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Why Japan's high-speed trains are so good



MANY countries seem obsessed with high-speed rail. On June 4th in the Queen's speech, the opening of the British parliament for 2014-15, the government confirmed its commitment to a controversial high-speed link known as HS2. France is slowly expanding its high-speed lines (known as the TGV) while other countries, such as Spain and China, are rapidly enlarging their networks of whizzy trains. Japan's high-speed "bullet" train is often held up as an exemplar by rail boosters and governments keen to acquire their own shiny new train-sets. How did Japan come to be the world leader in high-speed trains?

Trains are symbolic of modernity in Japan. During the Meiji restoration in the late 19th century, when Japan modernised at break-neck speed, the high technology of the day was the locomotive. By the 1930s the first railway trunk route, linking Tokyo with cities such as Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, had become heavily congested, according to Christian Wolmar, a railway expert. The first high-speed railway, known as the Shinkansen ("new mainline"), cut journeys between Tokyo and Osaka by two hours (from six to four) when it opened in 1964. This made it competitive with air travel, an industry which Japan had eschewed after the second world war, to avoid inadvertently stoking fears of rearmament. Geography influenced the rail network's development: most of Japan's 128m inhabitants live in a few densely-populated parts of the country. By linking those dense populations together—nearly 40m people in greater Tokyo with 20m residents of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto—the railway helped to shift business patterns, making day-trips between Tokyo and Osaka possible. Many of its customers were rich and willing to pay for more expensive high-speed tickets. The service had carried 100m passengers within three years and 1 billion by 1976. Now around 143m use the railway annually.

In 1987 Japan's national railways were divided and privatised into seven for-profit companies. JR East, the largest by passenger numbers, does not require any direct public subsidy from the Japanese government, unlike the heavily-subsidised TGV in France. One reason for its efficiency is that JR East owns all the infrastructure on the route—the stations, the rolling stock and the tracks—meaning there are fewer management teams duplicating each other's work. (By contrast in Britain, for instance, ownership of the tracks and trains is split up.) But the railway also thrives because of a planning system that encourages the building of commercial developments and housing alongside the railway route. JR East owns the land around the railways and lets it out; nearly a third of its revenue comes from shopping malls, blocks of offices, flats and the like. This money is reinvested in the network. In Britain, where planning and transport are rarely aligned, it is hard to create similarly successful commercial developments. Indeed, most of the plans for the areas around the stations of HS2 are vague, and some of the stops along an earlier line, HS1, are still underdeveloped, years after the line was built.

The ability to build large developments alongside the high-speed railways is a boon to the Japanese bullet line, as is the ability to charge high ticket prices. (When Koichi Tanaka, a scientist, won the Nobel Prize in 2002 he was reported as saying he would use the money to buy a ticket on the Shinkansen, to loud cheers.) But even so, 71% of the revenue from passenger tickets at JR East comes from the conventional, slower railway. Countries looking to lay down speedy new tracks might want to consider investing in their existing railway lines as well.

Foot baths to debut on Yamagata bullet train

YAMAGATA – JR East unveiled on Monday a new “resort train” that will allow passengers on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line to soothe their feet.

The carriage, which was shown to the media in the city of Yamagata, will make its debut July 19, allowing tourists to enjoy the landscape along the train line while soaking their feet in an “ashiyu,” or warm-water foot bath.

The service will be offered in one car of the six-car train on the route connecting Fukushima Station in Fukushima Prefecture with Shinjo Station in Yamagata Prefecture. The train can hold 143 passengers.

The special car will contain two red foot baths that are supposed to resemble fields of red safflowers — the symbol of Yamagata Prefecture. Another car will be fitted with tatami to relax on after the soak, as well as a bar that will serve locally brewed sake.

Series W7 Shinkansen ready to start testing
03 Jul 2014




JR West Series W7 high speed trainset, photos by Akihiro Nakamura

JAPAN: JR West is preparing to start testing the Series W7 trainsets it is acquiring for use on the Hokuriku Shinkansen which opens for revenue service in March 2015. Two trainsets are being commissioned at Hakusan depot, around 10 km west of Kanazawa, ready for the start of test running on the new line from August 1.

The 10 Series W7 sets are identical to the 17 Series E7 units being purchased by JR East, creating a combined fleet of 27 units. A development of the Series E2 design built in 1995-2002, the trains are being supplied by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Hitachi, J-TEC, and Kinki Sharyo. Like the Series E2s, they are equipped to operate at both 25 kV 50 Hz and 25 kV 60 Hz, changing frequency three times in the course of a journey between Tokyo and Kanazawa.

Each 12-car trainset is formed of two driving trailers and 10 intermediate motor cars powered by AC motors using VVVF inverter controls. A total power rating of 12 MW will enable the trains to run at up to 275 km/h on the line’s 3% gradients, although the maximum speed in service is expected to remain at 260 km/h. The trains are fitted with low-noise pantographs and snow ploughs to cope with heavy snowfall in the region. The braking performance has been boosted by 10% to cope with the steep gradients and to ensure a safe emergency stop in the event of an earthquake.

The vehicles have aluminium alloy bodyshells to an aerodynamic profile. The single GranClass car in each set has full active suspension, with a semi-active suspension provided for the remaining 11. Each train will accommodate 18 GranClass passengers, 63 in Green Car and 835 in standard class. The exterior livery of ivory and sky blue, with a copper lining, represents a theme of Wa no Mirai (the future of harmony), combining traditional Japanese craftsmanship with the latest technology.

The two railways plan to operate three types of service on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Kagayaki expresses will connect Tokyo and Kanazawa in 2 h 30 min, while intermediate stations will be served by the slower Hakutaka trains. JR West will also operate a Turuga shuttle service along the coastal section between Toyama and Kanazawa.

Shinano Railway releases design details of new sightseeing train
http://response.jp/article/2014/01/21/215469.html

On 2014.01.21, Nagano Prefecture’s Shinano Railway (しなの鉄道) revealed details regarding its new sightseeing train scheduled to enter service this summer. Called “Rokumon” (ろくもん), the train is a refurbished 3-car, 115 series set designed by industrial designer Mitooka Eiji.

The train’s name, Rokumon, comes from the “Six Coins” (Rokumonsen 六文銭), the family crest of the Sanada clan, which has roots in the Nagano area during Japan’s Warring States period (戦国時代). The train will feature a red paint scheme, drawing inspiration from Sanada Yukimura’s aka-zonae (赤備え), a type of military formation that called for painting warriors’ weapons and other equipment all in red. Emblems of various family crests, including the rokumonsen, the musubi-karigane (結び雁金) “knotted goose”, and the suhama (洲浜) “sandbar”, will adorn the exterior in gold.

The interior will feature flooring, seating, and tables made with local Nagano-harvested lumber. Car 1 will feature 24 seats and will be designed for families and groups, featuring a small children’s playpen in the center. Car 2 will feature 28 seats in counter seating or sofa-style, and include a common space and kitchen. Car 3 will feature 20 seats in private box style, designed for couples or other groups of 2.

East Japan Railway Co. has announced a large-scale renovation of the square on Tokyo Station’s Marunouchi side, to create a new look worthy of the capital landmark ahead of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

Renovation work is scheduled to be completed in summer 2017 and will also involve the station’s basement area on the Marunouchi side, JR East said Wednesday.

According to the railway company, it will refurbish the square in front of the station’s Marunouchi building. Work to preserve and restore the building was completed in 2012. The metropolitan roads that cross the square will be rerouted, creating a space for pedestrians of about 6,500 square meters that has been temporarily named the “city square.” Two “traffic squares” on the north and south sides will also be established.

According to the design, the city square will be paved mainly with white granite, and zelkova trees will be planted leading toward Gyoko-dori avenue, which extends to the Imperial Palace. In addition to grassy areas, sections filled with shallow water during summer will be created to ease seasonal temperature increases on the roads. The traffic squares will be used as taxi stands and bus stops.

Nagoya metro to operate subway line until 1:15 a.m., latest in Japan

NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- Nagoya will become the Japanese city with subway trains operating until the latest at night, when service on its Higashiyama line is extended to 1:15 a.m. on Friday nights and the day before holidays.

"It would be nice to see people having a drink in the city and having fun till late hours," Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura said, referring to a change to take effect immediately.

Service on the Higashiyama line will be extended by 45 minutes, with the last train arriving at the Hoshigaoka terminal at 1:15 a.m.

That is five minutes later than what has been the latest subway train service in Japan -- the last service on the Toei Oedo line in Tokyo which finishes at 1:10 a.m.

New line to halve travel time between Haneda, downtown Tokyo


TOKYO -- East Japan Railway plans to build by the mid-2020s a new line linking Haneda Airport and downtown Tokyo that would slash travel time to roughly 20 minutes, helping to make it a more convenient Asian hub for travelers.

The government aims to double the number of visitors to Japan to 20 million a year by 2020, when Tokyo will host the Olympic Games. To this end, it will raise the number of international slots at Haneda to 130,000 annually from 90,000 over the same period. With the number of travelers shuttling between central Tokyo and the airport expected to swell, expanded rail service is a necessity.

Transit between South Korea's Incheon Airport and downtown Seoul takes roughly 45 minutes, and around 20-30 minutes are needed for equivalent trips in Hong Kong and Singapore.

JR East's new line will put Haneda at the top of the regional list in terms of downtown access. This will not only draw more tourists, but also improve Tokyo's attractiveness as an Asian business base, making it easier to lure companies and international conferences.

The rail company, which will handle the bulk of the work, plans to divide the 300 billion yen ($2.93 billion) price tag evenly between itself, the central government and municipalities. Design and construction will take about 10 years, meaning that the new line is expected to start running in the mid-2020s at the earliest, after the Olympics.

The project will convert to passenger use an inactive freight line running from near Tamachi Station on the Yamanote Line to the Tokyo Bay area. From there, the company would build a nearly 6km subway line to Haneda. By eliminating transfers, this would cut travel time to Haneda from Shinjuku Station to 23 minutes from 41-46 minutes and from Tokyo Station to 18 minutes from 28-33 minutes.

JR East estimates that 28 million people will use the new station each year, and it expects to recoup its investment in about 15 years after opening.

Haneda and downtown Tokyo are currently linked by the Tokyo Monorail, which is run by JR East, and the Keikyu Line. But these routes are not expected to be able to handle the influx of additional traffic when Haneda's international slots are expanded.

The Economist wrote:One reason for its efficiency is that JR East owns all the infrastructure on the route—the stations, the rolling stock and the tracks—meaning there are fewer management teams duplicating each other's work. (By contrast in Britain, for instance, ownership of the tracks and trains is split up.) But the railway also thrives because of a planning system that encourages the building of commercial developments and housing alongside the railway route. JR East owns the land around the railways and lets it out; nearly a third of its revenue comes from shopping malls, blocks of offices, flats and the like. This money is reinvested in the network. In Britain, where planning and transport are rarely aligned, it is hard to create similarly successful commercial developments. Indeed, most of the plans for the areas around the stations of HS2 are vague, and some of the stops along an earlier line, HS1, are still underdeveloped, years after the line was built.

Why do Japanese cleaning crews bow at trains?

TOKYO —
The cleaning crews who maintain Japan’s high-speed bullet trains have a mere seven minutes to make the interior of the train spotlessly clean for its next journey. Those seven minutes are carefully divided into different tasks to make sure everything gets done in the allotted time.

Another curious detail people often notice about these cleaners is the way they bow as trains are entering and exiting the station. While this act is generally thought to be a respectful gesture, the intended recipient of the bowing seems to be a matter of great debate, with plenty of conflicting opinions out there, even among the Japanese.

The video clip below of cleaning staff bowing to an incoming train on the platform prompted a host of reactions from non-Japanese. Some were confused by the meaning behind the bowing, while others praised the act as a sign of respect. One common topic of discussion that emerged, however, was what exactly the staff were bowing to.

Note: The following quotes are based on Japanese translations of the original comments, so they may differ slightly from the originals.

Reactions of foreigners who saw the video clip:

Aruba (Netherlands Antilles)

“It’s great that the Japanese value the importance of paying respect to others. The West has a lot to learn from them.”

Brazil

“Japan is a terrific country! The only problem to speak of is its high suicide rate.”

Canada

“Nice. In my personal experience, if I wave as the train is arriving at the station, the train driver will usually wave back.”

China

“I’m Chinese, and I honestly don’t feel comfortable with all the bowing in Japan. It’s because in China, people mostly bow to honor those who have passed away.”

Italy

“They are bowing to the passengers, the drivers, and to each other, right?”

Netherlands
“Didn’t anyone else notice that no one was riding in the train?”

United Kingdom

“Japanese traditions are the best in the world! We’ve lost courtesy and grace in the West.”

United States

“It says in the title that they’re bowing for the train, but isn’t it for the passengers riding inside?”

“If people in the West were more respectful to each other, America wouldn’t have become the police state it now is.”

“A strange aspect of Japanese culture…”

“I think they’re going a bit overboard, but it’s good. “

“Lovely stuff!”

“I respect this. We definitely need more of this in the West.”

“What the Japanese are doing is great. Please stay like that!”

“Yup, when I was in Japan, even a car driver would bow if he cut you off.”

“I read this somewhere, but Japan is the only country in the world that has managed to hang onto its culture and traditions while making scientific progress.”

Taking it a step further, here are the reactions of some Japanese people who read the foreigners’ comments and posted their own thoughts on Lakatan:

“The cleaners are only doing it because it’s a rule of the company. They wouldn’t continue doing it if they didn’t have to.”

“It’s refreshing to view Japanese etiquette from the eyes of foreigners. But the ideals of service and ‘business smiles’ originally came from America. That spirit has died out in America, so the Japanese may also lose their sense of courtesy someday.”

“All things begin and end with courtesy.”

“I think that they bow because they take pride in their jobs. The passengers don’t feel like they’re being bowed to. It’s a virtue of the cleaning people.”

“Isn’t it just a regular greeting to the train driver and the train that conveys something like, ‘Work hard today!’ and, ‘We appreciate your efforts!’ And wasn’t the idea that inanimate objects have a spirit (tsukumogami) born out of the custom of showing respect? Or maybe it’s vice versa.”

“Korea’s Confucianist culture also emphasizes respect.”

“There are many schools where the students bow when entering and leaving the gate.”

“It’s the same as Pavlov’s dogs, or the deer in Nara.”

“I’m surprised that there are so many negative comments. Do we really need to find fault with this?”

Whose thoughts do you find most compelling–the foreigners’, or the Japanese? If you’re ever in Japan and waiting on a train platform, maybe you too can see the sight in person and decide for yourself.

Source: Lakatan