Keio considering for-fee services

[miyakoji]

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/

[bikkuri bahn]

I'm not knowledgeable about the traffic patterns there, but the image I have is that Keio serves the more southern portions of the Tokyo suburbs in the Tamagawa region, particularly the Tama Hill suburbs south of the Tama River, and that competition occurs more in the outer ends, starting around Hino City and then Hachioji.

 

Apparently Keio is the only company among the Big 16 railways that doesn't have any non-longitudinal seating rolling stock, so any fee-for-seat service will require new rolling stock.

[railsquid]

Apparently Keio is the only company among the Big 16 railways that doesn't have any non-longitudinal seating rolling stock, so any fee-for-seat service will require new rolling stock.

 

Tokyu doesn't either.

 

Speculating off the top of my head, I imagine current and future line upgrades will provide more timetabling flexibility, and some kind of reserved "liner" service for commuters from the Toei Shinjuku line (similar to what Odakyu provides from the Chiyoda line) might be being considered (which would also compete with Odakyu on the Tama service). Keio doesn't really serve any far-away tourist locations or airports in the way e.g. Odakyu, Tobu or Keisei do but if they have trains for a commuter service, maybe they can re-use those at weekends for expresses to Takaosan?

[bikkuri bahn]

Tokyu doesn't either.

 

The article I read was splitting hairs, but actually there is (was?) on the Tokyu 9000 series, in a corner.

[railsquid]

Well put it another way, they don't run any reserved-seat limited services, or AFAIK have any suitable stock.

[kvp]

To get new reserved seats the trivial solution might be to add a green car trailer or even a bilevel one to existing stock. On the other hand, for fee services could include other things, like a cafe/bar coaches or just placing vending machines on the platforms.

[bikkuri bahn]

I think the proposal is along the lines of dedicated "home liner" trains to run during the peak hours, similar in concept to Tobu's TJ Liner or Keikyu's Wing.

[Sacto1985]

 

Speculating off the top of my head, I imagine current and future line upgrades will provide more timetabling flexibility, and some kind of reserved "liner" service for commuters from the Toei Shinjuku line (similar to what Odakyu provides from the Chiyoda line) might be being considered (which would also compete with Odakyu on the Tama service). Keio doesn't really serve any far-away tourist locations or airports in the way e.g. Odakyu, Tobu or Keisei do but if they have trains for a commuter service, maybe they can re-use those at weekends for expresses to Takaosan?

 

I do think Keio is looking at some sort of dedicated service more like the JR East Home Liner service, starting primarily at Takao Station on the Keio Takao Line. And with good reason: JR East's plan to put in bi-level Green Cars on their E233's running the Chūō Main Line Rapid Service that starts mostly from Takao from 2018. As such, to keep up with JR East, Keio needs to offer something better for commuters from the western wards of Tokyo.

[Guest keio6000]

I always thought a good idea would somply to charge an additional fee to sit in some particular car with no change to it. Basically, you pay for the fact that fewer people will pay to be in the car thus more space. A few trivial upgrades to the car, such as a nicer floor pr upgraded upholstery may help.

 

Keio pattern is that people get on and off everywhere thos going from shinjuku to keio hachioji are not that many. That said, they used to have special takao headmarked trains for wekeend excursions to takaosanguchi maybe those will return as nonstop services on weekends.

[Guest keio6000]

The article I read was splitting hairs, but actually there is (was?) on the Tokyu 9000 series, in a corner.

 

don't forget about the setagaya line 300 series single longitudinal seats.

[bikkuri bahn]

The railway is not Keio, but rather Keikyu, but seated service(300 yen a ride on top of the fare) in the morning began on Dec.7. Two services from Miura Kaigan to Shinagawa, with one going on to Senkakuji. Poster spotted at Keikyu Tsurumi: