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Keio Dentetsu has released exterior and interior images of the new rolling stock it will use on reserved seat service to be introduced in the future. The order will be for 5 sets of 10 cars, to be built by J-TREC. Designated the 5000 series, they will begin operations in spring 2018. The seating will be of the rotatable type to match peak/off-peak conditions and reserved seat service. http://www.keio.co.jp/news/update/news_release/news_release2015/nr160316_zasekishiteiressha.pdf earlier thread: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/10046-keio-considering-for-fee-services/?hl=%2Bkeio+%2Bseating&do=findComment&comment=115321

Keisei Skyliner. Emphasizing the straightness and speed of the route, no doubt contrasting with JR East’s more circuitous and slow service, at least to Tokyo. Keio Railway Liner service. A long feature CM emphasizing the comfort the service provides for tired workers going home. Finally, a CM from Odakyu advertising their quad tracking becoming fully operational this month with the spring timetable revision.

Interesting speculative article about what Odakyu may see as its primary competitors. Kanto is seen as having less heated competition between railways than Kansai (save maybe Keikyu/Keisei vs. JR East), but this highlights a possible battleground for passenger traffic. As a result of its four track mainline project, Odakyu is targeting a 4.3% increase in passenger traffic by 2020. In daily terms, this comes to an increase of about 80,000 to 90,000 passengers from the current number. The first rival is Keio Dentetsu, for the Nagayama/Tama Center to Shinjuku traffic. Keio has the advantage in passenger numbers currently, with daily riders from Tama Center using Keio numbering 84,000 to Odakyu's 48,500. It could be the prospect of competition with Odakyu that has led to Keio introducing 5 new trainsets with reserved seating by spring 2018. Another railway many may think would be a rival is Tokyu, with their Den'entoshi Line. But this line is already running at or over capacity, and it could be said that a fractional diversion of traffic to the Odakyu Line would be welcomed by Tokyu. The article then proposes that Odakyu's biggest rival for passengers will be Sotetsu, which is currently building a line eventually connecting with Tokyu at Hiyoshi via Shin-Yokohama (completion spring 2019). Not to mention a connection with JR East. The market would be for passengers from the Ebina and Shonandai areas, which currently Odakyu holds an advantage (daily 135,000 pax vs. 113,000 and 88,000 pax vs. 27,000, respectively). Sotetsu has an advantage post-construction over Odakyu in that its services begin at these stations, so passengers boarding at these stations have a better chance of securing a seat all the way to Shinjuku, Shibuya or Meguro. Asked about whether Sotetsu is favoring promoting services to Shibuya, or to Meguro via Hiyoshi (Meguro Line), the president of Sotetsu Group said he wanted to promote both. http://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/121002

Last month the MLIT released a list of 58 railway road crossings which were top candidates for improvement (or elimination via grade separation). Keio Railway led the list with 25 railway crossings that posed safety risks and/or congestion choke points. Second on the list was JR Kyushu, with 6 locations. Third was JR Tokai, with 5 locations. The remaining railways had three or less candidate locations. It must be noted that the Keio Railway crossings in question will be eliminated with the completion of the (currently under construction) elevation of the Keio Main Line between Sasazuka and Sengawa (7.2km). http://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/118244 Actual list of those crossings, from the MLIT: http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001126608.pdf

This was mentioned in a thread on Ompuchaneru. Keio's mid-term business plan, released on May 8, mentions their study of for-fee services as a new revenue source. Unfortunately there are no concrete details. This is their 3-year plan covering this year to 2017. In 2020 JR East will have green cars on the Chuo Line. The Chuo and Keio's main line are roughly parallel, but fairly far apart for most of the distance. I'm not familiar with competition or "cross ridership" between these two lines. Is this a response to JR East? http://rail-uploader.khz-net.com/index.php?&id=44689 http://www.keio.co.jp/company/stockholder/results_briefing/pdf/2015_briefing_reference.pdf http://trafficnews.jp/post/39973/ http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASDZ07HYX_X00C15A5TI0000/

Uploader of these is, I assume, the Sagamihara municipal government. This is their 'town info' kind of thing from April 15, 1990. Coverage of the then-new Hashimoto Station starts at 2:33. Waiting rooms were non-smoking from the beginning, seems quite forward-thinking to me. In another episode of this, from November 1984, locations along the then-JNR, then-unelectrified Sagami Line are featured. At the time, the line had KIHA 35s, tablet safeworking, and apparently some manual and spring switches.

Keio, Tokyu, Seibu and Tokyo Metro now number there stations and I have issued revised route maps. Tokyu has a PDF map showing station numbers.There is an interactive version of this map on the Japanese language Tokyu web site that links through to station information pages. This version of the map is not on the English language Tokyu web page and I just happened to stumble upon it. The Tokyu map shows the name and color of Tokyo Metro through routings, something that is rare. PDF version http://www.tokyu.co.jp/railway/menu/rosen-web080602.pdf Interactive version http://www.tokyu.co.jp/railway/menu/station.html Seibu also has a new PDF map showing station numbers. Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line, Fukutoshin Line, and Tokyu Toyoko LIne stations served by through routed trains.are also shown. http://www.seibu-group.co.jp/railways/tourist/english/train_information/railwaysmap.pdf Keio also has added station numbers to their route map, but there is no info on stations served by through routed trains. http://www.keio.co.jp/english/railwaymap/map.pdf Tokyo Metro shows its own stations, but none of the station served by through routed lines. http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/subwaymap/pdf/routemap_en.pdf Tobu does not have an English route map. Keisei only has minimum of mapping. http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/timetable/ There is a Suica Pasmo Route Map on the JR East web site, but it only shows principal stations and no station numbering. http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/routemaps/pdf/RouteMap_majorrailsub.pdf The maps with station numbers and through routing are an improvement. Still there is a need for more information on through routing stops. The space requited for this may require a separate panel (on the reverse in a print version-for iinstance) to clearly present the services.

Tobu Daishi LIne This is a 1.0 km line and is a remnant of the proposed Tobu Nishi-Ita Line which was never completed and was intented to connect the two Tobu main lines, the Tobu Tojo and the Tobu Isesaki. Length 1 km Stations 2 2 car trains http://youtu.be/wjZEw4LXZzY Tobu Ogose Line This is a 10.9 km mostly single track branch line which had through service to Ikebukuro until the 1970s and connects the Tobu Tojo line with JR East Hachiko line. Length 10.9 km Stations 8 4 car trains Keio Inkokashira Line The Keio Inkoashira line runs from Shibuya to Kichijoji on the JR East Chuo Main Line. Like the Tokyu Oimachi line, the Inokashira line is a two track line with express service. The lone four track station is Eifukucho 6.0 km from Shibuya. As an ex-Odakyu line the Inkokashira line is built to the Odakyu gauge of 1067mm rather than the 1372mm gauge used by the other Keio lines. Connections are made with the Tokyu main lines, Saikyo line, Yamanonte line, Shonan-Shinjuku line at Shibuya, Odakyu at Shimo-Kitazawa, the Keio Main Line at Meidaimae and the Chuor LIne Rapid and Chuo-Sobu line at Kichijoji . Shibuya timetable http://www.keio.co.jp/english/shibuya/timetable.html Length 12.7 km Stations 17 5 car trains Next the Seibu stub lines....