JR East to replace KIHA30 on Kururi Line

[miyakoji]

JR East's Chiba branch has announced that the Kururi Line's KIHA30, 37, and 38 series DMUs will be replaced by new E130 series cars in Autumn 2012.

 

KIHA30 in JNR livery, courtesy of ayokoi:

 

The Kururi Line still uses tablet-based signalling (courtesy youtube contributor okwyu0ed):

 

I found this on Ompuchaneru.  One poster asks if this will be the end of the tablet-based signalling:

http://rail-uploader.khz-net.com/index.php?id=1005119

 

btw, what is the correct English terminology for this tablet system?

[keitaro]

argh f that just before i get there :( @#&%

[bikkuri bahn]

btw, what is the correct English terminology for this tablet system?

 

token working?

 

Well, I'll pencil this line in for a visit either this spring or summer (if possible, both).

[bikkuri bahn]

One poster asks if this will be the end of the tablet-based signalling

 

Alas, it appears so, and even before the arrival of the new railcars.  A JR East press release sent out today has stated that the tablet system will be replaced by a special automatic block system (basically an economy block signal system), that has signals and track circuits only in station limits. This will occur by the spring timetable revision this March. I may have to squeeze in a visit this January, though I wasn't planning on hanging around the Kanto region much in favor of more fertile fields in Tokai and Kansai.

 

*AFAIK the Karasuyama Line in Tochigi Pref. still uses tablet working, a bit more remote than the Kururi Line though.

[bikkuri bahn]

Here is the tablet exchange on the Karasuyama Line, at Oogane Station (fast forward to 3:08):

 

There is surprisingly little video of this operation, most clips are just of the rolling stock, even editing out(!) the tablet exchange.

[scott]

The new stuff may be less interesting, but it's nice to see that they're spending more money on the line rather than shutting it down.

[KenS]

A JR East press release sent out today has stated that the tablet system will be replaced by a special automatic block system (basically an economy block signal system), that has signals and track circuits only in station limits.

 

How the heck would that work?  Normally a token system has interlocks (or a single physical token) so that only one train can occupy track between two stations at a time.  If you only sense track occupancy in stations, do you hold the train if you don't sense a train in the other station?  I guess that could work, but always having a train in every station seems unlikely.

 

Or do you just assume timetables will hold trains in a station if a meet is required, and only use the signals to keep one train from running into a station if the switch is set wrong?  That seems like a recipe for an accident.

[miyakoji]

*AFAIK the Karasuyama Line in Tochigi Pref. still uses tablet working, a bit more remote than the Kururi Line though.

 

This all surprises me.  It seems like JR East is always working on station buildings or getting new rolling stock.  These may be deep inaka lines, but I'd think they would update such ancient equipment.

[KenS]

Well, a token system may be low-tech, and the Japanese often seem to like "new" in preference to all other concerns. But it works, and it's cheap and reliable, as long as you have a lightly used line.

 

And JR still makes Shinkansen noses with hammers.  They're not against a low-tech solution when it's the right one.

 

Continued use of simple but reliable protection systems on rural lines doesn't surprise me.

[disturbman]

To get back to the new system. Basically when a train exit a station and enter a portion of the line, red signals are shown at both entering points. Once it clears it again on the other side (or any side), green on both sides... You just need to connect all the stations together (which should be easy enough in time and age). You need transponders, beacons, something to send signals, something to decipher them and some sort of Internet connection to link every points (stations) together. But still that kind of seems like an unnecessary technological upgrade.

 

I don't think JR East will implement something that could be as dangerous and stupid as what you are describing. :)

[westfalen]

On Queensland Rail some single track sections that were done on the cheap without full track circuiting have axle counters at each station that count the number of axles on trains entering the section and if the same number isn't counted leaving at the other end signals can't be cleared for another train to enter. I always think the token (or electric staff as we call it) is foolproof, the only downside for modern railway management thinking is that you need stations manned by qualified staff which costs money, or trains have to stop for the train crew to change tokens which costs time.

 

I rode the line last year but unfortunately none of the JNR liveried cars wear operating the day I was there.

[bikkuri bahn]

Westfalen basically said it- the likely reason for this is to reduce staffing costs.  With a tablet system, you need a station master or staffer to receive and hand off the tablets. With an automatic block system, you no longer need staff at all- you can make the station unstaffed if necessary.