akagi and Kusatsu, retired;

JR Central KiHa 85 series was withdrawn from Limited Express Hida;

And the biggest railway project in a decade, Sotetsu and Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Lines finally opened and the new through-services to and from Tokyo were launched.

In addition, there were many more minor changes on train allocation and future prospects of certain trains.

Finally, the new eight articles are as follows:

• Hankai Mo 161 series
• Hankai Mo 351 series
• Hankai Mo 501 series
• Hankai Mo 601 series
• Hankai Mo 701 series
• Hankai 1001 series Sakai Tram
• Hankai 1101 series
• Yokohama Subway 4000 series

A shortcut to Keiyo Line platforms

E233 series on Keiyo Line

Keiyo Line is a commuter rail in Tokyo, owned and operated by JR East. It is 32 miles long and connects Tokyo and Soga in Chiba Prefecture. There are several important places near the line, including Tokyo Disney Resort and Makuhari Messe. Musashino Line trains also run Keiyo Line tracks to Tokyo station.

An extremely long corridor

Keiyo Line platforms at Tokyo station is notoriously far from other platforms, as if they are different stations. Walking 400 metres (approx. 440 yds) sounds a good exercise but it is surely a nightmare especially when having suitcases. There are lifts, escalators and moving pavements, but it is still a hard work. According to JR East, it takes up to 20 minutes when changing from a Keiyo Line train to other trains and vice versa.

Fortunately, there is a shortcut. Not at Tokyo, but an adjacent station, Yurakucho. Most people do not know that Yurakucho station and Keiyo Line platforms at Tokyo station are very close to each other. In 2016, Toyo Keizai published an English article referring to it. It reads "If your starting point is closer to Yurakucho than Tokyo, you should definitely get off at Yurakucho. Exit this station from the north end called Kyobashi-guchi, and walk across the street heading toward the Tokyo Kokusai (or International) Forum. In about four minutes, you’ll reach the entrance to the Keiyo Line of the JR Tokyo station" (emphasis added)

A "voucher"

This article duly summarised the point, but it lacks the most important fact. You do not have to tap out and tap in at these stations. If you show a ticket or Suica card and tell a station staff at Yurakucho station that you are going to Keiyo Line, the staff gives you a small voucher. If you hand the voucher to another staff at Tokyo station, you can enter without paying extra. To put it simply, both Yurakucho and Tokyo are effectively regarded as one single station. The same applies when going from Tokyo to Yurakucho station.

A Tokyo station entrance inside the International Forum

How long does it take? It is about a five-minute walk. If you go from Yurakucho station, leave the station from Kyobashi exit, cross the road and just go inside the International Forum. There are very few signs, but signboards of Hall C, B and A navigate you. Do not go to any of these halls, but simply go straight, and you will find a staircase. Then, you will find ticket barriers.

This de facto fare exemption is only applicable when you come from or go to a southbound train on Yamanote Line (e.g. Hamamatsucho and Shinagawa, or even beyond). If you are from or going to Tokyo station and beyond, you cannot choose this route and you have to simply change trains at Tokyo station.

It might not look easy, but worth trying it if you use Keiyo Line frequently.

2023 Timetable Changes on JR Network

Details about annual timetable changes have been announced by JR Group. The revision will take place on Saturday 18 March 2023. There will be some further service reduction on several lines as the ridership remains lower than pre-pandemic amidst remote-working culture, but services will be reinstated to the original level on several lines. What are other major differences?

New stations

E233 series

Makuharitoyosuna on Keiyo Line (Chiba Prefecture) and Maegata on Tazawako Line (Iwate Prefecture) will open.

Makuharitoyosuna will be located between Shin-Narashino and Kaihimmakuhari stations. The new station is close to a major commercial district that includes Aeon Mall. The station was initially scheduled to open in around 2024, but the construction completed earlier with less expenditures than planned, an extremely rare success in these days. Four trains per hour will call at this station at off-peak times.

701 series

Maegata will be located between Morioka and Okama, and it is next to another Aeon Mall. According to Morioka City, the station usage is expected to be 1,700 a day, the second busiest station on the rural Tazawako Line after Morioka station. 12-16 trains a day should be calling at this station.

Osaka station

New platforms of Osaka station, commonly known as "Umekita", will open. They effectively constitute a new station on Tokaido Main Line (Umeda freight branch line), which has been used for trains from Shin-Osaka to Hanwa Line and vice versa. Limited Express Haruka (Kyoto - Kansai Airport) and Kuroshio (Shin-Osaka - Shingu via Wakayama and Shirahama) will call at Osaka station, one of the most important station in the second largest city of Japan.

According to JR West, it will take 47 minutes from Osaka station to Kansai Airport, 20 minutes shorter than now. The journey time from Osaka to Wakayama will be cut from 90 to 57 minutes.

Trains in Hokkaido

KiHa 141 series

Brand new 737 series trains will be introduced to stopping services on Muroran Main Line, replacing KiHa 141 series. Furthermore, KiHa 183 series, a type of diesel limited express train developed by Japanese National Railways, will retire.

High-speed trains

E7 series

All Joetsu Shinkansen services will be provided by E7 series, replacing E2 series. The maximum speed of the line will be raised from 240 to 275 km/h (150 to 170 mph), and thus the journey time between Tokyo and Niigata will be shortened by up to seven minutes.

Sotetsu & Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Lines

Sotetsu 20000 series

Through-services between Sotetsu lines and Tokyu lines are scheduled to commence in March 2023 as Sotetsu Shin-Yokohama Line is extended and Tokyu Shin-Yokohama open. JR Group is not the party of these new through-services, but there are some indirect effects on them. For example, JR Central sets a Nozomi service from Shin-Yokohama to Shin-Osaka at 6:03 am, which runs on Mondays and Saturdays.

Train fares

Train fares will be raised, especially limited express services during busy seasons. There are currently three levels of limited express ticket fares: peak-season, normal and off-season. The fares calculated mainly based on travel distance, and the price gets 200 yen higher in peak season, whilst 200 yen cheaper in off season. From 1 April 2023, there will be another level called "busiest season (最繁忙期)", which will be 400 yen more expensive than usual. Each JR companies use their own calendars so that, for example, 1 May 2023 is designated by JR East by the busiest whilst JR Central, West, Shikoku and Kyushu do not.

Furthermore, the discount for limited express tickets will be discontinued in some cases. When you purchase a bullet train ticket and a limited express ticket on conventional lines at the same time, the latter ticket is 50% off. This discount is called " transit discount (乗継割引)", but it will not be applied for some limited express services in Chugoku and Shikoku regions from 1 April 2023.

Permanent closure of a rural line

Rumoi Main Line between Ishikari-Numata and Rumoi (35.7 km, 22 miles) will be permanently closed on 1 April 2023, and the rest of the line (14.4 km, 9 miles) will be closed by 31 March 2026. This is a part of downsizing programme carried out by JR Hokkaido, the Government of Hokkaido and other cities and towns nearby.

This article is merely a summary. For more information, see official documents below (written in Japanese). Further detailed timetables are anticipated to be available by February.

• JR Hokkaido
• JR East
• JR Central
• JR West (overview)
• JR Shikoku (no change will take place)
• JR Kyushu