Haneda Airport: Slowing Down?!

Introduction

On 24 October, Keikyu published an overview of new timetables that take effect on 26 November. According to the company, it is the biggest timetable change in more than 23 years. Like other railway operators around the world, Keikyu has decided to reduce services as ridership has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic level. However, the timetable revision contains significant changes that are contradictory to its long-term objectives, and thus raises serious concerns that how or even if do they really think carefully about their future, as argued below.

What happens to Keikyu lines?

Limited Express Tokkyu

Service reduction. Keikyu has not yet published statistics this year, but other railway companies in Tokyo have seen less passengers than before the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Tokyu estimates 14% less ridership than pre-COVID days by March 2023. As considerable number of people prefer remote working even today, the ridership of trains in Tokyo is not expected to be fully recovered, just like other major operators across the country and around the world – such as JR Group, Transport for London and Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York. Keikyu is no exception.

During rush hours, not a few fast services from Shinagawa towards Yokohama and Yokosuka will be formed of eight coaches instead of twelve. In the daytime, trains to and from Yokohama area will be reduced from 18 to 15 services per hour. Airport Express will be every 20 minutes instead of 10, and Limited Express Kaitoku to and from Toei Asakusa Line will be downgraded to Tokkyu.

More radical changes will be taken place: services between Tokyo and Haneda Airport, as described below.

How do services to Haneda Airport change?

Before looking the new service patterns, it is important to review the current off-peak timetable (daytime on weekdays and almost the whole day at weekend).

BEFORE the timetable revision

At present, Limited Express Kaitoku (including one Airport Limited Express) to/from Shinagawa and Toei Asakusa Line run every 10 minutes, and Airport Express to/from Yokohama runs every 10 minutes. As the map shows, Kaitoku is a fast service, while Airport Express is semi-fast. The fastest Airport Limited Express runs every 40 minutes.

AFTER the timetable revision

The new timetable shows that many Kaitoku services (except Airport Limited Express) are replaced with slower Tokkyu, and Airport Express will be provided every 20 minutes. It is not even certain at present that if trains to and from the Airport will always be provided exactly every 10 minutes. The fastest Airport Limited Express keeps running every 40 minutes.

Why does Keikyu adopt such a measure? The company cuts Airport Express by half, but in that case, small stations between Keikyu Kamata and Haneda Airport will only have three trains per hour, which is disproportionately infrequent. In compensation for that, Kaitoku services are going to be downgraded to Tokkyu, in which case those small stations will have almost equivalent number of trains to before the timetable revision.

However, it is needless to say that downgrading services means nothing but longer journey time. Tokkyu between Shinagawa and Haneda Airport Terminals 1,2 is expected to take 20 minutes, five minutes longer than Kaitoku.

Why is it so problematic?

Airport Express

Haneda is one of two international airports in Tokyo, and it is well known that Haneda is far closer to the capital and thus more convenient than Narita Airport. It is obviously essential to keep public transport between the airport and the centre of the capital smooth. Furthermore, as the country reopened at last, Haneda Airport will certainly be busy once again. Amid the surge in demand, slowing down is simply a backlash.

There are three major routes connecting Tokyo and the Airport: Keikyu, Tokyo Monorail and bus services. It depends on which part of Tokyo you are going to or from, but all these three choices are equally attractive. In other words, competition with each other is always severe.

A typical suburban train on JR East network

More importantly, Keikyu is expected to drop out the race in the near future. JR East has been constructing a new line that connects the Airport and Tokyo station, and it is scheduled to open by March 2030. At present, a journey between them takes 33 minutes via Keikyu and 28 minutes by Tokyo Monorail, but the new JR line will take just 18 minutes. Meanwhile, a Keikyu train between Shinagawa and the Airport will take 20 minutes. Hence, the result of the race (JR East vs Keikyu) is patently obvious.

Has Keikyu given up the race?

Limited Express Kaitoku (through-service)

Not really. According to the latest investment plan, Keikyu has been refurbishing Haneda Airport Terminals 1,2 station with new turnback sidings to boost capacity by providing more services. Keikyu has endeavoured to encourage businesspeople and tourists to use its services as much as possible so that not a few of them might still choose Keikyu even after JR launches new services. "Keikyu is fast and convenient"...this is what the company has been eager for passengers to remember.

Nevertheless, the new timetable revision makes services slower and less convenient. It does not make sense at all. They might have been caught in a dilemma of whether pursuing efficiency by cutting trains and staffs or keeping frequent and fast services to the Airport. It is possible that they simply lack a consistent long-term plan or failed to form a consensus inside the company. More likely, it is because the company has been suffered severely from staff shortage so that they had no choice but to significantly reduce services, as Keikyu has been notorious for poor working conditions, which has often been mocked as "the railway of thirteen-consecutive-day labour".

Is there any impact on the new Kamakama Line?

A train similar to Tokyu Tamagawa Line

Highly unlikely. Kamakama Line is a proposed new railway connecting Kamata and Keikyu Kamata station, which is approximately half a mile. It connects Tokyu and Keikyu lines, allowing through-service between Haneda Airport and western part of Tokyo (such as Shibuya and Ikebukuro) via Tokyu Tamagawa, Meguro and Toyoko Lines. Some services might be extended to as far as Kawagoe and Tokorozawa in Saitama Prefecture. There are many difficulties in this project, particularly different track gauges between Tokyu and Keikyu. It is reported that Ota City of Tokyo and Tokyu are positive about the new railway, but Keikyu is reluctant to pursue it. The Metropolitan Government of Tokyo had been opposed to the plan at first, but agreed in 2022 with expending 30% of the cost.

Keikyu has not done anything about the proposed Kamakama Line, and the company has never published any announcement about it either. Since Keikyu has not been positive about the Line, it is almost certain that the timetable revision is completely irrelevant to the Kamakama Line project. Thus, there will be no impact on the new line.

Conclusion

Keikyu has decided to reduce regional services in Yokohama area, but it also significantly cuts the services between central Tokyo and Haneda Airport. Whether intentional or not, businesspeople and tourists will surely be dissatisfied with the new timetable. Even without the timetable revision, Keikyu is on the verge of losing the competition with the rivals (particularly the new JR line), and the revision will definitely deteriorate the situation further. Frankly speaking, it is suicidal.

It is deeply concerning that whether the company has determination to have a consistent long-term plan or not, or even if it is capable to do so.

Shonan-Shinjuku Line and its rivals

Shonan-Shinjuku Line Map (General)

Shonan-Shinjuku Line is a major railway service in Tokyo, operated by JR East. Like Thameslink in London, Shonan-Shinjuku Line offers services from north to south and vice versa, going through the centre of the capital. It was first commenced in late-2001, and soon expanded again and again. Today, it is regarded as one of the most important and successful railway network in Japan.

Shonan-Shinjuku Line Map (Technical)

Technically, Shonan-Shinjuku Line is not registered on an official document. It consists of several existing lines as shown above. Before the Shonan-Shinjuku Line was launched, almost of all services on those lines started or terminated at Tokyo or Ueno, and all passengers had to take another train to continue their journeys. Shonan-Shinjuku Line, which provides direct services between them, made train journeys in the Greater Tokyo Area far more convenient and less troublesome than ever before.

E231 series for Shonan-Shinjuku Line

As JR East launched the Shonan-Shinjuku Line, rivals had to reconsider their strategies. To be specific, Tokyu and Odakyu have been working hard to win the competition against JR East, many of which have also been successful.

5000 series on Tokyu Toyoko Line

Tokyu Toyoko Line competes with Shonan-Shinjuku Line between Yokohama and Shibuya. Toyoko Line had been served by stopping and express services until March 2001, but Tokyu introduced a faster one (limited express). Tokyu has also been in competition with JR East between Yokohama and Shinjuku or even Ikebukuro since 2013, when through-services of Toyoko Line and Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line started. Tables below show their performance. Both Tokyu and JR East offer their fast services every 15 minutes.

Yokohama - Shibuya

	Journey time	Single fare
JR East	25-28 minutes	400 yen
Tokyu	27 minutes	280 yen

Yokohama - Shinjuku*

	Journey time	Single fare
JR East	30-33 minutes	570 yen
Tokyu	34 minutes	450 yen

*Shinjuku station of JR East and Shinjuku-sanchome station of Tokyo Metro.

Yokohama - Ikebukuro

	Journey time	Single fare
JR East	36-42 minutes	650 yen
Tokyu	41 minutes	480 yen

The tables show that fastest services of Shonan-Shinjuku Line are slightly faster than Tokyu's limited express, but fares are quite different. No wonder why many passengers from Yokohama prefer Tokyu to JR East.

Odakyu 3000 series

Odakyu also competes with Shonan-Shinjuku Line between Fujisawa and Shinjuku as well as Odawara and Shinjuku. Odakyu has been providing Romancecar services, which are even faster but expensive. Thus, the company introduced Shonan Express between Fujisawa and Shinjuku in 2002, which does not require any additional ticket. It was rearranged to Rapid Express in 2004, and most people prefer Odakyu to JR East.

Fujisawa - Shinjuku

	Journey time	Single fare	Frequency
JR East	49 minutes	900 yen	2 per hour
Odakyu	57 minutes	600 yen	3 per hour

Odawara - Shinjuku

	Journey time	Single fare	Frequency
JR East	77 minutes	1,520 yen	1 per hour
Odakyu	89 minutes	900 yen	3 per hour

It is even clearer than the JR-Tokyu competition that Odakyu takes longer but way cheaper than Shonan-Shinjuku Line. A return journey between Odawara and Shinjuku via Odakyu saves more than 1,200 yen, enough to have a wonderful lunch at a restaurant in Tokyo.

Tokyu and Odakyu provide cheaper services, but it does not mean at all that Shonan-Shinjuku Line is useless, as not all passengers can use an alternative option to JR East. In addition, if there had been no Shonan-Shinjuku Line, neither private railways would have changed their timetables with fast and reasonable train services. It might be a rare example of successful competition that is beneficial for railway users.

The Queen and Trains in Japan

The demise of the Queen Elizabeth II was a shock in Japan as well, as TVs and newspapers organised special report about her devotion to duties that lasted for more than 70 years. Since the Imperial Family has had a special relationship with the Royal Family since 1869 (with an interruption caused by the Second World War), not a few Japanese people know her and interested in the Royal Family.

Her Majesty has been to Japan in 1975 with Duke of Edinburgh, and she was the very first British monarch to visit the country. During her six-day visit, she got on some trains including Shinkansen high-speed train.

On 10th May, when the Queen was supposed to go from Tokyo to Osaka, then-Transport Minister deeply apologised that she could not use a bullet train due to industrial action, and she had to be on an aeroplane instead. The Queen reportedly said with a smile that she was used to strikes so that there was no need to worry.

Two days later, she could get on a bullet train from Nagoya to Tokyo. The Queen expected that the journey would be as punctual as a clock. With profound regret, the train left Nagoya station with a two-minute delay due to heavy rain, but a well-experienced driver successfully made it. The train arrived at Tokyo station on time. JR Central later quoted her phrase in its advertisement in 1994, "as punctual as a a clock".

She enjoyed the journey on Shinkansen, the then fastest train in the world. NHK uploaded a video taken at that time. A year later, British Rail launched High Speed Train, whose maximum speed was almost equivalent to the Shinkansen.

近鉄特急に乗車したエリザベス女王　運転士への心こもった贈り物とは https://t.co/5KXvgpjmQo

英国のエリザベス女王は、1975年に初めて来日した際、近鉄特急を利用しました。当時の記録によると、運転士らへのこまやかな心遣いがうかがえます。 運転士への贈り物とは何だったのでしょうか。 pic.twitter.com/wviueOB3gt

— 朝日新聞デジタル (@asahicom) September 9, 2022

On 11th and 12th May, she also used Kintetsu to visit Ise Grand Shrine, the holiest and the most important religious site in Japan. The train was Kintetsu 12200 series New Snack Car, which was the newest rolling stock at that time. The Queen gave drivers a "decent present" with words of gratitude.

The 12200 series was operational until 2021. The carriage which the Queen and Prince Philip boarded still remains on the mainline, and it was converted to a sightseeing train Aoniyoshi and re-entered service in 2022. Though the company has not used her name for advertisement, a few local newspapers reported about it earlier this year.

The Queen visited Japan only once, but as a Japanese citizen, I hope that she and her husband enjoyed our country. There are mixed views about the Royal Family, but whatsoever the opinion is, her devotion to duties for over 70 years, which no one could discharge instead of her, should not be underestimated.

Rest in peace, your Majesty.

50-year-old train in the capital

50 years have passed since introduction of London Underground 1972 stock. It entered service on 26 June 1972, and still used on Bakerloo line today. It is now the oldest rolling stock in the country except heritage trains, and Transport for London conceded that their replacement would be in the late-2030s or even in the 40s. There might be mixed views on the stock: some people (mostly railway enthusiasts) love this traditional design dating back to the 1960s, while others (commuters) mourn a bumpy ride and a lack of air-conditioning.

Is there any train for regular service that has been in use for more than 50 years in Tokyo? Yes, it is Tobu 8000 series. It entered service on 1 November 1963, so nearly 60 years have passed since introduction. They were mostly withdrawn from major commuter lines by the 2010s, but there are a few units formed of two coaches on small branch lines in Tokyo, namely Tobu Daishi and Kameido lines. More fleets are used in nearby prefectures like Chiba and Saitama, and they are likely to remain in service for several more years.

There were several more trains until a few years ago such as JNR 115 series (1963-2015), Tokyo Metro 6000 series (1968-2018) and Keikyu 1000 series (1959-2010), but currently Tobu 8000 series is the only one.

There is one more type that will certainly be 50 years old soon: Keisei 3500 series. The 3500 series was first introduced in 1972, and the very first fleet, which was registered on 26 December 1972, is still operational. Since their retirement is not imminent, they will certainly become 50 years old later this year.

Many foreign tourists describe trains in Japan always-shiny, but there are a few old-fashioned trains. Not a few daily users dislike out-of-date rolling stock with weak air conditioning and no information monitor above doors, though some railway enthusiasts like those trains.

Is Keikyu really fast?

Introduction

Yokohama, approximately 20 miles south of Tokyo, is one of major cities in Japan with 3.7 million people. There are several railway lines connecting two cities, including JR East and Keikyu. It is said that Keikyu trains have always been faster than JR, but is it true? This article argues that, in short, negative.

Route

The route between Shinagawa and Yokohama stations is the oldest and the busiest one among all railway lines that connect Tokyo and Yokohama. Trains on both Keikyu Main Line and Tokaido Main Line can run at up to 120 km/h (75 MPH).

Keikyu's fastest service is Limited Express 快特 (hereinafter referred to as "Kaitoku"), which calls at three stations. At peak hours, there is another Limited Express 特急 (hereinafter referred to as "Tokkyu"), which calls at six stations. Unlike limited express services of JR East and some other private railways, there is no need to purchase an additional ticket to neither of them.

The main rival is Tokaido Main Line of JR East. There are Limited Express Saphir Odoriko and Odoriko services, which require an additional ticket, but they are for tourists going farther. All passengers going from Shinagawa to Yokohama and vice versa choose stopping services, which call at two stations.

There are also Keihin-Tohoku Line and Yokosuka Line, both of which are operated by JR East as well. Keihin-Tohoku Line lies parallel to Tokaido Main Line, but has more small stations. Yokosuka Line trains run a little different route between Shinagawa and Yokohama. Trains on both lines take longer than Tokaido Main Line services.

According to official documents, the distance between Shinagawa and Yokohama stations on Tokaido Main Line is 22.0 km (13.7 miles), while that of Keikyu is 22.2 km (13.8 miles), so almost the same.

Fares

Both Keikyu and JR East adopt distance-based scheme, but the routes between Shinagawa and Yokohama is an exception. Both companies apply special fares to compete with each other. A single fare ticket of Keikyu costs 310 yen (10 yen cheaper than what is supposed to be), while that of JR East (whichever route) costs 300 yen, which is supposed to be 400 yen.

Rolling stock

Keikyu 2100 series

Keikyu uses 600 series, 1000 series, 1500 series and 2100 series. The first three are mostly consisted of longitudinal seating, while the 2100 series have transverse seating. It would be a great time to spend time on the 2100 series unless all seats are occupied.

JR East E231 series

JR East uses E231 series and E233 series. Both trains are mainly consisted of longitudinal seating. Unlike Keikyu, they have Green Cars (first class) with better seats than the Keikyu 2100 series, but a Green Car ticket is necessary in addition to a standard fare ticket.

Journey times and frequency

As there were little differences of fares and rolling stock accommodation, journey times and service frequency are the keys to the race between the two companies. Is Keikyu really fast and convenient?

Shinagawa - Yokohama (daytime)

	Keikyu Main Line	Tokaido Main Line
Journey time	17 min	16-18 min
Frequency	6 per hour	6 per hour

At the daytime, there is almost no difference between them. Both trains from Shinagawa to Yokohama and those from Yokohama to Shinagawa are the same. Tokaido Main Line services mostly take 18 minutes, so Keikyu's "Kaitoku" services are usually one minute shorter than JR. Keikyu trains tend to be slightly less crowded than Tokaido Line trains.

Yokohama to Shinagawa (7-8 am on weekdays)

	Keikyu Main Line	Tokaido Main Line
Journey time	27-32 min	19-21 min
Frequency	11 per hour	13 per hour

However, Keikyu trains are far slower than Tokaido Line trains at morning peak hours. There are several "Tokkyu" services in addition to "Kaitoku" services, but none of them can win the race with Tokaido Line. This is frankly disgraceful.

The journey times of Keikyu at morning rush hours are even longer than trains on the other two JR routes, which are not rivals of Keikyu at off-peak. Yokosuka Line trains, with 11 services between 7 and 8 am, take 23-25 minutes. Moreover, Keihin-Tohoku Line trains, with 17 services at the same time, take 29-32 minutes. It is shocking that stopping services of Keihin-Tohoku Line sometimes run faster than Keikyu, despite their maximum speed is just 90 km/h (56 MPH) and they call at eight stations including Shinagawa.

E233 series on Keihin-Tohoku Line

A Keikyu train actually loses a race against a Keihin-Tohoku Line train. For example, a "Kaitoku" (note that this is the fastest service pattern) leaving Yokohama at 8:00 arrives Shinagawa at 8:32, calling only at Keikyu Kawasaki and Keikyu Kamata. Meanwhile, a Keihin-Tohoku Line stopping service leaving Yokohama at 8:00 arrives Shinagawa at 8:29, three minutes earlier despite stops at seven stations in between.

Why is Keikyu so slow?

Then, why are Keikyu trains so slow at morning peak times contrary to what is widely believed? There must be three major reasons as described below.

Keikyu 1000 series on stopping service

First, Keikyu Main Line is double track throughout, but there are several service patterns from "Kaitoku" and "Tokkyu" to stopping services. There are more services during rush hours than the daytime, so the entire line is crowded by trains. Fast services overtake stopping services at several stations, but sometimes they have to slow down significantly while a stopping service prepares to be overtaken. Meanwhile, Tokaido Main Line trains do not overtake any other service between Yokohama and Shinagawa, nor do those on Yokosuka and Keihin-Tohoku Lines.

Shinagawa station

Second, "Kaitoku" and "Tokkyu" are formed of 12 coaches at peak hours, but four of them are detached and terminate at Shinagawa. This requires more time than usual to vacate the platform, forcing other trains to wait for a while.

Keikyu 2000 series for Haneda Airport

Third, Keikyu has a branch line towards Haneda Airport. Keikyu Airport Line branches off at Keikyu Kamata, but trains from south (Yokohama) have to reverse at the station, taking longer than others to clear the blocked section.

Conclusion

	Keikyu Main Line	Tokaido Main Line
Journey time (peak)	27-32 min	19-21 min
Journey time (off-peak)	17 min	16-18 min
Frequency (peak)	11 per hour	13 per hour
Frequency (off-peak)	6 per hour	6 per hour
Single fare	310 yen	300 yen

Is Keikyu really fast? With regard to stations between Shinagawa in Tokyo and Yokohama, the answer is mostly NO. At the daytime, most Keikyu trains run merely a minute shorter than Tokaido Main Line, but it has little impact on the race. During rush hours, Keikyu is dreadful, as trains are far slower than the rivals and even slower than Keihin-Tohoku Line. The fact is shocking but the truth. It is a valuable lesson that enthusiasts often dream of something not true, and rumours often contain inaccuracy.

The end of "trains with so many doors" in Japan

Sanjo (Keihan), 26 Oct 2020

On Saturday 4th September, the last unit of Keihan 5000 series on mainline was taken out of regular service, more than 50 years after the introduction. Keihan initially planned to withdraw it in June, but deferred for three months. The series had been well known for having five sets of door per carriage, while most commuter trains in Japan have three or four.

In the late-1960s, Keihan had been struggling to deal with delays triggered by extreme congestion. Since it was not possible for the company to run more services or make existing trains longer, it decided to introduce trains with more doors. The 5000 series contributed to smooth boarding and alighting, minimising delays and thus easing congestion.

The most unique feature of the 5000 series was the seating. Second and fourth doors were used only during peak hours, and at off-peak hours the train was used as if an ordinary three-door train. As the video shows, seating could be stored when all doors were in use. To avoid troubles and accidents, the seats were stored or extracted when no passenger is on board.

The history of trains with more doors than usual started when the Keihan 5000 series was introduced. In the 1990s, railway companies in Tokyo followed Keihan. However, those in the capital did not adopt all ambitious features: only one or a few carriages per unit had five or six sets of doors, and there was no machine that stores or extracts additional seating.

Satte - Sugito-takanodai, 15 Oct 2016

In 1990, Teito Rapid Transit Authority (now Tokyo Metro) introduced 03 series with five sets of door. Tobu Railway later introduced a similar type of commuter train (20000 series). However, they were said to be infamous for being too cold in winter, as there were simply too many doors.

Keio introduced 6000 series with five sets of door as well, which was not successful.

Yokohama, 4 Feb 2014

In 1991, JR East introduced intermediate carriages of 205 series that have six sets of door. They were inserted to existing units on Yamanote Line, and later on Saikyo and Yokohama Lines. In addition, many 209 and E231 series units had six-door carriage as well from the very beginning.

Takadanobaba, 3 Feb 2014

In Tokyo, five or six-door carriages were usually inserted to the most crowded part of the unit. In other words, companies took account of location of staircases and ticket gates at major stations. The above photo is the 205 series on Saikyo Line, the second and third coaches of which are six-door carriages.

Unsurprisingly, not a few passengers disliked them because there were fewer seating than ordinary carriages. Some described it a de facto parcel train delivering workers to the office.

Tokyo, 1 Jul 2010

Those five and six-door carriages rapidly dwindled in the 2010s. The biggest reason for the decline was platform edge doors. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has been encouraging railway companies to install platform edge doors, to prevent accidents and make platforms safer especially for disabled people, but those five and six-door carriages did not fit the safety measure.

Moreover, since trains in these days are less crowded than before, thanks to railway companies' great efforts to ease congestion, such carriages with so many doors were no longer in need. Some foreigners claim that the population decline is the main cause, but it is not true, as it is still a gradual change and not applicable to major cities like Tokyo.

Obukuro - Kita-koshigaya, 29 Apr 2016

The newest one among them was Tokyu 5000 series, with three out of ten carriages per unit (the third, sixth and seventh coaches) had six sets of door. They were introduced in 2005-10 to Den-en-toshi Line, one of the most crowded line in the country. Even so, Tokyu replaced all of them with four-door coaches by 2017, in advance of installing platform edge doors. Some of them were demolished less than six years after being built.

The history of trains with more doors than usual started and ended with the Keihan 5000 series. Those trains were not necessarily great, as there were often fewer seats, but surely worth noting. They are now all gone, but it does not mean the decline of Japanese railway, as the withdrawals are aimed for better, safer rail transport in the 21st century.

Keikyu's new train: the moving toilets

On 24th March, the unit 1892 of Keikyu 1000 series, which is formed of four coaches, was delivered to Kurihama Depot. It is the second unit of 1890 subseries, numbered 1892-1 to 1892-4.

According to the company, the 1890 subseries has various unique features to provide "new style of commuter train for post COVID-19 era": centre gangway (like 1800 subseries), convertible seating (from longitudinal to transverse and vice versa) and toilets (two per four coaches, apparently too much). However, it is uncertain if they would really work well.

Front design of the 1890 is based on the 1800 subseries, which was constructed in 2016. The 1800s have been criticised of front design. On the one hand, enthusiasts were disappointed at front end, which is too flat and spoiling the well-balanced design owing to centre gangway. On the other hand, crews have been dissatisfied with smaller and less comfortable cab because of the centre gangway.

The design of the 1890s is even worse, especially the font size of carriage number. It is hard to comprehend why the designer decided to write it in such tiny letters. Small tail lamps (which emit yellow light when train is running forward as express or non-passenger service) do not look good either. Generally speaking, whether the design is good or bad depends on each person's sense, but I have never heard of any person praising it.The most important feature is toilets. Each four-carriage unit of the 1890 subseries has two restrooms, an accessible toilet and a urinal. The subseries is the first rolling stock of Keikyu having such facilities. It is doubtful whether toilet is necessary, as reasonable maximum journey time on Keikyu line is no longer than 75 minutes, while trains run every 10 minutes or even more frequently and each station has restrooms. Toilet is costly to maintain for obvious reasons, and it also reduces capacity.

Nevertheless, Keikyu insists that toilets are absolutely necessary. According to the company, toilets would be useful when the trains are used for rail tours. Keikyu has been holding so-called "beer-train" since 2016, and there have been several "emergency cases" during the tours. Toilets are undoubtedly vital in so far as the train is used for tours with alcohol, but such cases are exceptional.

In addition, carriage numbers of the 1890s has made the numbering system of Keikyu even more chaotic. Keikyu had been numbering 1000 series carriages in quite a simple way. For example, the first eight-car unit was numbered from 1001 to 1008, and the second one was from 1009 to 1016. As Keikyu 1000 series is running out of numbers, the company has taken an unprecedented "five-digit" approach: the first unit of 1890 subseries is numbered from 1891-1 to 1891-4, and the second one is from 1892-1 to 1892-4.

The 1890 subseries is expected enter service in April, and will be mainly used for Morning Wing services from May. Though there are so many critical opinions, the 1890 subseries trains could be successful. It fully depends on how Keikyu can make it attractive.

Keikyu is going to commence withdrawal of 1500 series soon, which was introduced in 1985-93. However, it is not certain at present if the brand new train with toilets could be good successor to the old trains. It is likely that Keikyu will order more new trains for next few years, but possibly without toilets.

Ueno Zoo Monorail: the demise of the first monorail in Japan

Ueno Zoo Monorail is a 0.2 mile-long monorail operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, connecting west and east areas of the Zoo. This is the first monorail in Japan, which was opened in 1957. The line lies almost entirely within the Zoo, but the line was constructed in accordance with former Regional Railway Act 1919. Even today, the line is operated and maintained on the basis of Railway Business Act 1986, which means that this Monorail is registered as a genuine railway despite it looks a kind of amusement ride.

Ueno Zoo Monorail was built as a test line of "alternative means of transportation" which must be more efficient and punctual than trams. It is based on German Wuppertal Suspension Railway system with some modifications. However, it became clear that monorail is not always suitable for the city of Tokyo, as it is expensive to build while it is capable to have only limited number of passengers. The Bureau decided not to make any new monorail, and instead started expanding underground and bus networks.

In January 2019, the Bureau announced to suspend the operation of the Monorail from 1st November, as the current rolling stock got old. Its future is bleak as it costs 1.8 billion yen (approx. 17 million USD) to introduce a new fleet. The Bureau intends to have discussions with specialists, visitors and local residents, but the Monorail is likely to be closed permanently.

Currently, one unit of 40 series (built in 2001) runs every 7 minutes during opening hours of the Zoo. It costs 150 yen for an adult and 80 yen for a child, but note that admission fee is required to get into the Zoo. It takes about 90 seconds from east to west areas and vice versa. The last service is scheduled to be held on 31st October.