Permanent closure of Hakodate Main Line

(Latest information was added on 26 Mar 2022)

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The future of railways in the northern island of Hokkaido has always been bleak, due to significant costs to tackle severe winter. Since JR Hokkaido has been struggling to run business even with considerable amount of money from the government, many lines were closed in the last 40 years.

On 3 February, Asahi Shimbun and other newspapers in Japan reported that a part of Hakodate Main Line would be closed in 2031, when Hokkaido Shinkansen high-speed rail is extended to Sapporo. Local governments have agreed with the permanent closure between Oshamambe and Yoichi, roughly 120 out of 423 km (or 75 out of 263 miles). Given the financial crisis of JR Hokkaido, such an announcement was a matter of time.

The section between Yoichi and Otaru (20 km or 12.4 miles) is also subject to closure, but it is still under discussion.

Class 7100 steam locomotive for Horonai Railway

Hakodate Main Line was first opened in 1880 as Horonai Railway, the fourth railway in the country. It was 22 miles 25 chains long, connecting Temiya in Otaru city and Sapporo, and extended again and again. The construction work completed in 1905, and the Line now connects Hakodate and Asahikawa via Oshamambe, Kutchan, Otaru and Sapporo.

Like other parts of the northern island of Hokkaido, this area has been scarcely populated except major cities like Hakodate, Otaru, Sapporo and Asahikawa. Even so, Hakodate Main Line had been once the most important railway in the island and heavily used by both passenger and freight trains. It had been a vital part of the railway network connecting Tokyo and Hokkaido.

However, Hakodate Main Line has many speed restrictions due to steep slopes. Therefore, Japanese National Railways decided to improve Muroran Main Line and Chitose Line tracks, another route that connects Oshamambe and Sapporo. As the project completed in 1980, the Muroran route has become the most important one in the area, as it was capable of more frequent services and faster trains. All intercity and freight trains have shifted from Hakodate Main Line to Muroran Main and Chitose Lines by 1986.

Timetable of northbound trains at Oshamambe

Time	Destination
06:03	Otaru
13:18	Kutchan
16:38	Otaru
20:04	Otaru

Since then, the section between Oshamambe and Otaru via Yoichi has had a very small number of passengers. According to the official statistics in 2018-19, there were 625 passengers per day on average. The annual revenue was 430 million yen (approx. 3.87 million USD), while it costed 2.79 billion yen (25.15 million USD). Niseko Town estimates that the number of passengers here would be less than 200 a day in 2060, as most people use bullet trains. Therefore, JR Hokkaido concluded that they could not maintain it.

There was an argument that Hakodate Main Line would play a crucial role in case of emergency. In fact, Muroran Main Line was partly closed and some limited express services and freight trains diverted when Mount Usu erupted in 2000. Looking back the history, it erupted in 1977, 1910, 1853, 1822, 1769 and 1663 - roughly every 40-100 years. Thus, critics pointed out that local economy would be struck hard if there was no alternative route especially for freight trains.

However, JR Freight dismissed the claim. In 2000, they were using Class DD51 diesel locomotives, which could run almost all lines in Hokkaido. However, these locomotives have already been withdrawn, and current rolling stock cannot enter the section in question on Hakodate Main Line due to weight restrictions and structure gauge. It would cost billions to solve them. Hence, JR Freight insisted that using lorries was far more practical in case of a natural disaster.

This area is known for stunning views

The story might not end here. The section between Yoichi and Otaru is also subject to a closure. Yoichi Town wishes the Line to be operational, and JR Hokkaido is looking for constructive negotiations with local governments. It is not likely to be closed as there are more than 1,000 passengers a day, but its fate depends on how much subsidies can local governments offer.

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On 26 March 2022, representatives of the Government of Hokkaido, Otaru City and Yoichi Town agreed with permanent closure of stations between Yoichi and Otaru (the yellow section on the map above), as retaining the railway would cost more than 20 billion yen (approx. 170 million USD) in 2030-60 and thus not affordable.

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.

Japan and the UK: the Causes of Train Disruption

Britain's trains are notorious for having terrible reliability, especially with regard to punctuality. They have been criticised as one of the worst railway systems in Europe because of too many delays and cancellations in spite of expensive train fares.

On the other hand, Japan's trains have often been praised as legendary, the most reliable public transport in the world. It is true that they are the most punctual in the world (alongside with The Netherlands and Switzerland), and Japanese people take it for granted. However, they are not always perfect, and small delays of 3-5 minutes are not uncommon. So, what cause delays in Japan, and how are they different from the UK?

This article briefly describes common reasons for train disruption. Since Japanese people prefer humble and indirect expressions, they use subtle words even in English, sometimes making them difficult to comprehend. They could slightly differ depending on companies, but in any case, they are different from what native speakers would say. Let us see how they can be translated to "National Rail language" in Britain.

1.     Passenger injury （人身事故）

This is what British railway companies call "a person being hit by a train". Sadly, this is quite common particularly in major cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Many people think it is suicide, but not necessarily. It includes blind person, a person concentrating on his/her smartphone too much or a drunk being hit by a train. It takes about 10 minutes when the person suffered from minor injury, while 60+ minutes if the person committed suicide, and it would be even longer when it is raining or at night, to collect "everything that belonged to him/her" (which implies parts of his/her body have been in a tragic condition).

The Transport Ministry has been encouraging railway companies to install platform edge doors to prevent unfortunate accidents, and hopefully the number of cases significantly decline in the near future. 

 

2.     Person on tracks （線路内人立入）

It is simple: "a trespasser on track". For example, if a person drops something (wallet, smartphone etc.) and he/she attempts to collect it by him/herself, it may halt trains nearby. Sometimes, a person enters and cross tracks where there is no level crossing or pedestrian bridge. Another possible cause is, again, a drunk.

 

3.     Safety check （安全確認）

It suggests a minor trouble, but its true reason may vary, such as a false alarm, a person unsuccessfully rushed on to a train (and probably his/her bag and its owner are separated by a door) or a reckless person/vehicle entering a closed level-crossing. And recently, platform edge doors often cause troubles as well. A minor signal trouble is another reason for it.

In addition, there is even something attributed to a train crew, such as an emergency stop triggered by a safety protection system because of exceeding a speed limit. It is sometimes called "signal inspection".

 

4.     Train inspection （車両点検, 車両故障）

It is equivalent to "a train fault" or "a broken down train". JR East tends to suffer from this trouble more frequently than other companies, as its trains are not "sturdy".

 

5.     Passenger rescue （急病人救護）

To be simple, "a person being taken ill". In Britain, it sometimes block the mainline for hours, but station staffs in Japan respond very quickly and thus train delays are kept to a minimum, like 5-10 minutes.

 

6.     Passengers trouble （お客様トラブル）

It is called "police incident" in Britain, but this term in Japan can be less serious, like quarrel, minor fighting, sexual harassment (but not assault) and so on. In most cases, station staffs kindly ask persons in question to leave the train and "humbly listen to" them at station building.

In the mid-2000s, JR East used even vaguer expression, "車内お客様ご案内" - which could be interpreted as "inviting a passenger on a train with the greatest respect (to leave)".

 

7.     Signal / point failure（信号故障、ポイント故障）

They are common technical failures. Point failure is a main cause of disruption when there is a significant snowfall in Tokyo, as points are frozen.

In the 1970s and 80s, extremists who were opposing the privatisation of Japanese National Railways severed signal and communication cables. But fortunately, such incident is extremely rare in these days. 

 

8.     Congestion（混雑）

It is the most common reason for delays during morning peak hours. Railway companies in major cities have been working hard to ease congestion, by introducing trains with larger bodies and more doors, making platforms wider and urging passengers to board or alight the train in an orderly fashion. Even so, not a few services in the morning are delayed for 2-5 minutes, especially when it is raining.

 

9.     Severe weather

Japan is prone to natural disasters, like torrential rains, landslides, floods, high winds, heavy snow and so on. It sometimes takes hours for services to be resumed. However, unlike in Britain, trains in Japan are not affected by a heatwave.

 

10.  Earthquake

Earthquake is another threat of natural disaster in Japan, but most of them do not matter. Generally speaking, if Shindo scale of Japanese Meteorological Agency is 4 of 1-7, train services could be suspended for minutes. If it is 5-lower, trains would be halted for hours. If it is more than 6-lower, it would take days or even weeks to be reinstated. Click here for the definitions of Shindo scale.

 

11.  Wild animals

(How many deer are there?)

There are various wild animals that could affect train services, but deer and wild boars account for 90% of those tragic accidents.

  

These eleven reasons are typical causes of train disruption in Japan. Most of them are common in the UK as well, except earthquake. Then, what are the main causes of delay in Britain that are extremely rare in Japan?

 

First, staff shortage ("a lack of available crew", "a train crew member being unavailable" etc.) never happens in Japan. Most railway companies secure a little more crews than actually necessary. It is often called "the spare shift", and each driver or conductor is allocated to it once a month (depending on companies). They usually tidy up rooms, cook meals, do some paperwork, or watch TV and eat chocolates or crisps. They get on trains when necessary, so that railway companies do not have to cancel services.

 

(The worst memory I have ever had in the UK)

Second, train shortage (like "a lack of available train", "more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time") does not happen in Japan either. Like train crews, railway companies have spare units to deal with unpredictable troubles. When it is extremely unlucky, there could be some cancellations, but not as many as in the UK.

 

Third, planned engineering work in Japan takes place generally less than once a year, while it is carried out far more frequently (like every weekend) in Britain. Hokkaido Shinkansen is one of few exceptions, as JR Hokkaido often cancels some bullet train services due to construction work in Seikan Tunnel.

 

Finally, strikes do not usually happen in Japan in these days. As noted above, trade unions of Japanese National Railways have been particularly aggressive in the 1970s-80s, but the privatisation successfully weakened those industrial actions. However, as the largest trade union of JR East declared in 2018 that it would not rule out resorting to such actions, the tranquillity might be over in the near future. Trade unions of private railways do not hold strikes either except that of Sotetsu, which recently carried out them in 2004, 2009 and 2014.

And in Japan, even when a train is delayed, it will never skip any station which is supposed to call at. When I was living in the UK, I was astonished to see a delayed train passing stations to make the delay shorter (and presumably to avoid refunds). Again, it never happens in Japan except in case of emergency, such as earthquake (e.g. the Osaka Earthquake in 2018) and terror attack (e.g. the Tokyo Sarin Attack in 1995).

 

In conclusion, Japanese trains are still very punctual compared to most countries, but it does not mean that everything always goes perfect. Therefore, it is a little bit risky to depend too much on a journey planner result, as something could go wrong. There is a very easy way to avoid such a trouble: plan your schedule with some extra time, especially when there is an important event such as taking exams.

An unusual level crossing in Zushi, south of Tokyo

In Zushi City (Kanagawa Prefecture, approximately 45 km south of Tokyo), there is an unusual, unsafe level crossing. It has been controversial for years, but JR East has finally decided to close it permanently on 20th August.

As an introduction, here is a brief summary of level crossing in Japan. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (hereinafter referred to as the Transport Ministry), there are 33,004 level crossings in Japan as of March 2020. Though halved in the last 50 years, there are still far more crossings than any major countries (probably except China and India). In Tokyo, there are roughly 13 times more than in New York and Berlin, 48 times more than in London and 89 times more than in Paris. Those in Japan are classified into four categories. Figures are based on the survey conducted by the Ministry.

• Category 1 crossings have automatic signals and barriers, or are controlled by staff. 90% of crossings in the country fall in this category.
• Category 2 crossings were controlled by staff but not all-day. When unstaffed, they were equivalent to Category 4. All of them were replaced with Category 1 crossings by 1985.
• Category 3 crossings have automatic signals but no barrier. There are 684 crossings in the country, or 2%.
• Category 4 crossings do not have neither of them. There are 2,603 crossings in Japan, approximately 7.9%. They are mostly in rural areas.

Needless to say, Category 4 level crossings are unsafe, and the Transport Ministry has been urging railway companies to close them, or at least upgrade them to Category 1. Even though the Ministry has been subsidising the cost of dealing with unsafe crossings, it is not always easy for railway companies to do so.

Yamanone Crossing on JR Yokosuka Line is one of them, which is about 500 metres east of Zushi station. There are several Category 4 crossings in Tokyo and surrounding areas, but most of them are not frequently used, such as on freight lines with few trains a day or even a month. However, Yokosuka Line is a major line so that there are three trains per hour on each direction, and more in peak hours.

There are many signs warning people to be very careful, and avoid using it as much as possible, to prevent accidents. The Crossing is only for pedestrians, and no vehicle is allowed. The traffic sign on the left shows that even bicycle is no exception, but many local residents might not realise the rule.

Unlike other Category 4 level crossings, the Yamanone Crossing is large as there are nine tracks. From north to south, there are J-TREC siding (towards railway factory, unelectrified), down and up mainlines and six Zushi Siding tracks. The first one is generally used only once or twice a month, while trains on two mainlines run frequently as mentioned above.

The last six tracks are more complicated, as there is no timetable available to the public. Shunting trains pass the Crossing quite often particularly during peak hours. And ironically, they are when many people cross the tracks.

It is 36 metres long and only two metres wide. Since it is really long, there are another fence and signs in the middle of the Crossing. I suspect that trains do not stop if a pedestrian stays in that area when he/she could not make it, but I was not brave enough to try it.

The permanent closure of the Crossing has been discussed for years. On the one hand, JR East and Zushi City have been eager to close it because of safety concerns. According to members of Zushi Assembly, about 400 people use it every day, and sadly there were a few accidents. Victims are generally the elderly, but a schoolchild died in the past, resulted in changes of primary school districts, to allow children going to school without using the Crossing.

On the other hand, local residents were reluctant to agree with the permanent closure, as it would take more to access to the city centre or railway stations, particularly Zushi Hayama station of Keikyu. JR East suggested that using a Category 1 Crossing near JR Zushi station will merely take two extra minutes, but some local residents insisted that the elderly cannot walk as fast as young people so that it would take more than five extra minutes, and it would be inconvenient.

The main purpose of the closure is obviously to prevent accidents, and the elderly who cannot walk quickly are always prone to such accidents in the Crossing. Therefore, JR East and the local government finally dismissed such claims, and decided to close it.

The longest busy Category 4 level crossing in Greater Tokyo Area is about to end. It will surely dissatisfy some local residents, but nothing is more important than safety. The closure of the Yamanone Crossing will hopefully give impetus to abolish other Category 4 crossings in the country, especially those in residential areas.

*All photos were taken on 27 July 2021