14 September, 2024

Green Cars for Chuo Line

JR East announced that the Green Car service for Chuo Line (Rapid) and Ome Line would start in spring 2025 ("the first-half of March 2025", to be exact). Chuo Line services between Tokyo and Otsuki as well as some Ome Line services between Tachikawa and Ome will have first class coaches. The company also announced that the Green Cars would be available free of charge from 13 October 2024 as a provisional measure, envisaging that the trial period would result in many commuters using the Green Car on a daily basis next year.


JR East has been focusing on the Green Car project on Chuo Line, which consists not only introducing new carriages but also platform extension work and rearrangement of signalling system and other facilities. Each orange commuter train is now formed of ten coaches (or 6+4), but two Green Cars will be inserted to each unit. The E233 series units will be rearranged to 12-car (or 8+4) trains in due course.

As this blog explained nearly two years ago, JR East has provided the first class coaches free of charge for a few weeks before launching the new service. Chuo Line is no exception, though the trial period will be longer than before.


Green Car fares
- Suica  Paper ticket 
 1-50 km  750 yen  1,010 yen 
 51-100 km  1,000 yen  1,260 yen 

The Green Car fares are based on distance, and they are the same as those for other lines. Note that the actual distance of 50.1 km or more is classified as "51-100 km". In case of Chuo and Ome Lines, typical examples for these two classifications are as follows:

  • 1-50 km
    • Tokyo - Nishi-Hachioji
    • Yotsuya - Takao
    • Tokyo - Hamura (Ome Line)
    • Yotsuya - Ome
  • 51-100 km
    • Shinjuku or further east - Takao or further west
    • Tachikawa or further east - Otsuki
    • Tokyo - Ozaku or further west (Ome Line)

However, the Green Car service for Chuo and Ome Lines is slightly different to that for other lines in the Greater Tokyo Area. According to JR East's rules, a Green Car ticket for other lines (namely Tokaido, Takasaki, Utsunomiya and Joban Lines including Shonan-Shinjuku and Ueno-Tokyo Lines, as well as Yokosuka, Sobu Lines and their relevant lines in Chiba Prefecture) allows using two different lines if two trains go towards the same direction. For example, a passenger can travel from Atami (Tokaido Line) to Chiba (Sobu Line) via Totsuka with just one ticket. However, the ticket for Chuo and Ome Lines is only valid for these two lines. Thus, if a passenger wishes to travel from Mitaka (Chuo Line) to Chiba via Tokyo, he/she will have to purchase two tickets.

JR East envisages that the Green Cars will be another source of revenue and ease congestion of Chuo Line services. However, it is not certain if many passengers will use the first class after the "trial period". Given the high price, short journey time and limited scope of the ticket, there might be fewer daily users than the company anticipates.

at No comments:
Labels: ,

07 September, 2024

Nicchu Line and its ruins

On 1 April 1984, Nicchu Line in Northeastern Japan was closed. It was just 11.6 km (7.2 miles) long, a small rural railway operated by Japanese National Railways. 40 years have passed since then, but its ruins remain as a museum and a promenade. They are not well-known tourist spots but worth a visit.


Nicchu Line opened in 1938 between Kitakata and Atsushio stations in Fukushima Prefecture. It was supposed to be part of so-called Yagan-u Line connecting Imaichi in Tochigi Prefecture and Yonezawa in Yamagata Prefecture. The proposed Yagan-u Line was parallel to an old road called Shimotsuke Kaido that dates back to the mid-17th century. Shimotsuke Kaido was part of the shortest route between Edo (now Tokyo) and Aizu Province and thus heavily used for distribution of goods (e.g. salt, hemp) as well as transporting rice. Hence, the Japanese Government decided to construct a new railway in 1922.

The Yagan-u Line project was unsuccessful. A year after Nicchu Line opened, the Second Sino-Japanese War began. In addition, the Second World War devastated everything in the country so that the project was effectively abandoned by JNR.

The word Nicchu usually means daytime in Japanese, and it sometimes mean Japan-China relation. However, Nicchu Line was derived from a nearby hot spring called Nicchu Onsen. Due to the small number of services, it was often called "Nicchu Line that never runs in the daytime". In fact, there had only been three trains a day since 1958. The below timetables show how many trains ran in 1968, and there had only been a minimal change after that.

(Northbound)
 Kitakata  6:12  16:01  18:35 
 Aizu-Muramatsu  6:20  16:09  18:43 
 Kamisanmiya  6:26  16:16  18:50 
 Aizu-Kano  6:40  16:31  18:59 
 Atsushio  6:49  16:39  19:08 

(Southbound)
 Atsushio  7:02  16:50  19:18 
 Aizu-Kano  7:15  17:04  19:30 
 Kamisanmiya  7:23  17:11  19:37 
 Aizu-Muramatsu  7:29  17:19  19:43 
 Kitakata  7:35  17:25  19:49 

Atsushio station building had been well known as an adorable western-style one. It was about to fall into ruin, but fortunately JNR decided not to tear it down when the line was permanently closed. It was repaired and became Nicchu Line Museum in 1987, owned and managed by Kitakata City Board of Education.


The museum is free of charge, though donation is appreciated. There were quite a few photos, tickets and signboards of Nicchu Line as well as uniforms of staff. Tracks were removed by 1985, but the space is now used as a playground for children as well.


There are two static displays. This is 60 series coach (OHaFu 61-2752), converted in 1955 from an even older wooden carriage. Nicchu Line services were always loco-hauled and no diesel multiple unit was used until the very end. There is also Ki 100 series snow blower by the coach.


Outside the station building, there are disused level crossings and a turntable. The turntable, which is 200 yards south of the station itself, was abandoned by the early-1940s as Nicchu Line was so short and trains were so slow that there was no need to reverse a steam locomotive. The maximum speed of the line was set to 75 km/h (46 mph), but it is hard to believe that trains ran at such speed.


There is another ruin of Nicchu Line: a promenade often used by local residents. It now looks like an ordinary road for pedestrians and bicycles, but there was a train track until 40 years ago. Rails were mostly removed, but remain for a few metres with a steam locomotive Class C11 and an old shunter. The promenade is also known for having more than 1,000 cherry trees (weeping cherry trees), and it is one of the best cherry blossoms spot in Fukushima Prefecture.

Both the museum and the promenade are not close to the city centre of Kitakata. In fact, it is difficult to access to the museum without car. Even so, they are disused railway facilities that have successfully been managed by local governments, and thus anyone visiting the area are recommended adding them to their itinerary.

at No comments:
Labels:

24 August, 2024

Adverse effect of Suica network expansion

JR East has been expanding Suica network, which a contactless smart card for train fare payment, can be used. In spring 2025, "Tokyo Suburbs" (東京近郊区間) will be extended from Matsumoto to Nagano (Shinonoi and Shin-etsu Main Line) and Hodaka (Oito Line), allowing passengers to use their Suica or other similar cards (e.g. PASMO and ICOCA). This decision has mostly been welcomed by tourists and businesspeople across the region, but there is an adverse effect: a ticket will be valid only for a day regardless of distance, and nobody will be allowed to break one's journey even when using a paper ticket.

Breaking a journey or a stopover is called 途中下車 (tochu gesha) in Japanese. According to Article 156 of the Rules of Passenger Services, a passenger having a certain standard fare ticket can make unlimited stopovers, specifically:

  • If the journey is longer than 100 km; AND
  • No backtrack or passing a station/section more than twice; OR
  • Unless specifically written on the ticket.
  • If the journey starts from or ends at certain zones (namely Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Niigata, Sendai and nearby areas thereof), it is NOT allowed to make a stopover inside those zones.
  • Different rules may be applied to a journey via Shinkansen high-speed rail.

The problem is the fourth condition. Generally speaking, Tokyo suburbs means the Greater Tokyo Area, which consists of Greater Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa Prefectures. In some cases, Gunma, Tochigi and Ibaraki Prefectures are also included, and these six prefectures and Tokyo are commonly known as Kanto region. However, JR East adopts its own definition that is far wider than them. The following map shows how disproportionately large it is. Hodaka station is not included as it is just 16 km (10 miles) from Matsumoto.


(*The map is based on the one provided by Illust Stock, and used in accordance with its terms & policies.)

The map above shows stations outside the Kanto region but still being included in the "Tokyo Suburbs" that JR East defines. Namie, Matsumoto and Ito stations are the end of the Suburbs though they are in Fukushima, Nagano and Shizuoka Prefectures respectively. Stations as far as Nagano will also be covered in spring as mentioned further above. The table below shows how distant those stations are from Tokyo or the closest station in the genuine Greater Tokyo Area.

 Namie  274 km from Tokyo  90 km from Ōtsukō 
 Matsumoto  235 km from Tokyo  169 km from Fujino 
 Ito  121 km from Tokyo  22 km from Yugawara 
 (Nagano*)  298 km from Tokyo  232 km from Fujino 
(*Via Chuo Main Line. Hokuriku Shinkansen is excluded as different rules are applied.)

The least controversial one might be Ito station, which is less than 14 miles from Yugawara station in Kanagawa Prefecture. However, it is hard to find any justification with regard to the other three.

Suica and relevant cards are available in the area, but it might not be beneficial for long-distance travellers. In accordance with the aforementioned Rules, any journey in the "Tokyo Suburbs" regardless of distance does not allow a stopover even with a paper ticket. Therefore, for example, a person from Mito to Matsumoto can never break his or her journey at Tokyo or Shinjuku despite the distance of the entire journey being more than 370 km (230 miles). This figure is longer than the journey between Tokyo and Nagoya or Sendai, or the one between Osaka and Hiroshima.


Buying two or more separate tickets will be costly. There is a solution to avoid the rules being applied even though they are not always feasible. If a journey starts or ends near any "border" stations of the Suburbs, buy a ticket from or to an adjacent station. For example, Kofu station is a border of JR East and JR Central. When going from Tokyo to Kofu, buy a ticket from Tokyo to Kanente station, less than a mile from Kofu station. Kanente is on Minobu Line operated by JR Central so that the ticket will not be subject to the Rules, and thus it will be allowed to break one's journey (and the ticket will be valid for two days). However, anyone who tries this method should be careful as the entire cost could be higher in some cases as the distance will be longer.

Suica extension is generally welcomed by local residents and tourists as it is simply convenient, but it is not always beneficial for long-distance travellers. Fare calculation is always extremely confusing in any country, but it is essential to study it to avoid unnecessary expenditures.

at No comments:
Labels: ,

10 August, 2024

Stopgap trains for Chuo Line

Chuo Line (Rapid) is arguably the most important and heavily used commuter rail in Tokyo. It has always been known since the late-1950s for having rolling stock with the latest technologies as they are developed. Today, the short-distance services are mostly provided by 10-car E233 series, and two Green Cars (first class coaches) will be inserted to each unit next year...but there are exceptions.


Those who frequently use Chuo Line may have seen old-fashioned trains. They are 209 series, which have been well-maintained, but they do not appear as clean as the E233 series due to their age. The 209 series have slightly better acceleration than that of the E233 series, but their air-conditioning is not as good as the newer trains and there is no TV-like monitors above each door. Hence, not a few commuters are dissatisfied with them.


The two 10-car 209 series units were initially introduced to Joban Line (Local) and through-service to Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line in 1999. They were replaced with the E233 series in 2018 as the 209 series was not compatible with through-service to Odakyu lines. Most railway enthusiasts believed that they would soon be sent for scrap as they were nearly 20 years old then.


However, both units made a dramatic comeback in the following year. As Chuo Line trains were to be equipped with Green Cars and an accessible toilet, JR East decided to use them as spare units and avoid train shortages while the E233 series on Chuo Line was being converted. A trade union anticipated that the stopgap trains would be operational for five more years.

As the 209 series units are old and very different to the E233 series, they generally run between Tokyo and Takao stations in accordance with fixed schedules. Their work always start from and end at Toyoda station, which is adjacent to a depot they belong. Even when there is a sudden change due to disruptions (which are quite common), robust adjustments are always made to ensure that they terminate at Toyoda station at night, no matter how confusing it may be for both passengers and staff.


Everybody knows that the stopgap trains will be withdrawn by 2025 when all commuter trains on Chuo Line are rearranged from 10 to 12 coaches including Green Cars. However, the trade union revealed that Train Automatic Stop-position Controller, a train protection system and automated stopping aid which 209 series is not compatible with, will be in use "no earlier than September this year". Hence, both 209 series units might retire as early as late-September.

Those who wish to see the 209 series should do so before it is too late. The current fixed schedules for the 209 series are as follows ("M-K" means Musashi-Koganei, bold letters means Chuo Special Rapid services). Note that an ordinary E233 series could run instead when the 209 series is not available due to minor maintenance work.

97T
(Weekdays)
 Toyoda (5:44) → Tokyo (6:40) 
 Tokyo (6:46) → Takao (7:57) 
 Takao (8:03) → Tokyo (9:19) 
 Tokyo (9:22) → Toyoda (10:22) 
 Toyoda (15:39) → Tokyo (16:42) 
 Tokyo (16:48) → Takao (18:02) 
 Takao (18:13) → Tokyo (19:24) 
 Tokyo (19:26) → Toyoda (20:28) 
 Toyoda (20:35) → Tokyo (21:35) 
 Tokyo (21:38) → Toyoda (22:40) 

99T
(Weekdays only)
 Toyoda (06:07) → Takao (6:18) 
 Takao (6:26) → Tokyo (7:45) 
 Tokyo (7:47) → Takao (8:59) 
 Takao (9:05) → Tokyo (10:23) 
 Tokyo (10:27) → Takao (11:44) 
 Takao (11:51) → Tokyo (12:52) 
 Tokyo (12:58) → Takao (14:14) 
 Takao (14:23) → Tokyo (15:45) 
 Tokyo (15:51) → Takao (16:51) 
 Takao (17:02) → Tokyo (18:06) 
 Tokyo (18:10) → M-K (18:50) 
 M-K (19:08) → Tokyo (19:50) 
 Tokyo (19:55) → Tachikawa (20:50) 
 Tachikawa (20:57) → Tokyo (21:51) 
 Tokyo (7:47) → Takao (8:59) 
 Tokyo (21:55) → Toyoda (22:59) 

97T
(Weekends & Holidays)
 Toyoda (12:00) → Tokyo (13:00) 
 Tokyo (13:03) → Toyoda (14:02) 
at 3 comments:
Labels: ,

27 July, 2024

HITACHI, from Tokyo to Sendai

Introduction

Sendai, a city in Miyagi Prefecture with a population of 1.1 million people, is approximately 305 km (190 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Most people use Shinkansen high-speed rail, but there is another railway that connects the two cities: Limited Express Hitachi. This article is about its timetables, fares and comparison with Shinkansen and other alternatives. There are also old timetables of Hitachi.


What is Hitachi?

Hitachi often refers to a company specialising in high technology, developing and producing various things including nuclear power plants, trains, lifts and escalators as well as healthcare products. However, Hitachi in this article means a series of limited express service operated by JR East.

The name of limited express Hitachi stems from Hitachi Province, which was first established in the late 7th century. Today, it mostly corresponds to the same area as Ibaraki Prefecture, which is why the limited express has been named as such.


Limited express Hitachi mostly runs between Shinagawa in Tokyo and Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture via Joban line, and all services have been heavily used by businesspeople. In addition, there is a similar limited express called Tokiwa, which is shorter and call at more stations than Hitachi.

Just three out of fifteen services in each direction per day are extended to Sendai. Hitachi between Shinagawa and Sendai is the second longest train service in Japan (in terms of distance, excluding bullet trains and night trains) after limited express Nichirin Seagaia that runs between Hakata and Miyazaki Airport via Oita.

All services have been provided by E657 series since 2015. As it happens, 60 out of 190 carriages in total were built by rolling stock manufacturing division of Hitachi, Ltd.


These services call at small stations on the Pacific coast of Fukushima Prefecture including Futaba, the closest station to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The area has been decontaminated so that the station and a nearby community centre are no longer off-limits, but a large part of the town has had a high level of radiation, and thus it has still been designated as "difficult-to-return zone". That is why, the station itself looks abandoned even thirteen years after the triple disasters.


Timetables

A trip between Tokyo and Sendai stations by the fastest high-speed train, Hayabusa on Tohoku Shinkansen, takes just 90 minutes. Meanwhile, even the fastest Hitachi between those stations takes nearly 4.5 hours. Timetables as of 2024 are as follows.


They are clearly not for passengers going from Tokyo to Sendai and vice versa. Given that all of these trains call at small stations in Fukushima and northern Ibaraki Prefectures, it seems that JR East targets businesspeople to and local residents in the area. In fact, when I took Hitachi 3 from Tokyo to Sendai, nobody on a carriage I had been went through the entire journey.


The journey was more comfortable than I thought, probably because the train has been equipped with active suspension (though the train got a little bumpy in the disaster zone due to poor maintenance work). This is how a standard-class seat looks like. It is spacious and has a reclining function and a table. Free Wi-Fi is also available. A trolley service with foods and drinks is available on some trains.


Fares

JR bullet trains and limited express trains require a special ticket in addition to a standard fare ticket, and Hitachi is no exception. A pair of single tickets from Tokyo to Sendai (and vice versa) costs as follows. Note that all fares are normal period prices (not peak, busy or off-peak periods) as of 2024.

   Tohoku Shinkansen   
 Hayabusa  Yamabiko  Hitachi 
 Standard fare  6,050 yen  6,050 yen  6,380 yen 
 Additional fare  5,360 yen  5,040 yen  2,900 yen 
 Total amount  11,410 yen  11,090 yen  9,280 yen 
 Journey time  90 mins  120 mins  4.5 hrs 

Hitachi is cheaper than bullet trains, but given the duration of the journey, it might not offer good value for money. Eki-net, an online reservation service that is highly unpopular even among Japanese users due to an unfriendly user interface and lack of coverage, offers discount tickets for smartphone app users.

   Tohoku Shinkansen   
 Hayabusa  Yamabiko  Hitachi 
 Paper 
tickets		 11,410 yen  11,090 yen  9,280 yen 
 e-ticket  11,210 yen  10,890 yen  9,180 yen 
 Ticketless 
35% off		 -  -  8,260 yen 

The 35% discount for Hitachi is applied only to a limited express ticket while the standard fare remains unchanged. Hence, even with the Eki-net, it is not as cheap as everybody expected.

Another option is that purchasing a single ticket from "Tokyo to Ueno via Joban line, Sendai and Tohoku Shinkansen (or via Tohoku Shinkansen, Sendai and Joban line)", in which case a de facto return standard ticket costs 9,870 yen while a genuine return standard ticket is 12,100 yen. A long one-way ticket is generally cheaper than a return ticket of the same distance, and with the Eki-net discount, it could be much cheaper. However, this option is not available for those going from Sendai to Tokyo.

Even so, none of them is cheaper than coaches. A coach between Shinjuku Bus Terminal and Sendai usually costs 3,000 – 5,000 yen. It takes around five hours (or more when there is a traffic jam), but it is always more attractive than trains when it comes to cost. Hence, Hitachi is recommended only to travellers who are particularly interested in train journeys.


From old timetables

Finally, it might be interesting to see some old timetables and see how Joban line intercity trains between Tokyo and Sendai have changed in the last 50 years. Note that Iwaki station was called Taira until 1994.




at No comments:
Labels: ,