Planned outages bring rail chaos

[Guest ___]

The Yomiuri Shimbun - Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s announcement of power outages in the metropolitan area scheduled to begin Monday morning, which turned out to be mostly unnecessary, created mass confusion among commuters.

 

Trains and stations of East Japan Railway Co. and private railway companies were crowded with commuters trying to cope with reductions or cancellation of rail services made in line with the planned power outages.

 

TEPCO had planned the rolling blackouts to cope with the lack of power supply caused by Friday's magnitude-9.0 earthquake that devastated northeastern Japan.

 

Early Monday, TEPCO announced it cancelled the outages for Group 1 of the five groups of areas scheduled for rolling blackouts. Group 1 includes Nerima Ward, Tokyo, and Isogo Ward, Yokohama, where an outage was scheduled to start at 6:20 a.m.

 

Roads leading to the center of Tokyo saw massive traffic jams, with many people arriving late at companies and schools.

 

TEPCO divided wards, cities, towns and villages in Tokyo and eight other prefectures the company services into five groups based on periods for the planned power outages, the company announced Sunday night.

 

But the groupings are very rough, and some municipalities fall into more than one group, so it is difficult to determine which areas fall into which groups.

 

About 47 million people, or 37 percent of the nation's population, live in the areas that fall in the five groups.

 

At an afternoon press conference, TEPCO said it would implement the outages for Group 5 because many households would be turning on lighting in the evening and supply would not meet demand. TEPCO said the outage would be effected sometime between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

 

Because of the planned power blackout, JR East cancelled services for all day Monday on several lines, including the Tokaido, Yokosuka and Musashino lines.

 

The Nagano Shinkansen line, the Yamanote Line and some other lines operated but with considerably reduced runs.

 

Central Japan Railway Co. cancelled 12 Nozomi runs on the Tokaido Shinkansen line.

(Mar. 15, 2011)

 

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110314005668.htm

[bikkuri bahn]

Just saw on the morning news that freight rail service has been restored on the Tsugaru Kaikyo Line, Tohoku Line and Aoimori Rlwy, so JR Freight will be running container trains with relief supplies from here in Sapporo to Iwate Prefecture. 

[westfalen]

Just saw on the morning news that freight rail service has been restored on the Tsugaru Kaikyo Line, Tohoku Line and Aoimori Rlwy, so JR Freight will be running container trains with relief supplies from here in Sapporo to Iwate Prefecture. 

Have they got the overhead repaired and power restored or are they using diesels?

[bikkuri bahn]

I assume power has been restored, Seikan Tunnel doesn't permit diesel operation, and Aoimori Rlwy only runs emus (passenger service at least to Hachinohe has been restored).

[disturbman]

That's good news. :)

[bikkuri bahn]

Regarding restoration of Shinkansen services, JR East has announced Tohoku Shinkansen services between Morioka and Shin Aomori will restart March 23rd.  Tohoku Shinkansen services between Tokyo and Nasu Shibara have already been in operation since Mar. 15.  The heavily damaged portion between Nasu Shiobara and Morioka will still be closed for an undisclosed period.

[miyakoji]

The heavily damaged portion between Nasu Shiobara and Morioka will still be closed for an undisclosed period.

 

That's a long stretch.  How much rolling stock is stranded on it?

[scott]

...and is the Tohoku line repaired to the point that they'll be able to run connecting trains between Nasu Shiobara and Morioka?

[westfalen]

Might see a brief revival in the fortunes of the route via Niigata and Akita.

[bikkuri bahn]

The heavily damaged portion between Nasu Shiobara and Morioka will still be closed for an undisclosed period.

 

That's a long stretch.  How much rolling stock is stranded on it?

 

Likely a good portion if not the majority.  A check of the daiya at the time of the temblor, and those trainsets at Rifu-cho depot, will give you an idea of the number left on that stretch of line.

 

Might see a brief revival in the fortunes of the route via Niigata and Akita.

 

Yes, indeed.  On the news yesterday there was a report the Japan Sea-side rail routes (Shin-etsu, Uetsu...) are seeing increased traffic as a alternate/relief route for freight trains.

[gmat]

I don't know if it's been noted here, but the Narita Express and other special trains like the Super View Odoriko and Home Liner Odawara and Kinugawa Onsen trains, out of or passing through Shinjuku Station, were all suspended (noted last Friday) and I believe all are still not running. Platform 5 and 6 was dark at 7:30 that night and there was a sign placed before the escalator to the platform. Will check again tomorrow.

 

The Moonlight Shinshu was running.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Tenorikuma]

I don't know if it's been noted here, but the Narita Express and other special trains like the Super View Odoriko and Home Liner Odawara and Kinugawa Onsen trains, out of or passing through Shinjuku Station, were all suspended (noted last Friday) and I believe all are still not running. Platform 5 and 6 was dark at 7:30 that night and there was a sign placed before the escalator to the platform. Will check again tomorrow.

 

Yomiuri has a train status page here: http://traffic.yomiuri.co.jp/trains/. It says, for example, that Narita Express is running but the regular schedule does not apply for some trains (a vague status which probably means reduced train frequency).

[gmat]

I went to Shinjuku Station to check on the status of the Narita Express. I went at around 1:45 and there was no change. The same sign was placed before the steps leading down to platform 5/6 and it said that the Narita Express was discontinued due to power shortage. An electronic sign overhead that gave the train departure info now said "The Narita Express is cancelled for Today." The platform lights were turned off. I went to ask the man in the office next to the turnstiles about the Narita Express and the Tobu Kinugawa Onsen trains and he said that they weren't running and he didn't know when they would resume. This probably includes the Super View Odoriko and Home Liner Odawara. If the Narita Express is running, it doesn't reach Shinjuku. If you are visiting Japan, please take into account that areas outside of Northeastern Honshu might be affected.

Best wishes,

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

The aftereffects extend to JR West.  Starting April 2, some services will be curtailed (no specifics yet), as a supplier of DC motor brushes in Hitachi City in Ibaraki has halted production.  As JR West has many older types of rolling stock that use DC motors, it is especially vulnerable.

 

article (Japanese):

nikkei