Japan’s trains always on time? Report highlights frequency of rush-hour delays in Tokyo

[bill937ca]

Japan’s railway system is well-known globally for its punctuality, but a recently released transport ministry report points to frequent delays during Tokyo’s rush hour.

 

The Railway Bureau of the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry published a report on Dec. 22 about train delays in Tokyo. The report came in response to recommended improvements to the railway network published by the Council of Transport Policy.

 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/16/national/japans-trains-always-time-report-highlights-frequency-rush-hour-delays-tokyo/#.Wl6EuqinHcc

 

The report -- but its in Japanese.

 

http://www.mlit.go.jp/common/001138591.pdf

[miyakoji]

I guess any significant infrastructure work is far down the list of options, it must cost a fortune.

[railsquid]

Plenty of money being thrown at infrastructure projects to improve the system, especially grade separation (which removes level crossings as a potential disruptive element) and more recently platform doors, which should reduce intentional or unintentional "person-body-incidents".

 

Not sure how the other human aspects mentioned in the article can be better mitigated, seems like require broader societal changes would be needed to reduce the pressure on the morning rush hour, encourage people it's OK to take time off or come in later if they feel ill etc...

 

 

[Khaul]

2 hours ago, miyakoji said:

I guess any significant infrastructure work is far down the list of options, it must cost a fortune.

 

What is a fortune spent in infrastructure varies a lot from place to place. In particular, the differences are stark between the US and the rest of the developed world. When I was a post-doc in Boston an American colleague was very impressed by the existence of pedestrian overpasses to cross motorways in Germany. They must cost a fortune, he said. I thought, well without an overpass you can cross to the other side, that's clearly unacceptable. Then, trying to walk around in Boston I noticed that most of the time you cannot simply cross to the other side.

[Densha]

This all sounds very similar to what we have lately been hearing about railways over here in the Netherlands. Now that most infrastructure and rolling stock issues have finally been solved after years of negligence (another story altogether), it has become obvious that many delays are caused by external human aspects. Think people trying to get on trains after the departure procedure has already started, simply overcrowding due to the rush hour, people walking their dog along the tracks that causes the driver to use the emergency brakes because they are scared it might be a suicidal person, and the, unfortunately, too common actual suicidal incidents as well.