Keikyu Akafuda Train

In May 2014, a red train ran Keikyu Daishi line. Keikyu trains have always been red, but this one was completely red. Unit no. 1501 of 1500 series was fully painted red without any white band, which was named "Akafuda Train". It was designed to celebrate once-a-decade religious event at Heiken-ji temple, commonly known as Kawasaki Daishi.

Kawasaki Daishi is one of the most important temple in the Greater Tokyo Area, established in 1128. It is said to be the origin of hatsumode, the first temple or shrine visit of each year. On average, three million people visit Kawasaki Daishi on 1-3 January every year and pray for their good fortune, health and being free from traffic accidents.

Like most temples, the principal object of worship is not usually open to the public, but it is available for everyone once every ten years. It is a statue of Kukai, one of the most important monk in the history of Japanese Buddhism.

During the visit, a talisman called akafuda is given to each visitor. The letters on a small piece of paper are said to be written initially by Kukai himself, and each charm is handcrafted by monks with blessing.

This event has been celebrated by Keikyu several times. Given the history of Keikyu that the line opened in 1899 to transport passengers to and from Kawasaki Daishi, it is not surprising that Keikyu did something special last time in 2014. The Akafuda Train ran only Daishi line during the event (excluding a few empty coaching stock movements). It was also displayed at Kurihama Factory on 25 May when it was opened to the public.

The Akafuda Train next to an ordinary 1500 series train. Keikyu staff just obscured white bands, but the fully-red train looked very different to what was supposed to be. The Train was restored to its original style on the first day of June, and the signboard under the windscreen was dedicated to Kawasaki Daishi, and it is still saved there.

Ten years have passed since then, and the event is scheduled in May 2024. Daishi line is no longer served by the 1500 series, and the oldest rolling stock for the branch line is now 600 series. A few trains will be decorated with stickers during the period, which is not as impressive as the Akafuda Train back in 2014, but still better than nothing.

Farewell, Airport Express

On Saturday 25 November, annual timetable revision will be taken place on the entire Keikyu network. On this day, all Airport Express services will be renamed simply as Express. This article focuses on Airport Express on the southern part of Keikyu Main Line (i.e. to and from Zushi).

Keikyu introduced Airport Express when it dramatically revised its timetables on 16 May 2010. To meet demand for services between Haneda Airport and Yokohama, the company decided to provide a new service on the southern part of Keikyu Main Line. There had been Express services in the area until 1999, but they were completely different from Airport Express.

At first, Airport Express ran every 20 minutes, most of which were formed of eight coaches and connecting Haneda Airport and Shin-Zushi (now Zushi Hayama) stations. Railway enthusiasts welcomed the timetable revision as 2000 series returned to daytime services for the first time since 2002. Some people using small stations were dissatisfied with Airport Express as the number of stopping services was halved.

As Haneda Airport International Terminal station (now Terminal 3 station) opened in 2012 and ridership increased, Airport Express was doubled to every 10 minutes. There have been some six-car trains since then. The Airport Express was heavily used not only by businesspeople and tourists but also local residents such as those going to school or for shopping.

Literally all types of rolling stock have been used for Airport Express except one. 800 series could not enter Keikyu Airport Line as it was not compatible with platform edge doors at Haneda Airport International Terminal station. Hence, 800 series was used only between Kanagawa-Shimmachi and Shin-Zushi in case of severe service disruption and when there was absolutely no other option.

Airport Express suddenly suffered from low ridership in the 2020s. Just like all other businesses across the country and the world, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic was immense. As international travels to and from Japan had been restricted for two years, the ridership drastically dropped.

Furthermore, staff shortages triggered by poor working conditions amid inflation struck Airport Express: significant reduction of services was carried out last year and Airport Express became every 20 minutes again. Since many services have been consisted of six coaches, the capacity is smaller than back in 2010.

Then, the 13-year history of Airport Express ends on 24 November, a day before the timetable revision. After that day, Express services calling at the same stations will run, a few of which do not start from or terminate at Haneda Airport (that is why the company decided to remove the word Airport). The frequency remains unchanged (every 20 minutes) but it will surely be changed along with other services soon as Keikyu lacks will or capability to deal with pay rises and reduce overworking of station staff and train crews.

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.

Keikyu, the chaotic train numbering

In the end of May, a trainspotter divulged a photo capturing Keikyu's new train which is currently being built at Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing factory in Kobe. The photo revealed that the number of new trainset would be "1501-1". Many railway enthusiasts have been confused by or accusing of this new number, as Keikyu already has 1500 series trains. The enthusiasts assert that the duplication of "1500" will surely be a problem. However, such duplication is not new in Keikyu's history.

General rules

Keikyu 1500 series

Before looking into history, it should be noted that there is a restriction regarding train carriage numbers. Keikyu, Toei Asakusa, Keisei and Hokuso lines provide through-services, meaning that trains of these four companies run other companies' networks as well. Hence, certain numbers are allocated to each company as follows:
1000s and 2000s for Keikyu,
3000s for Keisei,
5000s for Toei (Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation),
6000s are effectively used by Keikyu 600 series,
7000s for Hokuso,
8000s are used by Shin-Keisei (which has through-services only towards Keisei), and
9000s for Chiba New Town Railway (now effectively part of Hokuso).
No train operators use 4000s as 4 is often considered as representing death or to die in East Asian culture.

To sum up, all parties are restricted only to use numbers allowed. Thus, Keikyu can only use 1000s or 2000s for its train carriage numbers. In addition, Keikyu's internal rule provides that 1000s shall be used for trains compatible with through-services, while 2000s for those incompatible with underground tunnels.

Keikyu 1000s to 1900s

N1000 series

The table below shows how carriage numbers of Keikyu trains (1000s to 1900s) have been allocated to.

1000s	8-car N1000 series (1001-1192)
1100s
1200s	8-car N1000 series (1201-1232)
1300s	6-car N1000 series (1301-1372)
1400s	4-car N1000 series (1401-1492)
1500s	1500 series motor cars (1501-1552, 1561-1596)
1600s	6-car N1000 series (1601-1672)
1700s	1500 series motor cars (1701-1736)
1800s	4-car N1000 series (1801-1812)
1890s	N1000 series Le Ciel (1891-1895)
1900s	1500 series trailer cars (1901-1942)

Due to the rule aforementioned, Keikyu does not have many option to deal with a "number shortage". This is why the company has to "reuse" the number 1500s.

Coexistence 1: 1500s

Unit 1501 of 1500 series

Keikyu has been using trains called 1500 series since 1985. They are declining since 2021, but still 138 carriages are operational. Even so, nos. 1501 to 1520 are not in use as they have already been deregistered.

Meanwhile, a brand new N1000 series has been built by a manufacturer as mentioned earlier, and its numbers will be "1501-1, 1501-2…"

The unit 1501 of the 1500 series was deregistered on 14 March 2023. It is not clear when the unit 1501 of N1000 series will be delivered to mainline, but it is certain that the unit number "1501" will be reused just a few months after withdrawal of the predecessor.

Moreover, the 1500 series trains will be in service for a few more years, so two "1500 series" will coexist, though the newer one is classified as a subseries of the N1000 series.

Coexistence 2: 1000s

N1000 and 1000 series

Such duplication is not new. In 2002-2011, there were two "1000 series". On the one hand, N1000 series entered into passenger service. On the other hand, old 1000 series was still operational. As 1000 series trains were replaced with N1000 series trains, carriage numbers were instantly reused. For example, nos. 1305 and 1306 of the 1000 series were deregistered on 30 June 2010, but two N1000 series carriages with the same numbers were registered on 15 April 2011.

In both cases (1500 and 1000), the actual carriage numbers per se did not coexist, otherwise it would have caused extreme confusion.

Reuse 1: 1600s

1600 subseries of 1500 series / 1600 subseries of N1000 series

Numbers 1601 to 1654 had been allocated to the 1500 series, but they were renumbered to 1561 to 1596 by 15 August 2016. On 7 November 2016, unit no. 1601 of the N1000 series was delivered. Two 1600s did not coexist, but reborn in less than three months. Why such renumbering and reuse took place?

The 1600 subseries was introduced in 1989-91 and all units were initially formed of six or eight coaches while the original 1500 series trains were formed of four, but all 1600s were rearranged to six by 2010. Most 1500 series units were rearranged of six coaches by 2010 as well. Hence, there was no need to distinguish these two groups so that Keikyu decided to merge 1600 subseries into 1500s. The renumbering was carried out in 2013-16.

Reuse 2: 600s

600 series (III) / 600 series (II)

There were three "600 series" in Keikyu's history. The current 600 series, which is the third and the newest one, has been in service since 1994. Despite the first unit is nearly 30 years old, it is still operational and widely used across the network including through-services to Toei Asakusa, Keisei and Hokuso lines as far as Narita Airport.

The second 600 series was introduced in 1956-58. It had transverse seating with two sets of doors per carriage, and it was designed for limited express services transporting tourists to beaches. All units were withdrawn by 31 March 1986, but the current 600 series was registered on 1 March 1994, so the numbers were reused in about eight years.

The first 600 series, which looked very similar to the second one but had three sets of doors per carriage, was introduced in 1953-54 and 1957-58. The first 600 series was designed as a commuter train amid surge in demand after the Second World War. All carriages were renumbered to 400 series on 19 October 1965. The 400 series remained operational until 1986.

Does not it mean that two 600 series (the first and second ones) coexisted in the 1950s and 60s? The history of Keikyu is not that simple, as explained below.

Reuse 3: 700s

700 series (II)

The second 600 series was called 700 and 730 series at the time of introduction. These two series were built by two different companies, but they looked almost the same. All 700 and 730 series trains were renumbered to 600 series (II) on 19 April 1966, half a year after the 600 series (I) was renumbered to 400 series.

On 27 June 1967, another 700 series was delivered. The second 700 series had longitudinal seating with four sets of doors per carriage, as it was designed for commuter trains rather than long-distance fast services. The 700 series (II) retired in 2005.

Reuse 4: 800s

800 series (II)

Finally, it is not well known that there were two 800 series in the past. Most people remember 800 series (II), which had four sets of doors per carriage and was in service from 1978 to 2019.

In addition, there was another 800 series. The first 800 series was introduced in 1958, and there were two two-carriage units. Today, they are regarded as prototype units of 1000 series, and both of them were renumbered to 1000 series on 19 October 1965. All four carriages were deregistered on 31 January 1988, but surprisingly, all of them are still operational as DeTo wagons.

Conclusion

Click for a larger image

As described above, duplication and reuse of train numbers are not uncommon in Keikyu's history. All of those cases could have led to troubles, but staffs and enthusiasts have managed them. Hence, the new 1500 subseries is not a matter of concern.

The history implies that the 1500 subseries will not be the last case. As old 1500 series trains are gradually withdrawn, the vacant numbers are highly likely to be reused further, such as 1700s.

Fare Rises and Fare Reductions

On Wednesday 10 May, Keikyu published a detailed document about fare rises that take effect on 1 October. The company announced last month that fares would be raised by 10.8% on average, though long-distance tickets (over 41 km) would be cheaper than today and season ticket prices for students remained unchanged. Keikyu raises fares for the first time in 28 years (except tax hikes), but the company strives to strike a fair balance between tackling inflation and providing reasonable deals for children.

In addition, the company decided to dramatically cut the child rate fares to 75 yen regardless of distance. This price is the minimum child fare, and it will be applied to the entire Keikyu lines except tickets to and from Haneda Airport, which cost 25 more yen (i.e. 100 yen in total). Note that a registered Suica or PASMO card is required.

Single Fares for Children

	Current Price	New Price
Shinagawa - Yokohama	¥151	¥75
Yokohama - Yokosuka-chuo	¥183	¥75
Yokohama - Jimmuji	¥157	¥75
Sengakuji - Misakiguchi	¥471	¥75

A similar scheme has already been adopted by Odakyu since March 2022, whose child rate fares have been fixed to 50 yen. According to NHK, the company estimated that the fare reduction would lead to income loss of 200 million yen a year, equivalent to 1.65% of Odakyu Group's total profit in the financial year 2022. The company reported that 50% more children used trains than before the reduction, though it must be borne in mind that COVID-19 discouraged children from going out in the previous year.

An employee of Odakyu's planning and development department told NHK that the company envisaged that the fare reduction would encourage families to use trains more even amid the gradual population decline. Parents with small children tend to use a car at weekend, but the new fare scheme seems to have been successful. Not only the company but local governments and business owners have implemented measures to increase the number of visitors.

It is clear that both Keikyu and Odakyu hope that young families settle in the area where the railways serve, so that not only parents but also children will be their long-term customers even after they grow up. Major private railways in Japan do not just have trains but also bus networks, estate agents, department stores and supermarkets. In short, they deal in everything that is necessary for daily life, constituting the whole community. The fare reduction may contribute to those businesses for years or even decades to come.

There are more indirect positive effects. As parents use trains instead of cars, traffic jams and air pollutions will be slightly improved and it will cut carbon emissions. Children of low-income households may be able to go out more frequently than they do today. The railway companies might not have intended to contribute to local and global issues in such ways, but nevertheless the new fare schemes have a potential for new developments even with the ageing society.

As two of eight major private railways in the Greater Tokyo Area reduced the fares for children, other train operators are likely to adopt similar policies within years to compete with Keikyu and Odakyu.

How about railway companies outside Tokyo? Semboku Rapid Railway, a small railway in southern Osaka Prefecture, will fix child fares to 50 yen in October. Since Semboku's reduced fares will not be applied to through-services towards Namba via Nankai lines, children cannot go to the heart of Osaka by 50 yen, but its impact should not be underestimated.

Keikyu Once More...or Three Times More

In June 2010, Keikyu 1000 series retired after being in service for more than 50 years. The 1000 series was known as the most numerous "type" (but not "series") among all private railways’ trains, and it was the most well-known Keikyu train.

Meanwhile in Kagawa Prefecture (western Japan), a small private railway called Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad (hereinafter referred to as Kotoden) has been using resold-1000 series since 1988, but the company had never shown interest in the former owner of the trains. In 2018-21, a unit was covered with an advertisement of Keikyu services to and from Haneda Airport in Tokyo, but it obviously looked very different from the original livery of Keikyu 1000 series.

Therefore, Kotoden Charter Association, a group of Keikyu enthusiasts, decided to initiate a crowdfunding programme to restore a train to the original style. Since it was regarded by Kotoden as a train advertisement, it costed 15m yen (approx. 136k USD) for a two-year contract. This train ran Kotohira Line from 2019 to 2021.

The group carried out another crowdfunding in 2020 to repaint 1200 series (ex-Keikyu 700 series), and it was successful with a donation of 12m JPY (approx. 112k USD) in total. It ran Kotohira Line as well in 2020-21, and it sometimes joined to the other Keikyu-coloured train to be formed of four coaches, which reminded railway enthusiasts of what the old trains were used to be until the 2000s.

Moreover, the group successfully conducted the third crowdfunding to repaint another train on Nagao Line, which has been in service since 2022. This time there was a donation of roughly 9.7m JPY (approx. 84k USD). This unit No. 1305 was the last Keikyu 1000 series and its number is, as it happened, unchanged even today. This red train is scheduled to be operational until April.

Unlike in the United Kingdom, train preservation is not common in Japan due to various reasons including strict safety rules so that there had been very few cases that railway enthusiasts involved in restoring old trains for passenger services. However, things are gradually changing: thanks to crowdfunding services, railway enthusiasts have been more active than before to preserve their favourite trains since the late-2010s as companies cannot always maintain trains without trainspotters' help. Even if not like those in Britain, Japanese railway enthusiasts can contribute to railway companies than before not to allow trains just disappearing. The three successful projects by Kotoden Charter Association was probably one of the impetuses to change nerds' attitude.

A sticker commemorating the "400th" anniversary

Since 26 December, two four-carriage units of Keikyu 600 series have got stickers under a windscreen. On the one hand, it commemorates the 50th anniversary of Kawasaki Ward of Kawasaki City. In 1972, seven wards were established as Kawasaki City became a government ordinance city. The government ordinance city is an important term when it comes to devolution, but this article does not focus on it.

On the other hand, it reads "TOKAIDO KAWASAKI SHUKU 400TH". It apparently shows the 400th anniversary of something, but what is Tokaido Kawasaki Shuku? The first word sounds like Tokaido Main Line, one of the most important railway in Japan, but do they have a connection with each other? The answer is yes. Those who have studied Japanese history must know it and might have already realised what does this sticker mean.

Tokaido was the most important route that dates back to the 8th century. The route has changed as the time passed, and the most well-known Tokaido is not so old. It was developed in 1601 as the most important road connecting Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto. As the route was designed to be heavily used by travellers and couriers, there were post station towns consisted of various facilities including inns and horse stables.

There were 53 stations between Nihombashi in Edo and Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto, and thus they were called Tokaido Gojusan-tsugi (lit. 53 stations of the Tokaido). A series of ukiyo-e woodcut prints with the same name, created by Utagawa Hiroshige, is well known across the world.

The Kawasaki-shuku (also pronounced as Kawasaki-juku), established in 1623, was the second post station after Shinagawa-shuku. Initially, there was no post station between Shinagawa and Kanagawa, but the distance between these two stations was approximately 12.2 miles, so long for horses running at high speed that the Tokugawa Shogunate (de facto government) decided to establish another station in between. The photo above is the road exactly what was called Tokaido in the Edo period (1603-1868), and the signboard next to a traffic signal reads "Tokaido Kawasaki Shuku".

Tama River and Kawasaki-shuku

There is a small museum called Tokaido Kawasaki Shuku Koryukan. This model shows how was the area used to be in the 17th century. It was not so far from Edo (approximately 11 miles to Nihombashi), but not a few people had to spend days here when water levels of Tama River rose and thus no boat service was available.

The Kawasaki-shuku was mostly ruined by the end of the Edo period due to financial difficulties. It is said that one day in 1857, Townsend Harris (the first American Consul General to Japan) planned to stay here for the night but had to change his schedule because of poor facilities. The shuku finally came to an end when Kawasaki station of the first railway in Japan opened in 1872.

Kawasakidaishi - Higashimonzen, 5 Jan 2023

Coming back to the year 2022, Kawasaki City office decided to promote the anniversary so that the logo, created by an ordinary office worker, has been chosen for programmes and events that the City office plans to carry out.

According to Keikyu, the two trains will have the stickers until 28 January. They mainly run on Daishi Line, and their schedules are available here unless they are not in service or run other lines of the network.

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.

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.