Stereotypes about different railway companies and their staff

[trainsforever8]

Hey guys, I was wondering if there were any stereotypes people have on some railways and their staffs, like for example are there railway companies known for having rude employees or for having old or unclean trains? 

[katoftw]

new and clean trains - japan

old and unclean trains - rest of world outside japan

[ToniBabelony]

Here is a comic that humoristically depicts (certain) different public views of Hankyū, JR West and Hanshin. Upper-class, middle-class and lower-class transportation.

 

[JR 500系]

Here is a comic that humoristically depicts (certain) different public views of Hankyū, JR West and Hanshin. Upper-class, middle-class and lower-class transportation.

 

1319930649517.jpg

 

Haha! That's a good one!

 

Is Hanshin really THAT bad??

[ToniBabelony]

Is Hanshin really THAT bad??

 

Seeing it is a comic, it blows up reality (satire). As I have never been there, I can't tell from personal experience if this is really the case and I can't be bothered to research this phenomenon at the moment. However, social classes in general give their living environment a certain atmosphere which sets the public status quo in that area.

[Kitayama]

Hankyu runs closer to the mountains where more "rich" people live. Hanshin runs closer to the harbour areas. So IF there is any difference between the three lines, they are just a reflection of the areas they are serving.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

I think also Hankyu is renowned for being the cleanest operator in Japan.  From personal experience the trains have always been immaculate.

[ToniBabelony]

Hankyu runs closer to the mountains where more "rich" people live. Hanshin runs closer to the harbour areas. So IF there is any difference between the three lines, they are just a reflection of the areas they are serving.

Hence the upper and lower classes ;)

[miyakoji]

Is the woman in the hankyu panel labeled アシヤのお媛? It's difficult to see the last character. I've heard of Ashiya before, is it really such an exclusive place?

[Sacto1985]

I think JR West used to have a lower-class reputation, but now that they're running modern 223/225 EMU's from Osaka (Umeda) westward on the Sanyo Main Line and Fukuchiyama Line, their reputation has improved a lot, in my humble opinion!  :)

[railsquid]

See also this recent thread.

 

I recall when I was a student in the 1990s that Odakyu was said to have a bad reputation, though I could never work out why.

[trainsforever8]

What's funny is that most Japanese people I see here in Montreal are from Ibaraki prefecture so they are familiar with the Joban line. I also met lots of them who use Odakyu a lot. I personally really like Odakyu, I have never been to Japan so naturally, it would be difficult for me to try to guess what Japanese people and tourists alike think of each railway. I wonder what reputation does Tokyu have?

[bikkuri bahn]

Hanshin trains are very clean and the service is fine. It is also paet of the Hankyu group. It has a blue collar image like Keikyu.

 

Odakyu has a good image. Perhaps the bad rap from the past was due to service disruptions. My cousin attended Tamagawa Gakuen, and he said there were frequent suicides by train back in the day. Don't know about now.

[Sacto1985]

By the way, Don't think Hankyu is all high-class and Hanshin is all lower class. Hanshin Nishinomiya Station is a really nice station, and Hankyu Jūsō Station is right next to Osaka's famous red-light district.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Sacto1985

[ToniBabelony]

I live in Kanagawa, so I can only speak from personal experience and things I have heard from other people (mostly railway fans and friends that are a bit deeper in the railway thing (model train companies, museum staff, etc.). I'm keeping it as well to the commuter companies here.

 

Odakyu has a good reputation. Maybe a lot of suicides, but I don't know the statistics about this, so I can't go into this. I do know these usually cause a one hour delay. There are a lot of universities and colleges around the line, as well as living areas, which results in a lot of drunk people in the evening. These are the usual suspects like the white collar middle-class and students. Blue collar workers (like Keikyū) are less present. Next to that, they have dedicated limited express trains (Romance Cars), which are rare with Kanagawa oriented private railways. The Odakyū stations, especially the renovated ones, are usually sparkling clean and relatively chic in their utilitarian look. Especially in Setagaya-ku, one of the most exclusive places to live in Tokyo. Maybe the most successful operator, as they have access to major tourist spots (Enoshima, Hakone, Odawara and Oyama), as well as incorporated important transport companies (Enoden, Hakone Tozan, Kanachū, etc.) that provide feeder services for their trains.

 

Tōkyū runs through rather expensive places, so naturally the reputation and ridership is of a higher income class in general. High-density operation and service are the main traits. The Tōkyū stations, when new, are very modern and have interesting architecture incorporated. Old stations are wood and breathe a warm atmosphere. Especially smaller stations along the Ōimachi, Tamagawa and Ikegami lines are fantastic in this regard. Tōkyū also owns a swath of real estate, Izukyū and BookOff to name a few more operations, making their railway operations fantastic to connect these venues.

 

Sōtetsu is generally seen as just a people mover between the countryside of Kanagawa and Yokohama. High-density operation with visual signals (ATS-P), long trains, high speeds, lots of curves and strange experimental rolling stock. Apart from that, Sōtetsu (Holdings) isn't much of a player compared to Odakyū and Tōkyū. They however have no direct competition going on in regard to railway operations.

 

Keikyū is indeed the blue-collar operator. Highly competitive with JR East between Shinagawa and Yokohama and all the way to the depth of the Miura peninsula and Zushi. Very fast trains, high density operation and a lot of factory workers (as the network largely passes the industrial coast). Keikyū is seen as the most fun railway company in the area by many. Though highly uncomfortable at times (imagine a packed 2100 series with its transverse seating), many people learn to love this company, even if they have no interest in trains at all (I've heard it on quite a few occasions from old study colleagues).

 

Yokohama Municipal Subway is indeed a municipally operated network with public funding, so profit is not the main goal of this company. Until recently there were only local trains, but a rapid service has been introduced on the very long Blue Line last month, improving service quality. This network is seen as purely utilitarian and has no tourism credentials, except for the sightseeing buses. Riding fees however are quite low and are a fixed ¥110 for children during holiday seasons. Service is excellent, though the seats are low and trains rather spartan in general.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Toni Babelony

[Sacto1985]

Toni, Tokyu has a strong presence in the Setagaya-ku ward, especially with the Den-en-toshi Line. Small wonder why the new Futako Tamagawa RISE development is going up in part of Setagaya-ku right on the north shore of the Tama River.

 

I'd love to see what railfans in the Tokyo think of Keio, Seibu, Tobu and Keisei lines. Tobu is well-known for its tourist trains to Nikko and the nearby Kinugawa Onsen and has extensive rail service in the northern Kanto Plain.

[Ochanomizu]

I recall when I was a student in the 1990s that Odakyu was said to have a bad reputation, though I could never work out why.

 

I have see Odakyu ticket staff leave their seat, come out of their office and escort a pair of German tourists travelling Shinjuku-Hakone down to the platform right to the very door of the train.  Although I'm not a regular user of Odakyu, the company has had a good reputation as long as I can remember.

[ToniBabelony]

Toni, Tokyu has a strong presence in the Setagaya-ku ward, especially with the Den-en-toshi Line. Small wonder why the new Futako Tamagawa RISE development is going up in part of Setagaya-ku right on the north shore of the Tama River.

 

I know and I said so in my previous post. What is the reason of mentioning this to me?

[Nick_Burman]

BB mentioned elsewhere that Sotetsu was the "cabbage patch line", known better for bringing stones to fill in land around Yokohama than for the passenger service...

 

 

My impression of Japanese railways is that both trains and service were excellent, regardless of the operator. But then I'm saying that from the point of view of someone who lives in an oversized banana republic...

 

 

Cheers NB

[ToniBabelony]

BB mentioned elsewhere that Sotetsu was the "cabbage patch line", known better for bringing stones to fill in land around Yokohama than for the passenger service...

 

That is until 1990 when Sōtetsu joined the ranks of 大手私鉄 (big private railway) and abolished freight transport in 1998. Now it is a transformed company with intense passenger traffic.

[Guest ___]

To be honest, I'm pretty impressed and really like Hankyu, but I don't think of them as a "rich" people's train. I rode them extensively from my hotel in 2010 from Shinosako,and there's nothing classy with Shinosaka and most of the stations east seem pretty sub-middle class.

[JR 500系]

To be honest, I'm pretty impressed and really like Hankyu, but I don't think of them as a "rich" people's train. I rode them extensively from my hotel in 2010 from Shinosako,and there's nothing classy with Shinosaka and most of the stations east seem pretty sub-middle class.

 

I haven't wrote on the Hankyu before, but I do quite like them, the seats look really comfortable esp the 9000 series and some of the interiors are in warm white which makes the train interior look a little more classy:

 

[trainsforever8]

What about Keihan railway? I like their trains a lot and I especially love their elegant looking limited express trains.

[Kb4iuj]

It probably a good idea to have the nicer new trains in the area of the wealthy as they probably pay quite a lot in taxes and when their showcasing their businesses and have to ride the trains - well. First impressions are essential in conveying a positive business environment. As imagine them riding the train with a bunch of drunk US Navy sailors who have yet to master their liquoring techniques.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Kb4iuj

[ToniBabelony]

Clearly, the folks in the rail business are pandering up to the rich or the tourist crowd. 

 

No they don't. For example: Odakyū prioritises commuter trains over their luxury Romance Car services when there is a service disruption. They cancel Romance Cars or put them temporarily on a siding to let commuter trains pass. Commuters are by far a more profitable commodity who need to get somewhere quickly for whatever reason. Tourists and 'the rich' usually don't have tight daily schedules to attend to and can spare a few extra minutes to let prioritised traffic pass.