22 July, 2023

50 years on: a comparison (part 4)...Towards the Northeast

The article uploaded last month showed that Tokaido Shinkansen became faster and more frequent in the last 50 years. It is not hard to imagine how have trips between Tokyo and Nagoya, Osaka and Okayama become easier.

Then, how about travelling from Tokyo to Tohoku region and vice versa? Today, there is Tohoku Shinkansen, the fastest high-speed rail in Japan whose trains can run at a speed of 320 km/h (200 mph), but it was still under construction in 1973. Thus, train journeys relied on Tohoku Main Line and other relevant lines. This article looks into six prefectural capitals in the region, namely: Fukushima, Sendai, Morioka, Yamagata, Akita and Aomori. Note that all tables below show regular services only.

The trains in 1973 started from or terminated at Ueno station, which was about 10 minutes from Tokyo station. The official timetable recommended all passengers arriving at Tokyo and taking another train from Ueno to take a 30-minute time allowance.


Fukushima, Sendai and Morioka


Yamagata


Akita


Aomori


Personal Views

Not to mention the journey duration, it is intriguing that there were fewer services in 1973 despite railway was more heavily used than it is today. In other words, Shinkansen must have contributed to more demands. Even with extensive motorway networks and modern airports across the country that we see today, high-speed rails clearly play an important role.

However, night trains do not exist today because there are cheap bus services and even decent business hotels everywhere. As the time passed, night trains became an obsolete option and therefore they were mostly discontinued by the 2000s.


Types of Rolling Stock (2023 and 1973)

Finally, types of rolling stock for abovementioned services were as follows.

2023

1973

*There were also locomotives and coaching stock that I have never seen (as they were withdrawn before the privatisation of JNR).
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08 July, 2023

At a Construction Site of the New Maglev Station

On Friday 17 June, JR Central opened a "square" in front of Hashimoto station in Sagamihara City (Kanagawa Prefecture). Here, Hashimoto station of Chuo Shinkansen has been constructed since 2019, and the construction site can be seen from this mound. It is called Sagamihara Rinia Hiroba (lit. Sagamihara Maglev Square), but hereinafter referred to as the Mound.

The Chuo Shinkansen is the first maglev rail in Japan and is scheduled to open between Shinagawa (Tokyo) and Nagoya in 2027, though it is highly likely to be deferred for several years mainly due to fierce criticism from the Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture. Trains will run at a speed of up to 505 km/h (314 mph).


The Mound is less than a five-minute walk from Hashimoto station (JR and Keio lines), but it is not easy to find its entrance as there are only few small signboards. The Mound is open for public once or twice a week, presumably for local residents. It is not a well-maintained facility so that infants and physically-challenged people might feel it difficult to walk.


Since the most part of the line will be underground, construction workers have been digging the ground to build the new station. It is not possible to see platforms or tracks, but just shows how deep the station will be. Lorries with literally tonnes of excavated soil were slowly moving every minute.


There is a blueprint of the station in the middle of the site. Those who are well-versed in civil engineering might be interested in it.


The Mound is 1,500 sq metres (1,794 sq yards) big. It will be closed in the near future as the construction goes on. According to a staff I spoke to, no decision has been made yet about this land after the construction completes, but it is likely to be a bus terminal and a roundabout.

Sagamihara Rinia Hiroba opens on Fridays and certain Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm, and is free of charge with no appointment required. Those who plan to visit should check the official calendar in advance, which is available on JR Central website.

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Location: Hashimoto Station, Sagamihara City

24 June, 2023

50 years on: a comparison (part 3)...Bullet Train

Tokaido Shinkansen, the first high-speed rail in Japan opened in 1964. It was extended to Okayama in 1972 as San-yo Shinkansen opened, and further to Hakata in 1975. Thus, the 1973 timetable contains service patterns that lasted just three years. This article describes how bullet trains between Tokyo and Okayama have changed in the last 50 years. Timetables in this article show regular services at off-peak times (daytime) unless specifically noted.


Shinkansen train layouts

There was only one Shinkansen rolling stock in 1973: 0 series. The 0 series was still being mass-produced amid the surge in demand. Trains were formed of 12 or 16 coaches, but there was no dining car at that time. Instead, there were buffet cars. Three types of trainsets as shown below were in use.
"B" means a buffet, "G means Green Cars (first class, reservation mandatory), "N" means non-reserved standard-class, and "R" means reserved standard-class.

 Coach  Hikari  Kodama 
1 N  N 
2
3
4
5 R+B  N+B 
6 R  N 
7
8
9 G 
10
11 R+B
12 R  G 
13 R+B 
14 R 
15
16

Some Kodama services formed of twelve coaches did not have nos. 1-4 (i.e. the front coach was no. 5).


Today, Tokaido and San-yo Shinkansen services are mostly provided by N700A series or N700S series. There are also eight-car San-yo Shinkansen services, but this article only focuses on 16-car trains that run to and from Tokyo.

 Coach  Nozomi  Hikari  Kodama 
 1  N  N  N 
 2 
 3 
 4  R 
 5 
 6  R 
 7  R 
 8  G  G  G 
 9 
 10 
 11  R  R  R 
 12 
 13  N 
 14 
 15 
 16 

Today, there is no specific train unit exclusively for Nozomi, Hikari or Kodama, but all of them are allocated equally to all three types of services. As trains are faster (i.e. duration is shorter) than it used to in 1973, there is no buffet or dining car.


Shinkansen schedules (1973)

Nine years had already passed since Shinkansen opened, and service patterns in 1973 were not as simple as they were in 1964. There were five patterns as listed below. Alphabets are added for convenience.

   Calling at 
A Hikari 
 (Tokyo – Shin-Osaka or Okayama) 		 Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka & Okayama 
B Hikari 
 (Tokyo - Okayama) 		 Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Himeji & Okayama 
C Hikari 
 (Tokyo - Okayama) 		 Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka & all stations to Okayama 
D Hikari 
 (Tokyo – Shin-Osaka) 		 Nagoya, Maibara, Kyoto & Shin-Osaka 
 Kodama  All stations 

Hikari departed Tokyo station every hour on the hour as well as half past every hour, while Kodama left the station at x:20 and x:50 every hour. There were more services at peak times, including Kodama services running between Tokyo and Mishima. The fastest pattern was as follows, with four return journeys every day.

 Hikari 1
 Tokyo  6:15 
 Nagoya  8:16 
 Kyoto  9:08 
 Shin-Osaka  9:25 
 Okayama  10:25 

It took 4 hours and 10 minutes by the fastest Hikari. The slowest Hikari from Tokyo to Okayama (pattern C on the table further above) took 4 hours and 30 minutes. Kodama (calling at all stations) from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka took 4 hours and 10 minutes (Tokyo – Nagoya took 2 hours and 45 minutes). There was no Kodama running the entire line.


Shinkansen schedules (2023)

Today, there are three service patterns: Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama. Many Nozomi services do not start or terminate at Okayama but as far as Hiroshima or Hakata, and there are services towards Kyushu Shinkansen as well, but this article excludes anything beyond Okayama.

Four Nozomi trains (daily services) depart Tokyo station every hour, but there are more non-daily services in addition to them. Hikari and Kodama run every 30 minutes. Service patterns are as follows (regular services only). Mishima station is served by Hikari every two hours.

Calling at
a Nozomi 
 (Tokyo - Shin-Osaka or farther) 		 Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Okayama... 
b Nozomi 
 (Tokyo - Hiroshima) 		 Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Himeji, Okayama... 
x Hikari 
 (Tokyo - Okayama) 		 Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, (Mishima,) Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka & all stations to Okayama; 
y Hikari 
 (Tokyo - Shin-Osaka) 		 Shinagawa, Shin-Yokohama, Odawara, Nagoya, & all stations to Shin-Osaka 
 Kodama  All stations 

The fastest train between Tokyo and Okayama is as follows:

 Nozomi 1
 Tokyo  6:00 
 Shinagawa  6:07 
 Shin-Yokohama  6:18 
 Nagoya  7:34 
 Kyoto  8:08 
 Shin-Osaka  8:22 
 Shin-Kobe  8:36 
 Okayama  9:09 
 (arriving Hakata at 10:52) 

As the maximum speed on the line was raised from 210 km/h (131 mph) to 300 km/h (187 mph), the duration between Tokyo and Okayama is now 3 hours 9 minutes, an hour shorter than in 1973. However, Kodama from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka takes 3 hours and 54 minutes, merely 16 minutes shorter than in that 1973. This is because Kodama trains have to wait at almost all stations to be surpassed by faster services.


Shinkansen is the symbol of Japanese railways, and literally everything has dramatically evolved in the past 50 years including speed and frequency. Tokaido and San-yo Shinkansen provide the most frequent services among all high-speed railways in the world, even though they are no longer the fastest.

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10 June, 2023

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.

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27 May, 2023

50 years on: a comparison (part 2)...Rural railways

Many rural railways in Japan are on the verge of permanent closure as this blog explained last year. Many people insist that it is because of population decline, and blame that the government has been reluctant to save them. However, it must also be noted that the areas with such unprofitable railways are served by well-maintained roads (often motorways), showing that the government has been doing something.

Many of those rural railways were built before the Second World War. As technology advanced and the public lost trust in Japanese National Railways due to severe industrial action in the 1970s, the government decided to shift to road transportation rather than upgrading all existing railways. Hence, roads in rural areas tend to connect towns and cities shorter than railways, and thus local residents hardly use trains in these days.

Then, have railway operators just watched their ridership declining and done nothing? The timetables of 1973 and 2023 indicate that in some cases not only JR but also so-called "third sector" companies, which succeeded unprofitable railways from JNR or JR, have been making efforts to deal with income loss.

Note that all timetables are weekday version and excluding any seasonal trains (i.e regular services only).


Yamagata Railway

KiHa 58 series, a train once used on Nagai Line

Flower Nagai Line is a 20-mile-long third-sector railway in Yamagata Prefecture, which was a part of JR East Nagai Line until 1988. Have services become more or less frequent in the last 50 years?

Akayu station
 2023 timetable  1973 timetable 
7:065:28
7:447:09
8:598:30
10:47
12:2511:55
13:05
14:35
15:5715:25
17:0516:47
18:3618:28
19:5219:38
20:50

The number of services rose by 50%, though there is no service in the early morning today. But this simple comparison does not tell everything. Akayu station is also served by Ou Main Line services to and from Tokyo. The table below shows when Nagai Line trains arrive at Akayu and when connecting services towards Tokyo depart. All services from Akayu to Tokyo are bullet train Tsubasa in 2023, while those in 1973 were either Limited Express Yamabato or Express Zao for Ueno.

 2023 timetable  1973 timetable 
6:38→6:49
6:47→8:09
7:18→8:257:56→8:09
8:30→9:26
9:12→9:269:22→10:13
11:29→13:27
12:39→13:2712:13→14:07
14:16→14:27
15:22→15:2715:09→15:21
16:46→17:2817:33→17:36
18:15→18:27
19:26→19:5619:15→N/A
20:38→21:0720:34→N/A

The table shows that train connection is not always perfect in both 2023 and 1973. I have looked for the opposite direction (Tokyo to Akayu then Nagai Line) as well as transfers to and from Yamagata, but they were not so different. Still, the current Nagai Line is a little more convenient than JNR Nagai Line in 1973, as there are simply more services than the past.


Isumi Railway

Isumi Railway trains

There are several unprofitable railways in the Greater Tokyo Area too. Isumi Railway, formerly called JR East Kihara Line until 1988, is one of them. Isumi Railway had been known for heritage trains until earlier this year.

The table below shows trains arriving at Ohara station and connecting Sotobo Line services towards Chiba and Tokyo. In the table, "r" means Express Nagisa for Ryogoku, "s" means Express Nagisa for Shinjuku, "t" means Limited Express Wakashio for Tokyo, and "*" means Rapid for Tokyo. Other connecting trains are stopping services for Kazusa-Ichinomiya or Chiba.

Ohara station
 2023 timetable  1973 timetable 
5:44→5:47
6:19→6:236:31→6:33
7:32→ 7:41t7:16→7:22
7:39→ 7:55t
8:19→ 8:21t8:47→9:44
9:43→9:44
10:11→ 10:49t10:31→11:07r
11:29→12:1311:48→ 12:14s
12:52→13:18
13:37→14:20
14:58→15:2014:07→ 14:48t
16:21→16:3216:13→16:18*
17:12→ 17:19t17:24→17:28
18:30→18:3418:30→18:32
19:20→19:3419:26→19:34
20:57→21:2820:45→20:48

It seems that both the rural railway and connecting Sotobo Line trains have become less useful in 50 years. The number of Isumi/Kihara Line services decreased and the connection became inconvenient. It might not be easy for students who live by Isumi Railway and go to school using JR Sotobo Line in these days.


Nagaragawa Railway

KiHa 40 series, a train once used on Etsumi South Line

Nagaragawa Railway in Gifu Prefecture has been encouraging tourists to visit the area by rail in these days. In that case, it might be useful to consider about how it is convenient for tourists from Gifu and Nagoya. The table below shows, unlike the other two railways above, when JR Takayama Main Line trains arrive and connecting trains for the scarcely populated area depart.

The table is complicated. With regard to Takayama Main Line services, G means stopping service from Gifu, and N means Limited Express Hida or Express Norikura from Nagoya. With regard to Etsumi South Line services, "g" means trains for Gujo-hachiman, "h" means Hokuno, "m" means Minoshi, "y" means Yunohoraonsenguchi, "*" means Minoshirotori.

Mino-Ota station
 2023 timetable  1973 timetable 
6:11G→6:26hN/A→5:45h
N/A→6:54m6:18G→6:48g
7:04G→7:20y
7:28G→7:47m
7:56G→8:12*8:10G→8:18g
8:26N→9:04mOkumino, 9:37h
9:22N→9:56h
11:28N→11:35h
12:26N→12:54*12:27G→13:25h
14:17G→14:27g
15:29N→15:34h15:02N→15:16h
15:53G→16:18y16:28G→16:48h
16:19G→16:46h
17:27G→17:33h1737G→17:44*
17:57G→18:02y
N/A→18:25hDirect service, 18:33h
19:00N→19:05y
19:30G→19:36*19:55G→20:20*
20:19G→20:34m
21:02N→21:11*
21:53G→21:59m
22:20G→22:28m

Note that there were two direct services from Nagoya or Gifu in 1973: Express Okumino from Nagoya to Hokuno (departing Mino-Ota at 9:37) and a stopping service from Gifu to Hokuno (departing Mino-Ota at 18:33).

It seems that Nagaragawa Railway has achieved a significant improvement even amid the decline in ridership. However, it must be borne in mind that Nagaragawa Railway has been regarded as an alternative to Meitetsu Minomachi Line, a tram line that was permanently closed in 2005. Thus, the overall ridership must have dropped as population declined and local residents have shifted to their own cars. Even so, it is laudable that the company has been focusing on good connection with JR Takayama Main Line.


Kyoto Tango Railway

287 series, which is also used for Limited Express Hashidate

Kyoto Tango Railway, formerly known as Kitakinki Tango Railway, has two lines in northern Kyoto Prefecture. This article focuses only on Miyazu Line since Miyafuku Line was under construction in 1973. Miyazu Line has been served by not only regional stopping services but also intercity trains to and from Kyoto, but it is not easy to compare between 2023 and 1973. The table below shows stopping services from Nishi-Maizuru towards Amanohashidate and Toyooka.

In this table, "a" means trains for Amino, "m" means Mineyama, "tg" means Tango-Yamada, "ty" means Toyooka and "*" means Miyazu.

Nishi-Maizuru station
 2023 timetable  1973 timetable 
4:32ty
6:17ty6:39ty
7:01ty7:45tg
7:45a
8:42a8:31ty
9:44t
10:37a10:10ty
11:37ty
12:37ty12:30ty
13:37m
14:37ty14:50ty
15:37ty
16:37ty16:08ty
17:37ty17:46ty
18:37ty18:40tg
19:37ty19:49*
20:35ty
21:59a21:29tg
22:33*

It is clear that Kyoto Tango Railway has been making great efforts to provide hourly services except in the early morning and late at night in spite of population decline and a new motorway (Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway) in the area.

How about intercity services? As Miyafuku Line was opened in 1988, services to and from Kyoto run different routes today compared to those in 1973. Even so, the number of services and journey time are worth looking into. The tables below show Amanohashidate station, which is close to a famous and popular tourist spot with the same name.

Amanohashidate station (2023)
 Departing at  Arriving at 
 Hashidate 2 9:5012:07 (Kyoto)
 Hashidate 4 13:4716:06 (Kyoto)
 Hashidate 6 15:5118:07 (Kyoto)
 Hashidate 8 18:0820:21 (Kyoto)

Amanohashidate station (1973)
 Departing at  Arriving at 
 Tango 2 7:049:49 (Kyoto) 
 Tamba 3 9:0813:04 (Osaka) 
 Tango 4 10:1813:00 (Kyoto) 
 Tango 5 14:4417:37 (Kyoto) 
 Tamba 416:05 19:51 (Osaka) 
 Asashio 4 17:4019:59 (Kyoto) 

There are four limited express services today, but there were six services in 1973. However, it might not be fair to assert that the intercity services became inconvenient in the last 50 years. Express Tamba and Tango (very confusing names) ran different routes so that their duration was very different: Tamba ran via Fukuchiyama, Sasayamaguchi, Sanda and Takarazuka (Fukuchiyama Line), while Tango (and Limited Express Asashio) ran via Ayabe and Sonobe (San'in Main Line). The current Limited Express Hashidate services call at Fukuchiyama, but overall they run routes similar to Tango.

Today, trains from Amanohashidate to Kyoto take roughly 30 minutes shorter than those in 1973. Since trains between Kyoto and Osaka take only 30 minutes, Tamba route is apparently no longer useful. Hence, services in 2023 became slightly more convenient than 50 years ago.


Imbi Line

KiHa 120 series, a train currently used for Imbi Line

Finally, this article looks into Imbi Line between Chizu and Higashi-Tsuyama, one of the most unprofitable sections in western Japan. This area has been a scarcely populated region for centuries, but it was a part of main route connecting Okayama and Tottori until when Chizu Express opened in 1994. As all intercity services have shifted to the new railway, Imbi Line has been on the verge of permanent closure for more than 20 years.

The table below shows southbound services at Chizu station. "o" means trains for Okayama, "t" means Tsuyama. Bold ones are Express Sakyu.

Chizu station
 2023 timetable  1973 timetable 
5:52o
6:15t
8:17t8:16o
8:52o
11:36o
12:54t12:09o
13:41o
15:37o
16:29t16:39o
17:57t17:34o
19:24t19:20o
20:57t20:45t

Even without intercity services (Express Sakyu), it is patently obvious that the the railway in this region has become useless. Even though the number of regional services look almost the same, trains in the daytime have been cut dramatically. This is not only because of the population decline but also the extension of National Route 53. The road is well-maintained and cars can run faster than trains so that Imbi Line has become the dishonourable symbol of decline.


Since this article is not an academic essay, and focused only on five lines out of many rural railways in Japan, it is hard to come to conclusion. However, it is clear that not a few train operators have made their services more convenient than 50 years ago, and nobody should simply accuse those companies of taking no measures to maintain trains.

There are two possible implications: those with infrequent and few services could be improved by providing more trains, or it is already too late to save them. As many cities, towns and villages have to decide whether or not to maintain railways with huge amount of subsidies, they should carefully think if the railways can still be saved.

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