Printed (English) Timetable?

[scott]

Is there a standard printed  JR timetable for English-speaking travellers? (Or is there one for each JR company, or....)

 

And if so, what's the title, and where would you normally get one?

 

We're not going to Japan--I'm just curious to see such a thing if there is one.

[CaptOblivious]

There is Hyperdia, which is helpful. Sometimes. I've seen a different one in Japanese only that is more informative and easy to translate, but I can't find it in my bookmarks just now.

 

http://www.hyperdia.com/en/

[scott]

Thanks!

 

It's weird -- the online JR East timetable seems to only cover Shinkansen lines and tokkyu trains on the lines around Tokyo. You can't even select Aomori in the alphabetical list.

[qwertyaardvark]

There was a link in this forum to a japanrail.com site that let you request a free printed english-plus-kanji timetable for all Shinkansen, limited expresses and overnight trains. I saved the link on another computer, and tried to look for it, but no luck on forum searches and the JR website is down for the moment. If you would like to call them and request a timetable, 212-332-8686 (EST, M-F 10am-4pm)

 

As for local trains, I do not know of any printed material in english available outside Japan per se, though i have seen small sheets of paper with timetables printed on them at stations in Japan. For internet uses, I use Ekitan, which will list the entire day's timetable for a stated line and stated station. Unfortunately, its in Japanese, so you have been warned. An example timetable of the Yamanote Line at Tokyo station is here.

 

PS - Noticing you (perhaps) wanted Aomori timetables, here are the timetables for all three (terminating) lines in aomori

 

http://timetable.ekitan.com/train/TimeStation/142-0_D1.shtml          Tsugaru Line

http://timetable.ekitan.com/train/TimeStation/147-151_D1.shtml      Touhoku Main Line

http://timetable.ekitan.com/train/TimeStation/174-99_D1.shtml        Ouu Main Line

 

PPS - I also found an interesting timetable book in my saved websites: Thomas Cook Timetables. I personally haven't bought it yet, but I'm curious to know if anyone has purchased this book and to what extent it covers the JR lines....?

[scott]

Maybe this is one of those cultural things--I'm just not used to a place where there are so many trains that you don't necessarily *need* a timetable. Or that most people only use a few routes/services, and nobody needs the massive tome it would take to print all the routes.

 

Although it was fairly easy to adapt when we went to Switzerland in '98--walk down the street, grab the first bus, get some tickets at the station, hop on the train. Whereas here we have to look weeks in advance (or at the last minutes) to get decent fares on the very limited number of trains going to the national capital. (sigh)

[to2leo]

 

Thanks!

 

It's weird -- the online JR East timetable seems to only cover Shinkansen lines and tokkyu trains on the lines around Tokyo. You can't even select Aomori in the alphabetical list.

 

Hey Scott, always check your spelling using wiki by typing JR [station name].  Also, you can deselect shinkansen to get a local train alternative to your destination.  The newer format took me some time to get used to it, but it works!  It was my timetable 'bible' in Japan.

 

Also, you can print it and present to the ticket agent to help them understand where you want to go.  The key is make them know and feel that you are serious and sincere in booking your non-stop train trip.

[qwertyaardvark]

Maybe this is one of those cultural things--I'm just not used to a place where there are so many trains that you don't necessarily *need* a timetable. Or that most people only use a few routes/services, and nobody needs the massive tome it would take to print all the routes.

 

I wouldn't go so far to say that the Japanese "don't need" timetables, as there are plenty of complete timetables for local lines printed at least twice a year (JTB Jikokuhyou is one example). While it might the true that you could do without a timetable in the big cities, the other smaller, even medium-sized cities, especially countryside ones, don't run trains every 2-3 mins, or run till 1 in the morning. As some Japanese travel to these smaller places, a lot of them are caught of guard by the once-per-30-minutes lines or trains that stop running at 9pm or earlier, and so if they travel, they need these time tables in the same way (back then) we needed telephone books: you didn't read through the phone book, but you were glad the information was there when you did use it every once in a while.

 

But with the advent of the internet and cell phone, I'm sure the paper medium is on the decline, but timetables themselves are still necessary.

[scott]

What I would give for once-per-30-minutes service....  :-)

[bill937ca]

There is a printed English timetable of the major services that could be ordered through Japan Rail in New York, but the web site is temporarily closed.

 

http://www.japanrail.com/index.html

[westfalen]

I think the reason there is no English language timetable that covers more than Shinkansen and major limited express services is that they perceive, correctly, that the vast majority of English speaking visitors would not be traveling on some branch line in the wilds of Hokkaido that sees four trains a day, or out into Tokyo's or Osaka's suburbs. Most foreigners would only travel Tokyo-Kyoto with side trips to Nikko and Nara.

[Mudkip Orange]

Most people suck.

[bikkuri bahn]

JTB used to publish (until a few years ago) the "Speed Jikokuhyo", a compact timetable which had station names, etc. in roman letters to aid non-Japanese speakers.  With the shrinking market for paper timetables, I guess it (along with other fringe products) were eliminated.  As I always say, it pays to learn hiragana and katakana, and take the plunge and get the full size timetable- you'll learn more about Japanese railway operation perousing it than any book( or web page) by far.

 

http://www.geocities.jp/seientrantz/timetable.html

[Kabutoni]

I think the reason there is no English language timetable that covers more than Shinkansen and major limited express services is that they perceive, correctly, that the vast majority of English speaking visitors would not be traveling on some branch line in the wilds of Hokkaido that sees four trains a day, or out into Tokyo's or Osaka's suburbs. Most foreigners would only travel Tokyo-Kyoto with side trips to Nikko and Nara.

 

Very true indeed. However, when on the 'road' in rural areas, please beware of insane time differences in local trains. I had to wait for 2 hours to get on the next 'connecting' train service in Shinjou. Not very pleasant if you're planning a day of riding and have a sudden 'gap' in between. That's the price you have to pay for not planning.

[westfalen]

I think the reason there is no English language timetable that covers more than Shinkansen and major limited express services is that they perceive, correctly, that the vast majority of English speaking visitors would not be traveling on some branch line in the wilds of Hokkaido that sees four trains a day, or out into Tokyo's or Osaka's suburbs. Most foreigners would only travel Tokyo-Kyoto with side trips to Nikko and Nara.

 

Very true indeed. However, when on the 'road' in rural areas, please beware of insane time differences in local trains. I had to wait for 2 hours to get on the next 'connecting' train service in Shinjou. Not very pleasant if you're planning a day of riding and have a sudden 'gap' in between. That's the price you have to pay for not planning.

I agree, as the lines I want to ride get further off the beaten track, it gets harder as you often spend as much time waiting as you do on the move. I think most rural branchline timetables are tailored to the needs of the local population, usually school children. It's hard to convince non-believers that in parts of Japan you can spend several hours waiting for the next train.

[bikkuri bahn]

I think most rural branchline timetables are tailored to the needs of the local population, usually school children.

 

Exactly.  Two years living in remote eastern Hokkaido, experienced local trains that are on two hour frequency (or longer).  The few bus services are timed with the trains- several HS students ride them in the AM and late afternoon hours, otherwise the midday buses run empty, the trains maybe 1/4 full.  Last time I used this sparse schedule (past Oct.) to an advantage and had time to extensively photograph an abandoned railway line as well as traces of steam age railway operation- a turntable pit, semaphore signal, switchman sheds, freight platforms, etc, and made it back in time to catch the last local that connects with the ltd. express back to Sapporo.

[Kitayama]

Some of the non-JR companies publish timetable books. Meitetsu, Keio, Odakyu, Kintetsu etc.

Some of them have some text in English, at least the station names.

 

In front of me I have the Keihan Railway Timetable for 2008, 320 pages.

- Maps (Japanese + one in English)

- Special on the new 3000 with drawing with measurements

- Guide to restuarants along the railway

- Pictures of all train series

- Timetables with station names in kanji/hiragana and romaji ("English")

- Distances, fare tables

- Standard composition of the trains sets and what they are used for (never seen in public publications before!)

- A lot of advertising

Not so much in English - but at least the place names. The times and pictures doesn't need text to be understood.

 

I don't find my Kintetsu right now, but that one has much more English.

[scott]

That sounds like an interesting publication