"F Liner" through service on five railways

[bikkuri bahn]

Really just a re-branding of existing services using the Fukutoshin line for through running, but intended to be easier to understand for passengers, given the different train designations attached to a train as it passes through each railway. Began running under this monicker from the March 26 timetable revision.

http://www.tobu.co.jp/file/pdf/3d2881ee48143e73f17131401fbfdbfd/151218-4.pdf?date=20151218192334

 

*the "F" stands for "fast", "five", and "Fukutoshin"

Edited June 21, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[railsquid]

And "F-in complicated" ;)

[Densha]

And here's a cab view video:

 

[Sacto1985]

Why don't they just call it Tobu Fukutoshin Service for trains starting from Tobu Kawagoeshi Station and Seibu Fukutoshin Service for trains starting from Seibu Hanno Station? The F Liner designation doesn't differentiate between trains north of Ikebuburo Station.

[ToniBabelony]

Why don't they just call it Tobu Fukutoshin Service for trains starting from Tobu Kawagoeshi Station and Seibu Fukutoshin Service for trains starting from Seibu Hanno Station? The F Liner designation doesn't differentiate between trains north of Ikebuburo Station.

 

Because it's not a Tōbu and Seibu specific service, but a Five company operated through service over the Fukutoshin line. Naming it Tōbu and Seibu specifically would negatively discriminate against Tōkyū and Yokohama Kōsoku, implying these trains would terminate at Shibuya (end station of the Fukutoshin line). It's no different than calling it a Through Limited Express or some other name. 'Liner' or an equivalent is usually used for long distance commuter operations with limited stops, so it's actually quite fitting.

[Sacto1985]

I disagree. I think they should call it F Liner T for trains coming in (or going to) Tobu Kawagoeshi Station and F Liner S for trains coming in (or going to) Seibu Sanno Station. That way, when you get on the train at Ikebuburo or further south going north, you know which way the train is going.

[miyakoji]

Japanese service names are usually better (a lot better) than the wasei eigo names, I think, although JR's "liner" names are quite good.  Home Liner and Ohayo Liner (an effective mix of English and Japanese, I think) sound great to me.  Sunrise Seto/Izumo are good also.  Otherwise, give me Inaba, Shinano, Azusa, Sazanami, Inaho, etc.  This F-Liner idea, I don't know...

[railsquid]

I disagree. I think they should call it F Liner T for trains coming in (or going to) Tobu Kawagoeshi Station and F Liner S for trains coming in (or going to) Seibu Sanno Station. That way, when you get on the train at Ikebuburo or further south going north, you know which way the train is going

 

In case you miss the bilingual signage on the platform and outside/inside the train, and platform/in-train announcements? ;)

 

Interestingly it's actually cheaper to use this route from Hanno to Yokohama station, even though it passes through three companies, than to change at Ikebukuro and use JR (967 vs 1100 yen, but ca. 10 minutes longer). Hmm, and it looks like it can be quicker and cheaper for me to get to Yokohama from my station on the Seibu Shinjuku line by going via Tokorozawa (which is actually in the "wrong" direction"). Interesting.

[bikkuri bahn]

Given that these services are joint operations, with crew from each railway operating the trains on their respective stretches of track, you can't have railway names explicity incorporated in the service designation, for fear of favoring one railway over another, as Kabutoni alluded to.  Also, when a passenger has a complaint, if the the service is labeled (for example) a xxxx (S)eibu service, he or she may complain to Seibu, when in fact the staff at the time of the offending incident were Tokyu employees.

Edited June 22, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[Sacto1985]

I still have my doubts. Even if it's a five-company joint service, the fact north of Ikebukuro Station the train can go on Tobu lines to Kawagoeshi or Seibu lines to Sanno could cause confusion, unless station voice announcements, station announcement signs and electronic signs on the train itself clearly state the final destination is Kawagoeshi or Hanno.

[railsquid]

Which, as it happens, they do, so no worries there :D

[ToniBabelony]

I guess it's the same type of situation on the JR East Shōnan-Shinjuku line, where services north of Ōmiya go on either the Takasaki or Tōhoku (Utsunomiya) line, and services south of Ōfuna traverse on the Yokosuka or Tōkaidō line while using the Yamanote freight line between Ōsaki and Ikebukuro. All trains run between the Shōnan and Shinjuku areas, but not all between Tochigi and Gunma, resp. Odawara and Zushi.

[Sacto1985]

The problem is that unless you see the electronic sign clearly on the outside of the train itself or see the electronic signs above the station platform, there's still a risk that you could step onto an F Liner train going north from Ikebukuro Station going to the wrong destination. Given how crowded Ikebukuro can be during commute hours, that's why I have my doubts.

[ToniBabelony]

There are four F-liners per hour with two each travelling towards their respective Seibu and Tōbu destinations: http://www.tokyometro.jp/station/shibuya/timetable/fukutoshin/b/index.html I don't think there will be much confusion going on with that thin pattern.

[railsquid]

The problem is that unless you see the electronic sign clearly on the outside of the train itself or see the electronic signs above the station platform,

 

or hear the repetitive platform announcements or the in-train announcements

 

 

there's still a risk that you could step onto an F Liner train going north from Ikebukuro Station going to the wrong destination. Given how crowded Ikebukuro can be during commute hours, that's why I have my doubts.

 

I suspect you are overthinking this somewhat. It's just an extra "F" prefixed to the train type designation.

Edited June 22, 2016 by railsquid

[bikkuri bahn]

Here is an example of those announcements. Repeated enough to drive most people crazy, and understandable for everyone except the most dim-witted:

[ToniBabelony]

To make everybody even more crazy and confused, a lot of trains on through services on different companies change operation patterns during their trip regularly. This F-liner for example changes from a Limited Express on the Yokohama Kōsoku en Tōkyu lines to an Express on the Fukutoshin and Tōbu lines.

[railsquid]

I thought the "F" was meant to imply they're the fastest (non-reserved seat) service pattern on each line, no matter what each line calls their different services. I.e. "take the F train and you won't find yourself sitting at Kiitakotonai-eki way down the line waiting to be overtaken by the kukan-jun-kaisoku-kyuko service which skips the stop at Wakegawakaranai-ga-oka and arrives 2 minutes faster and wondering if you should join the cross-platform rush".

[katoftw]

Here is an example of those announcements. Repeated enough to drive most people crazy, and understandable for everyone except the most dim-witted:

All you can do is sit and laugh at the dim-wits.

 

That reminds me.  I have to go and check on the Kyushu Shinkansen as someone very knowledgible on these matters said it will reopen in the fall.

Edited June 26, 2016 by katoftw